162.Izushi Castle/Arikoyama Castle Part2

There is only the rest station and the signboard on the main enclosure of Arikoyama Castle. However, the view from the top, about 300m above from the foot, is really breath taking view! The stone walls of the enclosure are what you saw from the foot.

Features

Going to Arikoyama Castle Ruins through Shrine Approach

There are two castle ruins in the Izushi area as mentioned in the previous section, which are Izushi and Arikoyama Castles. The latter is older than the former, so I will first describe how to visit Arikoyama Castle Ruins in this article. The entrance to the ruins is now also that to Arikoyama Inari Shrine which is located at the highest of Izushi Castle Ruins. Therefore, you will climb the stone steps of the approach from the foot of the mountain to the shrine though many of its red shrine gates.

The approach to Arikoyama Inari Shrine

The map around the castle

You will also see several tiered enclosures of Izushi Castle with great stone walls and some restored buildings. The trail to the top starts from the point above the shrine building, so you need to prepare for hiking and something to keep you safe from wild animals (a bear bell or radio).

You can cee the Main Enclosure in the back and the Second Enclosure of Izushi Castle on the right
Arikoyama Inari Shrine
The starting poing ot the trail
Please beware of wild animals

Steep Slopes as Natural Hazzard

The trail is very steep and goes straight on a ridge of the mountain, which was a natural hazard of the castle. It gets a little flatter on the way, but zigzags and then becomes narrow over an earthen ditch instead. They are perhaps ruins of an artificial defensive gateway.

The steep slopes on the ridge
The spot where the trail is zigzagging
The narrow earthen bridge crossing the ditch
The ditch seen from above

After that, you will go on the steep trail again, which may be too tough for some castle visitors. However, you will eventually reach around the top area and the route turns right to go around. The castle ruins are made of soil so far, but you will see some remaining stone walls around. This is probably because there is the Well Enclosure below the trail, so the walls were built to protect the well from collapsing or being buried.

The trail becomes very steep again
The trail turns right and becomes flat
There is the Well Enclosure below the trail
The remaining stone walls above the well

Six tiered Enclosures on Top

The trail turns left and go up again to the main portion of the castle on the top. The portion has six tiered enclosures which are all surrounded by stone walls using natural or roughly processed stones. That means, these stone walls are an early example of those for castles, which were probably built by Takatora Todo.

The map of the main portion

Climbing to the main portion of the castle
You can see the stone walls of the main portion

In addition, if you go straight on the branched trail, you will get to the quarry for the stones.

You can get to the quarry of you go straight at division point
The ruins of the quarry

The enclosures are in line from the sixth enclosure on the bottom to the main enclosure on the top. Many of their stone walls were covered by wire nets to avoid from collapsing.

The stone walls of the sixth enclosure
The fifth enclosure on the left and the sixth enclosure on the right

There is only the rest station and the signboard on the main enclosure. However, the view of the Izushi area from the top, about 300m above from the foot, is really breath-taking view! The stone walls of the enclosure are what you saw from the foot.

Going from the second enclosure to the main enclosure
The top of the enclosure
A view from the enclosure
The stone walls of the enclosure

Very spacious Senjousiki Enclosure for top area

The Senjoshiki Enclosure is next to the main portion, which is separated by a huge artificial ditch. You can go there by passing the top of the forth enclosure. The enclosure is mostly made of soil, but very spacious for the top area of the mountain which was used as the lord’s residence or a station for large troops.

The path to the Senjoshiki Enclosure goes from the top of the fourth enclosure, the stone walls beide the path are the third enclosure’s
The huge ditch dividing the main and the Senjoshiki Enclosures
The top of the Senjoshiki Enclosure
The main enclosure seen from the Senjoshiki Enclosure

To be continued in “Izushi Castle/Arikoyama Castle Part3”
Back to “Izushi Castle/Arikoyama Castle Part1”

162.出石城・有子山城 その2

有子山城跡本丸の上には休憩所と説明板しかありません。しかし、麓から約300mの高さがある頂上からの眺めは最高です。本丸の石垣は、麓から見えていたあの石垣です。

特徴、見どころ

神社の参道を通って有子山城跡へ

前節でご説明しました通り、出石地区には出石と有子山という2つの城跡があります。後者(有子山)の方が前者(出石)より古い城跡となりますので、この記事では最初に有子山城跡を訪れるという形にしたいと思います。有子山城跡への入口は、有子山稲荷神社の入口にもなっていて、その神社は出石城跡の最も高い位置にあります。したがって山の麓からは神社参道の石段を、数多くの赤い鳥居をくぐりながら登って行くことになります。

城周辺の地図

有子山稲荷神社の参道

その間、出石城跡の何段もの曲輪群や、すばらしい石垣、復元された建物も目にします。神社の建物より上の方に、山頂への登山口があります。登山にはハイキングの装備と、野生動物を避けるためのアイテム(熊鈴かラジオ)が必要です。

