2021年11月 – ページ 3 – 日本200名城バイリンガル (Japan's top 200 castles and ruins)

30.Takato Castle Part3

Ejima lived in the latter half of her life in that land.

Later History

After the Meiji Restoration, all of the buildings in Takato Castle were demolished or sold. In 1875, the castle ruins were turned into Takato Park and the former warriors started to plant cherry blossoms in the park. Since then, the site has been developing as a site famous for cherry blossoms. They were also designated as a National Historic Site in 1973.

Around the Cherry Cloud Bridge in the cherry-blossom season (licensed under Public Domain via Wikimedia Commons)

My Impression

I have learned that Takato Castle was really built using natural materials and the local people made a great effort to continue maintaining the castle ruins into the future generations.

The earthen walls (on the left) and the Middle Moat (on the right) of the Second Enclosure

In addition, if you have time, I recommend that you visit the restored house for “Ejima” at the Takato Historical Museum. Ejima was a senior officer of “Ooku” or the Inner Chambers of Edo Castle, the home base of the Tokugawa Shogunate in the Edo Period. She was banished to the Takato Domain because she was late for the closing time of the castle after seeing a Kabuki play. It is said the incident was caused by an internal conflict of Ooku. She was confined in a quarantined room of the house for 27 years before her death. She was also not given any writing materials, so she was devoted to reading a sutra. People in Takato eventually respected her and the lord of the domain invited her to Takato Castle to educate the women in the castle in her last years.

The entrance of the restored house for Ejima

The house was strictly surrounded by the fences.

Ejima drawn in a Ukiyo-e Painting, she was thought that she was late for playing with a Kabuki actor. *(licensed under Public Domain via Wikimedia Commons)*

How to get There

If you want to visit there by car:
It is about 30 minutes away from Ina IC on the Chuo Expressway.
There are several parking lots around the park and in the Takato Historical Museum.
By public transportation, take the JR bus (Takato line) from JR Inashi Station, and get off at the Takato bus stop. The ruins are about 15 minutes away on foot.
To get to Inashi Station from Tokyo: Take the limited express Azusa or Kaiji at Shinjuku Station, and transfer at Okaya Station to the Iida Line.

Links and References

・Noble ruin of the castle park, Ina City Official Website

That’s all. Thank you.
Back to “Takato Castle Part1”
Back to “Takato Castle Part2”

30.高遠城　その３

絵島が後半生を過ごした土地

その後

明治維新後、高遠城の全ての建物は撤去されるか売られていきました。1875年に城跡は高遠公園となり、元武士たちは公園に桜を植え始めました。それ以来、この地は桜の名所として発展していったのです。城跡はまた、1973年に国の史跡に指定されました。

桜のシーズンの桜雲橋周辺 *(licensed under Public Domain via Wikimedia Commons)*

私の感想

高遠城は自然の地形をうまく利用して築かれたこと、そして地元の人々が将来の世代に渡って城跡を維持し続けるために大変な努力をしてきたということがよくわかりました。

更には、もしお時間が許せば、高遠町歴史博物館にある「絵島囲み屋敷」を訪れてみてはいかがでしょう。絵島は、江戸時代に徳川幕府の本拠地であった江戸城の大奥の大年寄でした。彼女は歌舞伎を観た後、門限に遅れた罪で追放されました。これは大奥内の内部抗争により起こされた事件とも言われています。彼女は亡くなるまでの２７年間、隔離された部屋に幽閉されました。筆記用具は一切与えられず、ひたすら読経をする日々だったと言います。高遠の人々はやがて彼女を尊敬するようになり、その晩年には、高遠藩の藩主が高遠城に彼女を招き、城の女中に躾の指導をさせたりしました。

絵島を描いた浮世絵、歌舞伎役者と遊んでいて門限に遅れたと*当時は*思われていました *(licensed under Public Domain via Wikimedia Commons)*

ここに行くには

車で行く場合：
中央自動車道の伊那ICから約３０分かかります。
公園周辺と高遠町歴史博物館に駐車場があります。
公共交通機関を使う場合は、ＪＲ伊那市駅からＪＲバス（高遠線）に乗り、高遠バス停で降りてください。そこから歩いて約１５分です。
東京から伊那市駅まで：
新宿駅で特急あずさ号かかいじ号に乗り、岡谷駅で飯田線に乗り換えてください。

リンク、参考情報

・高遠城の魅力をご紹介、伊那市
・「日本の城改訂版第６３号」デアゴスティーニジャパン
・「列島縦断「幻の名城」を訪ねて／山名美和子著」集英社新書
・「現代語訳　信長公記／太田牛一著、中川太古訳」新人物文庫

これで終わります。ありがとうございました。
「高遠城その１」に戻ります。
「高遠城その２」に戻ります。

30.Takato Castle Part2

A castle with natural hazard that became a site famous for cherry blossoms

Features

Now, the ruins of Takato Castle has become Takato Castle Site Park which is very famous for cherry blossoms. For this reason, the park is crowded with lots of people. There are entrance fees and opening hours during the cherry-blossom season. In contrast, it is silent, free, and always open during the off seasons. This is to control the number of visitors during the peak season, as the park has only two gates in the north and south. So, it is up to you to decide when you would like to visit the park.

The map around the castle

Route to North Gate

The North Gate is the former entrance of the Second Enclosure. If you come from the town area, it would be convenient to use this entrance. After climbing up the slope to the ruins, you will see the stone walls for the Main Gate which was probably built in the Edo Period. The present route goes through the Third Enclosure to the ruins of the Back Gate.

Climbing up the slope to the ruins of the Main Gate

You can see the structure of the Main Gate which was once moved and reduced in scale on the left, but now returned to the present position.

The Third Enclosure still has a building for the Domain School called Shintoku-kan.

Then you will reach the North Gate behind the Middle Moat. There is a large old rest house for visitors called Takato-taku which was built in 1936 inside the gate.

Route through South Gate

The map around the castle

The South Gate is the former entrance of the Hodo-in Enclosure outside the Outer Moat, which was originally a temple. If you come from the Takato Historical Museum, it would be convenient to use this entrance. From the museum, you can look up the ruins and understand how the castle was built using natural materials. The cliff of the mountain was a natural hazard for enemies in the past, but the route to the ruins is developed now.

Looking up the castle ruins from around the museum

After entering the gate, you will go across a bridge called Hakuto-bashi or the White Rabbit Bridge on the Outer Moat.

You will also walk from the South Enclosure inside the moat to the Second Enclosure passing another earthen bridge.

Main Enclosure where Cherry Blossoms will be wonderful

You need to enter the Second Enclosure to reach the Main Enclosure due to the defensive layout. The Main Enclosure is the center of the castle and still surrounded by the Inner Moat. The moat is even deeper now, but mostly dry, so you can stand on the bottom of it.

The Oun-kyo or Cherry Cloud Bridge is in front of the entrance over the Inner Moat. It is said that the spot around them is the best for taking a photo in the cherry-blossom season.

Its entrance gate has a traditional structure called Tonya-mon which was moved from the town area.

You can see a very good view of the area around from the inside of the enclosure.

The enclosure has the Taiko Yagura or Drum Turret which was originally built beside the Back Gate letting people know the time. It was moved to the present position in 1877, and rebuilt in 1912.

To be continued in “Takato Castle Part3”
Back to “Takato Castle Part1”