It was said that the castle was one of 'the too good things for Mitsunari' after the rebuilding by Mistunari ISHIDA, but Naomasa disliked its medieval nawabari (castle plan; general term for the layout of a castle and its component structures) and the fact that it had been Mitsunari's castle.
佐和山城は石田三成が改築した後は「三成に過ぎたるもの…」の一つともいわれたが、直政は、中世的な古い縄張りや三成の居城であったことを嫌った。