2022年2月 – ページ 5 – 日本200名城バイリンガル (Japan's top 200 castles and ruins)

77.Takamatsu Castle Part3

Will the Main Tower be restored?

Features

Remaining Stone Walls in City Area

If you have more time, how about visiting the eastern area of the park, the former Eastern Enclosure? The area was turned into a city area, but part of the original stone walls remain among modern buildings. The remaining Ushitora-Yagura Turret was originally built in this area.

The aerial photo around the castle

The remaining stone walls among modern buildings

The Ushitora-Yagura Turret was built on these stone walls

Later History

After the Meiji Restoration, Takamatsu Castle was abandoned, most of its buildings including the Main Tower were demolished, and many parts of it were turned into the city area. However, the former lords of the castle, the Matsudaira Clan bought the remaining primary part of the castle and lived in it. The part finally became the public Tamamo Park in 1955. The remaining turrets and gate were also designated as Important Cultural Properties in 1950.

The Hiunkaku Hall where the Matsudaira Clan lived after the Meiji Restoration

In addition, Takamatsu City is collecting records to restore the Main Tower. The tower had three-layers and four-stories. Its appearance was very rare, with the first and forth floors overhanging, called Nanban-zukuri or the Western Style. The city has confirmed its external appearance while its interior is still largely unknown. It is asking the citizens to offer old pictures and documents, even offering rewards.

The present stone wall base for the Main Tower

The old photo of the Main Tower, from the signboard at the site

The external view of the restored Main Tower, from the signboard at the site

My Impression

I’m very interested in the plan to restore the Main Tower of Takamatsu Castle. If the restoration is done, the castle may look like a floating castle on the waves again. However, the essential value of castle ruins belongs to the remaining items. In the case of Takamatsu Castle, I like the remaining Tsukimi-Yagura Turret the best, but it doesn’t stand out like it used to. I hope the officials also think about how the turret looked in the past.

The reclaimed land in front of the Tsukimi Turret

How to get There

If you want to visit by car:
It is about 20 minutes away from Takamatsu IC on the Takamatsu Expressway.
You can park at Tamamo Park.
By train, it is few minutes away from JR Takamatsu Station on foot.
To get to Takamatsu Station from Tokyo or Osaka: Take the Tokaido or Sanyo Shinkansen super express and transfer at Okayama Station to the Seto-Ohashi Line. Take a train called the Marine Liner bound for Takamatsu.

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

77.高松城　その３

天守は復元されるのでしょうか。

特徴、見どころ

市街地に残る石垣

もう少しお時間があれば、公園から東の方にも行ってみてはいかがでしょう。その辺りは市街地になっているのですが、近代的ビルの合間にオリジナルの石垣が残っているのです。現存している艮櫓は、もともとこの場所にありました。

城周辺の航空写真

その後

明治維新後、高松城は廃城となり、天守を含むほとんどの建物は撤去され、城の多くの場所は市街地となっていきました。しかし、旧城主であった松平氏が、城のうち、残っていた主要部分を買い取り、そこに住むことになったのです。その部分は最終的には1955年に、公立の玉藻公園となりました。現存している櫓や門は、1950年に重要文化財にも指定されています。

更には、高松市は天守を復元するための記録類を収集しています。天守は三層四階の建物でした。その姿はとても珍しいもので、一階と四階部分が張り出していたのです。これは南蛮造りと呼ばれます。外観については既に十分確認済みなのですが、内装についてはまだ多くの部分が分かっていません。高松市は、市民に対して報奨金を提示してまで古写真や書類の提供を呼び掛けています。

私の感想

高松城の天守の復元には大いに興味があります。もし、天守が復元されたならば、高松城は再び波間に浮かぶ城のように見えるかもしれません。しかしながら、城跡の基本的価値は、やはり現存しているものにあるとも思うのです。高松城に関しては、私の一番のお気に入りは月見櫓です。ところが、昔のような目立ち方はしていません。月見櫓が過去に見せていたような姿を取り戻せないものでしょうか。

ここに行くには

車で行く場合：
高松自動車道高松ICから約２０分かかります。
玉藻公園に駐車できます。
電車では、ＪＲ高松駅から歩いて数分のところです。
東京または大阪から高松駅まで：東海道または山陽新幹線に乗って、岡山駅で瀬戸大橋線に乗り換えてください。
高松駅行きのマリンライナーに乗ってください。

リンク、参考情報

・高松城【玉藻公園】公式ウェブサイト
・「よみがえる日本の城１３」学研
・「日本の城改訂版第２７、６３、１２５」号」デアゴスティーニジャパン
・「史跡高松城跡保存整備基本計画」高松市

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

77.Takamatsu Castle Part2

A glimpse of Sea Castle remains.

Features

To Inside of Castle with seeing Ushitora Turret

Now, the ruins of Takamatsu Castle have become Tamamo Park (tamamo is an old Japanese word which means something like “beautiful algae”.) The range of the park is inside the inner moat and part of the middle moat of the castle. The park has several entrances, but if you drive to the ruins of the park, you can park in front of the main gate called Asahi-mon. From the parking lot, you will see a great view of the remaining three-story turret called Ushitora-Yagura with the background of some modern buildings. The turret was actually moved from the Eastern Enclosure to the present position in 1967.

The aerial photo around the castle

Ushitora-Yagura Turret that can be seen from the parking lot

You can enter the gate after walking on the Asahi-bashi Bridge over the middle moat. You will also go through a square space surrounded by large stone walls called Masugata, which was built for defense.

Entering the Main Gate after crossing the Asahi-bashi Bridge

Going Third, Second Enclosures, and Main Tower Base in Main Enclosure

The inside of the gate is the riding ground enclosure or Sakura-no-Baba which is now planted with lots of cherry trees. Then, you go across the earthen bridge to enter the ruins of the Sakura-mon Gate and the third enclosure. However, as of February 2022, the gate is under construction and scheduled to be restored by the spring of 2022, so you will have to use the temporary path.

The earthen bridge to the Third Enclosure

The Sakura-mon Gate under the restoration

The third enclosure still has a traditional hall, called Hiunkaku, which is not original to the castle, but was built as the house for the former lord, the Matsudaira Clan, in modern times. It is now owned by Takamatsu City and used for ceremonies and events. The enclosure also has a Japanese garden you can enjoy looking around.

The Japanese garden in the Third Enclosure

You can go further from the third enclosure to the second enclosure and the main enclosure with the stone wall base for the Main Tower. The only way to get to the main enclosure is by crossing the restored roofed wooden bridge called saya-bashi.

From the Second Enclosure to the Main Enclosure

You can also go on the top of the base and see a good city view, and inside of the base which was recently repaired. In fact, the city is considering restoring the main tower.

The inside of the base for the Main Tower

Tsukimi Turret beside Sea in old days

I recommend you also visit the northern side of the park, which was the sea in the past. You will see the other remaining three-story turret called Tsukimi-Yagura with the remaining Mizunote-mon Gate and the Watari-Yagura Turret. The Mizunote-mon Gate was open to the sea and is the only remaining such gate. The Tsukimi-Yagura Turret is also very beautiful with many decorations. You can imagine them standing out beside the sea in the past.

Tsukimi-Yagura Turret, Mizunote-mon Gate and Watari-Yagura Turret

This area in front of the turrets and gate was in the sea

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