右側が出石城跡の本丸、二の丸です
有子山稲荷神社
有子山城跡への登山口
野生動物には気を付けましょう

自然の障壁としての急坂

道はとても急で、山の峰の上をまっすぐに登っていきます。これは城にとっては自然の障壁となったでしょう。その途中でやや緩やかになりますが、代わりに道筋が曲がりくねり、それから細くなって人工の堀切を越えていきます。これは恐らく、防衛のため意図的に作った関門でしょう。

峰上の急坂
道がジグザグになっている箇所
その後ろは堀切を渡る土橋になっています
堀切部分を上から見ています

その後、山道はまた急になり、城巡りのビジターにとってはきつすぎるかもしれません。しかし、やがて頂上付近のエリアにたどり着き、道は右に曲がって回り道となります。それまで見てきた城跡は土造りでしたが、周辺に石垣が残っているのがわかります。それは恐らく、道の下方に井戸曲輪があって、石垣は井戸を崩壊や埋没から防ぐために築かれたのでしょう。

道はまた急になります
ここから右に曲がり平らになります
道の下に井戸曲輪があります
井戸の上にある石垣

頂上の6段の曲輪群

山道は今度は左に曲がり、頂上にある城の主要部分に向けて再び登り始めます。主要部分は6段の曲輪群となっていて、全て自然石か粗く加工された石を使った石垣によって囲まれています。城のために築かれた石垣としては古い部類に属していて、恐らくは藤堂高虎によって築かれたのでしょう。

城主要部の地図

城の主要部に登っていきます
石垣が見えてきました

参考までに先ほどの山道を登らないでまっすぐに行くと、石垣に使った石を切り出した場所があります。

先ほどの分岐点をまっすぐ行くと石切場です
こちらが石切場です

曲輪群は下の第6曲輪から一番上の本丸まで一直線に並んでいます。多くの石垣は、崩壊を防ぐためにワイヤーネットで覆われています。

第6曲輪の石垣
左上が第5曲輪の石垣、右下が第6曲輪の石垣

本丸の上には休憩所と説明板しかありません。しかし、麓から約300mの高さがある頂上からの出石地区の眺めは最高です。本丸の石垣は、麓から見えていたあの石垣です。

第2曲輪から本丸へ
本丸の上
本丸からの景色
本丸の石垣

山の上とは思えない広さの千畳敷

千畳敷は主要部のとなりにあって、人工の巨大な堀切によって隔てられています。そこに行くには、第4曲輪の上から通じる道をたどります。千畳敷はほとんどが土造りなのですが、山の頂上部分としてはとても広く、城主の館か大軍の駐屯地として使われたと思われます。

第4曲輪の脇から道が出ています、石垣は第3曲輪のものです
本丸と千畳敷を隔てる堀切
千畳敷
千畳敷から見た本丸

「出石城・有子山城その3」に続きます。
「出石城・有子山城その1」に戻ります。

162.Izushi Castle/Arikoyama Castle Part1

The Izushi area is known as its old castle town where many people visit to enjoy walking, eating and shopping around the area including the Izushi Castle Ruins at the foot of the mountain. If you look up at the mountain on a fine day, you will find stone walls on the top, which are other castle ruins in this area, called Arikoyama Castle which had been built before Izushi Castle.

Location and History

Two Castle Ruins in Izushi Area

Izushi Castle is located in modern day in the Izushi area of Toyooka City in the northern part of Hyogo Prefecture. The area is known as the old castle town where many people visit to enjoy walking, eating and shopping around the area including the Izushi Castle Ruins at the foot of the mountain. If you look up at the mountain on a fine day, you will find stone walls on the top, which are other castle ruins in this area, called Arikoyama Castle which had been built before Izushi Castle. These things make you understand the area has a very long history and rich culture.

The range of Toyooka City and the location of the castles

A street of the old Izushi castle town
Izushi Castle Ruins in the front and Arikoyama Castle Ruins in the back
The zooemed stone walls on the mountain

Yamana Clan, One of Greatest Lords during Middle Ages

Arikoyama Castle was first built by the Yamana Clan which is known as one of the greatest lords during the Middle Ages. The clan was a branch family of the Nitta Clan, which came from the Kanto Region in eastern Japan. When the Ashikaga Shogunate was established, Tokiuji Yamana, who was the lord of the clan at that time, greatly supported Takauji Ashikaga, the founder of the shogunate. That’s why Takauji sent Tokiuji to the Sanin area, the northern part of the Chugoku Region to govern, where their enemies were still active. Tokiuji and his descendants conquered their territories by force and finally became the governors of 11 out of 66 provinces in Japan, called Rokubun-no-ichi-dono (meaning the Lord of One Sixth of Japan).

