2022年4月 – ページ 2 – 日本200名城バイリンガル (Japan's top 200 castles and ruins)

134.Toyama Castle Part1

A castle basically made using earthen walls and water moats

Location and History

Center of Ecchu Province

Toyama City started as the castle town of Toyama Castle and is the capital of Toyama Prefecture. The castle was first built by the Jinbo Clan in the first half of the 16th Century. It was in a flat area in the center of Ecchu Province, what is now Toyama Pref. The area was also the intersection of two of the major roads, the Hokuriku, and Hida Roads. It might have been dangerous to build a castle in such a place at that time. Many battles happened during this time, later known as the Sengoku Period. Warlords in the province usually lived in mountain castles like Masuyama Castle to protect themselves. In the case of Toyama Castle, it was protected by the Jintsu-gawa River and water moats surrounding the castle.

The location of the castle

Narimasa Sassa unifies Ecchu Province

Many warlords such as the Uesugi Clan, the Ikkoshu Sect, and the Oda Clan battled over Toyama Castle. Narimasa Sassa finally took over the castle and governed the whole Ecchu Province in 1582. However, he was against the ruler, Hideyoshi Toyotomi. Hideyoshi attacked the Ecchu Province in 1585. The castle was destroyed for the first time, after Narimasa surrendered to Hideyoshi in the same year. Hideyoshi gave Ecchu Province to Toshinaga Maeda who would be the founder of the Kaga Domain in the Edo Period. In 1605, Toshinaga handed over the head of the domain to his successor, and moved from Kanazawa Castle, the home base of the domain, to Toyama Castle for retirement. He had the power to govern the domain because the successor was still young. He rebuilt Toyama Castle as his new home base.

The portrait of Narimasa Sassa, owned by Toyama Municipal Folk Museum (licensed under Public Domain via Wikimedia Commons)

The portrait of Toshinaga Maeda, owned by Uozu Museum of History and Folklore (licensed under Public Domain via Wikimedia Commons)

Toshinaga Maeda completes Castle

It is said that Toshinaga completed the structure of Toyama Castle. The large Jintsu-gawa River flowed in the north of the Main Enclosure as a natural hazard. A floating bridge was built over the river, which would later become popular among the people. There was the Second Enclosure in the south, the Eastern Barbican Enclosure in the east, and the Western Enclosure in the west of the Main Enclosure to protect it. Each enclosure was independent. The enclosures were surrounded by a water moat. They were only connected to the Main Enclosure by an earthen bridge. These enclosures were basically made using earthen walls. They were partly covered with stone walls around the three main gates such as the front gate of the Main Enclosure. It is also thought the Main Hall was in the Main Enclosure and some turrets were built on the stone walls of the gates. The largest Third Enclosure was on the south of all other enclosures, which was used as the warriors’ houses. However, the castle was destroyed a second time when it was unfortunately burnt by an accidental fire in 1609 before Toshinaga had to move to Takaoka Castle.

The illustration of old Toyama Castle in Ecchu Province, owned by Kanazawa City Tanagawa Library, exhibited by Toyama Municipal Folk Museum

”Floating bridge in Toyama, Ecchu Province” from the series “Famous Places in the Sixty-odd Provinces” attributed to Hiroshige Utagawa in the Edo Period (licensed under Public Domain via Wikimedia Commons)

Home Base of Toyama Domain

In 1639, Toshinaga’s nephew, called Toshitsugu Maeda, was allowed to establish a subsidiary domain called the Toyama Domain. He once thought he could build a new castle but decided to repair and reuse Toyama Castle due to a financial issue. Instead, he built the outermost earthen walls and water moats to protect the castle town. Toshitsugu’s son, Masatoshi, promoted industries, especially a patent medicine. The success of the medicine resulted in the drug sellers of Toyama being known in the whole country. The domain also planned to build the Main Tower but gave up because of a financial issue again. Instead, they built the Chitose Hall in the Eastern Barbican Enclosure to sometimes allow to people to enter it for festivals. In addition, the castle suffered damage from fires, floods, and earthquakes again and again throughout the Edo Period. The domain struggled to restore or repair it. Simple earthen walls and water moats might have protected the castle from many of the disasters and made it easier to restore and maintain.

The statue of Masatoshi Maeda in Toyama Castle Park (licensed by Miyuki Meinaka via Wikimedia Commons)

The remaining front gate of the Chitose Hall

To be continued in “Toyama Castle Part2”

134.富山城　その１

基本的に土塁と水堀によって築かれた城

立地と歴史

越中国の中心地

富山市は、富山城の城下町として発展し、現在は富山県の県庁所在地となっています。この城は、最初は１６世紀前半に神保氏によって築かれました。その場所は、現在の富山県にあたる越中国の中心部の平地でした。その地域はまた、北陸街道と飛騨街道という主要な２つの街道が交わる地点でもありました。その当時、そのような場所に城を築くことは危険だったかもしれません。そのときは戦国時代の真只中であり、多くの戦いが起こっていたからです。越中国の戦国大名たちは通常は防衛のために、増山城のような山城に住んでいたのです。富山城の場合は、神通川や水堀が城を囲んでおり、それが防御の手段となっていました。

