It overlooks a narrow valley of Chikusagawa River, which flows from north to south along the border, and the San'yōdō highway, which was the main east-west conduit between Kyoto and the provinces western Japan.

Akamatsu Norimura drove the Hōjō clan from Kyoto; however, afterwards he received scant rewards from Emperor Go-Daigo for his efforts, and was even relieved of his title of shugo of Harima Province.

Asakaga Takauji was initially unable to hold Kyoto against the counterattack by Kitabatake Akiie and Nitta Yoshisada and had to retreat as far as Kyushu to rebuild his army.

After the Battle of Minatogawa, the victorious Muromachi shogunate rewarded the Akamatsu clan with the positions of shugo of Harima and of Settsu Provinces.

Akamatsu Mitsusuke assassinated Ashikaga Yoshinori at a banquet in Kyoto, but his revolt was ultimately unsuccessful and the clan lost much of its territory.

After 1580, the clan largely disappears from history, At present, all that remains of Shirahata Castle is the traces of long lines of enclosures on the mountainside.