The family crest of the Yamana Clan (licensed by Houunji 1642 via Wikimedia Commons)
The 11 provinces the Yamana Clan became governors (the colored ones)  (licensed by ja:User:味っ子 via Wikimedia Commons)

However, Yoshimitsu Ashikaga, the third Shogun, was afraid of the overwhelming power of the Yamana Clan and defeated it in 1391, known as the Meitoku Rebellion. The clan’s power once declined but Sozen Yamana came out in the 15th Century and revived it as they had been. He is known as the commander in chief of the Western Alliance against the Eastern Alliance led by Katsumoto Hosokawa during the Onin War between 1467 and 1477 which would start the Sengoku Period. The clan eventually had many provinces again and its home was in the current Izushi area of Tajima Province which is now known as northern Hyogo Prefecture. The lords of the clan were first based in Konosumi-yama Castle on a mountain, about 5km north of the later Arikoyama Castle. Sozen actually made a sally with about 26 thousand warriors from this castle to fight with the Eastern Alliance in Kyoto.

The portrait of Sozen Yamana, from “Honcho-Hyakushoden” (licensed by Musuketeer.3 via Wikimedia Commons)
The portrait of Katsumoto Hosokawa, owned by Ryoanji Temple  (licensed under Public Domain via Wikimedia Commons)

Unlike the Hosokawa Clan which had a certain position in the central government, the Yamana Clan had to maintain its provinces by force. It got difficult for the clan to do it during the Sengoku Period when overthrowing their lords were often seen as overthrowing the whole country. The clan eventually lost its provinces one by one, being defeated in many battles against other warlords like the Akamatsu and Amago Clans. As a result, the Yamana’s authority decreased and some of its senior vassals tried to become independent. Suketoyo Yamana, the lord of the clan tried to somehow manage to maintain his last Tajima Province by building Takeda Castle near the border to other provinces, and asking greater warlords like the Oda and Mori Clans for help.

The range of Tajima Province and the location of the castles

The ruins of Takeda Castle

Suketoyo Yamana moves his home to Arikoyama Castle

However, when the Oda Clan attacked the Tajima Province in 1569, Suketomo’s home Konosumi-yama Castle was captured and he had to escape from the place. This might have been caused by the secret agreement between the Oda and Mori Clans that the Tajima Province would belong to the Oda. Suketoyo somehow returned to his territory in 1570 after he had met with Nobunaga Oda (the lord of the clan) while paying lots of money from mining in the province. Then, he moved to his home to Arikoyama Castle, located on a much higher and steeper mountain than Konosumi-yama Castle, and improved it so that the fall of his castle would never happen again. Suketomo usually lived in the residence at the foot of the mountain, which would be the origin of Izushi Castle and its castle town.

The portrait of Nobunaga Oda, attributed to Soshu Kano, owned by Chokoji Temple, in the late 16th century (licensed under Public Domain via Wikimedia Commons)

The relief map around the castles

In the 1570’s, the Oda and Mori Clans began to oppose each other. Suketomo was debating on the face on which side he would support. The Oda Clan attacked the Tajima Province again in 1580 by sending Hidenaga Hashiba who was the little brother of Hideyoshi, the later ruler of Japan. It is said that one of the reasons for the invasion was that they wanted to own the mines in the province, such as the Ikuno Silver Mine. Hidenaga’s troops surrounded Arikoyama Castle and Suketomo finally had to surrender perhaps because they had no hope for reinforcements.

The portrait of Hidenaga Hashiba, owned by Shungakuin Temple (licensed under Public Domain via Wikimedia Commons)

Hidenaga Hashiba improves Castle

After that, Hidenaga lived in and improved the castle as the home base of the Tajima Province. The castle had been made of soil so far but its main portion on the top was fortified by building stone walls. It is said that Takatora Todo, who was a senior vassal of Hidenaga and would later become a master of castle constructions, built them. Senjoshiki (meaning the 1,000 mat enclosure), next to the main portion, was developed to accommodate many soldiers and supplies even when other lords in the province gathered for help.

The portrait of Takatora Todo, private owned (licensed under Public Domain via Wikimedia Commons)
The imaginary drawing of Arikoyama Castle, exhibited by Karo Yashiki Residence

Yoshihide Koide builds Izushi Castle

The castle was followed by the Koide Clan, a relative of Hideyoshi Toyotomi after he became the ruler of Japan. The clan somehow survived when the ruler was changed from the Toyotomi Clan to the Tokugawa Shogunate. In 1604, Yoshihide Koide renovated the foot residence and renamed it Izushi Castle perhaps due to the convenience for the government. He also abandoned Arikoyama Castle on the mountain instead. The new castle and its castle town prospered during the Edo Period as the Izushi Domain, which was finally followed by the Sengoku Clan until the end of the period.

The imaginary drawing of Izushi Castle, exhibited by Karo Yashiki Residence

To be continued in “Izushi Castle/Arikoyama Castle Part2”