城の位置

佐々成政が越中国を統一

上杉氏、一向宗、織田氏といった多くの戦国大名たちが、富山城をめぐって戦いました。最終的には1582年に、佐々成政がこの城を手に入れ、越中国全域を支配しました。しかし、成政が天下人の豊臣秀吉に反抗したことで、1585年には秀吉が越中国に侵攻しました。同じ年に成政は秀吉に降伏し、富山城は破壊されてしまいました。秀吉は、越中国を前田利長に与えました。利長は、後の江戸時代に加賀藩の初代藩主となりました。1605年に、利長は藩主の座を、後継ぎ（弟の前田利常）に渡し、藩の本拠地であった金沢城から、隠居のために富山城に移ってきました。後継ぎの利常はまだ若年であったために、利長はまだ藩の実権を握っていました。彼は、新しい本拠地として富山城を再建したのです。

佐々成政肖像画、富山市郷土博物館蔵 (licensed under Public Domain via Wikimedia Commons)

前田利長肖像画、魚津歴史民俗博物館蔵（licensed under Public Domain via Wikimedia Commons）

前田利長が城を完成

利長は、このとき富山城の形を完成させたと言われています。大河である神通川が、本丸の北側を自然の障壁として流れていました。川には浮橋が渡されていて、後には名所にもなりました。本丸を守るために、二の丸が南にあり、東出丸が東にあり、西には西の丸がありました。それぞれの曲輪は独立していて、水堀に囲まれていました。それらの曲輪は、本丸とはそれぞれ一本の土橋のみでつながっていました。曲輪は基本的には土塁により形作られていましたが、本丸の正門など３か所の主な門の周りは石垣で覆われていました。また、本丸には御殿があり、門の石垣の上には櫓が築かれていたと考えられています。最も大きな三の丸は、他の全ての曲輪の南にあり、武家屋敷地として使われていました。しかし城は、1609年に起こった不慮の火災により不幸にも焼け落ちてしまいます。城にとっては、２度目の災難でした。利長はやむを得ず高岡城に移りました。

歌川広重「六十余州名所図会」より「越中冨山船橋」 *(licensed under Public Domain via Wikimedia Commons*)

富山藩の本拠地

1639年、利長の甥、前田利次が、富山藩として支藩を設立することを許されました。彼は一時新しい城を築くことを考えましたが、財政難のため、富山城を再利用することにしました。その代わりに、彼は城下町を守るために外郭土塁と水堀を作らせました。利次の息子、正甫（まさとし）は産業を振興し、特に製薬に力を注ぎました。この製薬業での成功は、全国的に有名な「富山の薬売り」につながります。富山藩は天守を築くことも計画しましたが、これも財政難のために諦めました。その代わりに、東出丸に千歳御殿を作り、祭礼のときには庶民が立ち入ることを許可しました。そのほか、この城は江戸時代にを通じて、何度も火災、洪水、地震などによる被害を受けました。その度に藩は城を修復してきたのです。比較的簡単な構造の土塁や水堀は、多くの災害から城を守るのに適していたのかもしれませんし、維持修復を行うのも容易だったのでしょう。

富山城址公園にある前田正甫銅像 *(licensed by Miyuki Meinaka via Wikimedia Commons)*

「富山城その２」に続きます。

119.Sugiyama Castle Part3

Castle layout researchers focus on Sugiyama Castle.

Features

Main Enclosure, Center of Castle

The Main Enclosure is the largest and highest one in the castle. It has three entrances in the south, north and east. The north and east ones were also strictly protected by other enclosures and dry moats like you simulated in the south. The lord of the castle would be able examine the situation in all directions clearly and give the appropriate instructions.

The locations of the Main Enclosure and the northern and eastern enclosures

The Northern Entrance of the Main Enclosure

*The Eastern Entrance of the Main Enclosure*

The eastern enclosures seen from the Main Enclosure

In addition, some bypass routes are set in the castle, but some of them are dead-end alleys. If you see the layout of the castle, you may think it looks like a maze. It’s true for enemies, but it’s a well-designed fortress for defenders.

The locations of the spots which are supposed be dead-end alleys

The dead-end alley at the Southern Second Enclosure

The dead-end alley beyond the Well Enclosure

Later History

The ruins of Sugiyama Castle were not known to the public until around 1980s. Only the researchers who studied the layout of castles were interested in this castle. They published the dictionaries and magazines which featured the layout of castles since 1987. The layout drawing of Sugiyama Castle has been one of the most featured ones in these books. The castle became popular little by little. After the excavations between 2002 and 2007, the ruins became a National Historic Site in 2008. It is considered one of the “Hiki Castles Ruins”.

This location map is also a good layout drawing

My Impression

I imagine if Sugiyama Castle was much larger, and equipped with turrets, gates, and stone walls, it would look like the great castles built much later, such as Himeji Castle. This means Sugiyama Castle could be the pioneer of the advanced castle design. However, I rather prefer the effort of building the castle to its historical value. The unknown builders of the castle must have had a small budget, resources, workers, and little time because the purpose of the castle was limited. They thought hard to create their great work under the difficult situation. It may have been easier for them to build a great castle if they had enough resources. I think Sugiyama Castle is also a good lesson for us about how to use limited resources to create good work.

How to get There

I recommend using a car when you visit the ruins.
It is about 15 minutes away from Ranzan-Ogawa IC on Kanetsu Expressway.
The ruins offer a parking lot.
By public transportation, take the Tokigawa-cho route bus bound for Seseragi Center from Musashi-Ranzan Station on the Tobu-Tojo Line and get off at the Taguro bus stop.
It is about 20 minutes on foot from the bus stop.

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