However, the Hojo were driven out by Uesugi Kenshin in 1560, who expanded Ishikura castle into one of his seven main strongholds in the Kantō area.

After Tokugawa Ieyasu took control over the Kantō region in 1590, he assigned Hiraiwa Chikayoshi, one of his most trusted generals, as castellan.

The Sakai clan ruled over the next seven generations, completely rebuilding Maebashi Castle on higher ground with multiple baileys and a three-story tenshu.

The Tokugawa shogunate also looked to the Maebashi area as a possible site a refuge should Edo be attacked by the western powers, and supported the move.

The tenshu of the new castle was located slightly further inland than before, and the outer walls were reconstructed with zigzag lines to avoid dead angles.