Although, it was in essence their own castle, successive Minakuchi Domain custodians treated it as if they were just borrowing it from the bakufu and took great care of it, and didn't seem to use the Goten in the Honmaru (the keep of the castle).
歴代水口藩は、同城を幕府からお借りしている城として大切に管理し、特に居城であるにもかかわらず、本丸部の御殿を使用しなかったらしい。