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

119.Sugiyama Castle Part1

A castle which has both an advanced defense system and a mysterious history

Location and History

Simple but Popular Castle

Sugiyama Castle was located in Hiki District, what is now in the western part of Saitama Prefecture. The ruins of the castle recently became popular among history fans in Japan. The ruins are not so large and have no buildings and no stone walls. The ruins are all made of soil. In addition, it is also uncertain when and who built and used the castle. There are no clear records about the castle at all. So, what did the castle become famous for? The answer is that the castle had a surprisingly artful defense system for such a small local castle.

The location of the castle

“Sugiyama Castle Problem”

Historians have tried for a long time to find out when and who built Sugiyama Castle. However, their conclusions became more complicated. When the excavation team researched the castle ruins, they thought the castle was built and used around early 16th Century based on the unearthed relics. The Uesugi Clan, which governed the Kanto Region, had internal conflicts in the area around the castle at that time. The team speculates the clan built the castle. On the other hand, the researchers who study the layout of castles argue that the complex defense systems like Sugiyama Castle should have appeared later, such as in the late 16th Century. They think the Hojo Clan, which governed the Kanto Region after the Uesugi Clan, must have built such an advanced defense system. People call this discussion “Sugiyama Castle Problem”. The problem might even make the castle more popular.

The family crest of the Uesugi Clan called the Uesugi Bamboo Grass (licensed by Mukai via Wikimedia Commons)

The portrait of Ujityasu Hojo, the lord of the clan in the 16th Century, owned by Odawara Castle (licensed under Public Domain via Wikimedia Commons)

“Textbook for Building Castles”

Sugiyama Castle was built on a hill. The hill measured 42m high from the base. The castle had 10 enclosures, including one in the center of the castle. The enclosures spread into three directions in the south, north and east. These enclosures were built to protect the center of the castle called the Main Enclosure. The west of the castle was a steep cliff with a river flowing below, which was a natural hazard. All the enclosures were surrounded by earthen walls and dry moats and connected by earthen or wooden bridges. The most important feature of its defense system was that all the entrances of the enclosures were protected by the frank attacks or Yokoya. Protection was provided by the clever layout of the L-shaped earthen walls and the route to the enclosures. The design of the castle was highly sophisticated, so it is now often called “a textbook for building castles”.

The miniature model of the castle ruins, exhibited in the Ranzan Town Office

Castle may be Temporary

The excavation found that Sugiyama Castle didn’t have permanent buildings such as halls, turrets, and gates. It probably only had temporary buildings like huts and fences. It was also found that the castle was used for a short time because it was not modified before it was destroyed by fire. This means that the castle could have been built for a single purpose or battle. There were many other castles around Sugiyama Castle, which were also built probably for a single purpose. Many of these castles, such as Ogura Castle, had distinct features. Many battles happened around this area in the 16th Century during the Sengoku Period. It is thought that the warlords in this area built residential castles as well as single-use castles to survive. Even though Sugiyama Castle may have been one of the latter, it had a surprisingly technical defense system.

The whole view of Sugiyama Castle Ruins, from the signboard at the Ranzan Town Office

The ruins of Ogura Castle, this castle has stone walls which were rare in the Kanto Region when it was built

To be continued in “Sugiyama Castle Part2”

119.杉山城　その１

先進的防御システムをもった謎の城

立地と歴史

地味なのに有名な城

杉山城は、現在の埼玉県西部にあたる比企郡に築かれた城でした。この城の城跡は、日本の歴史ファンの間で最近有名になっています。この城跡は、それほど大きくもなければ、建物も石垣もありません。基礎は全て土造りです。更には、いつ誰がこの城を築き使ったのかもわかっていません。この城に関する明確な記録がないのです。それでは、なぜこの城は有名になったのでしょうか。それは、この城が地方の小さな城としては、驚くほど巧みな防御システムを持っていたからなのです。

城の位置

「杉山城問題」

歴史家は長い間、杉山城がいつ誰によって築かれたのか解明しようとしてきました。ところが、その結論は、ますます複雑化してしまっています。城跡で発掘調査が行われたのですが、発掘された遺物から多くの研究者は、この城は１６世紀初頭に築かれ、そして使われたと考えました。その当時この城の周辺地域では、関東地方を支配していた上杉氏が内紛を起こしていました（山内上杉氏と扇谷上杉氏との間で起こった長享の乱など）。上杉氏がこの城を築いたとしたのです。一方、縄張り研究者たちは、杉山城に見られる複雑な防御システムは、１６世紀後半くらいの、もっと後の時代に見られるものだと反論しました。こちらは、上杉氏の後に関東地方を支配した北条氏が、このような先進的な防御システムを築いたに違いないとしたのです。この議論は「杉山城問題」と言われています。この問題が、この城をより一層有名にしたのかもしれません。

上杉家の家紋、上杉笹 (licensed by Mukai via Wikimedia Commons)

１６世紀後半の北条氏当主、北条氏康肖像画、小田原城所蔵 *(licensed under Public Domain via Wikimedia Commons)*

「築城の教科書」

杉山城は、麓からの高さ４２ｍの丘陵の上に築かれました。城には中心部のものを含め、１０個の曲輪がありました。それらの曲輪は、南北と東の三方向に広がっていて、城の中心部の本郭を守るように作られていました。城の西側は急な崖となっていて、崖下に流れる川とともに天然の障壁となっていました。全ての曲輪は、土塁そして空堀に囲まれていて、土橋か木橋によって接続されていました。この城の防御システムの最も重要な特徴は、全ての曲輪の入口が横矢（側面攻撃）によって守られていることでしょう。この仕組みは、巧みな土塁の屈曲と曲輪への導線によって成り立っていました。この城の設計は高いレベルで洗練されていて、現在では度々「築城の教科書」とも呼ばれています。

一時的な目的で築城か

発掘の結果によると、杉山城には、館、櫓、門といった常設の建物はありませんでした。恐らく、小屋や柵といった仮設の建物だけがあったと思われます。また、この城は短期間しか使われなかったことがわかっています。火をかけられて破壊されるまで、一度も改修されていないからです。これは、この城が単一の目的か戦いのために作られたからと考えられます。杉山城の周辺には、他にも多くの単一目的で作られたであろう城が存在しました。これらの城には、例えば小倉城のように、それぞれ明確な特徴があるのです。戦国時代の１６世紀には、この地域には多くの戦いが起こりました。この地域の戦国大名は、自分たちが住むための城だけでなく、戦いに勝ち抜くために使い捨ての城も築きました。たとえ杉山城が後者のうちの一つであったとしても、驚くほど技巧的な防御システムを持った城であることには変わらないのです。

「杉山城その２」に続きます。

125.Kozukue Castle Part3

The ruins have become popular since the construction of the road.

Features

Parted Barbican

In fact, the ruins were partly destroyed and divided by the Daisan-Keihin Road. You can look at one of the barbicans over the road from the entrance of the Western Enclosure. You will have to go through the tunnel under the road to get there. The top of it is one of Fujizuka Mounds, called Fuji-sengen, made for worshiping Mt. Fuji since the Edo Period. It might had been a turret base before that. When you walk out of the ruins, you will get back to the city area right away.

The map around the castle

The Daisan-Keihin Road parting the ruins

Later History

After Kozukue Castle was abandoned, the local people have called the ruins Shiroyama or the Castle Mountain. The studies about the castle started as early as in the Edo Period. However, the ruins ironically became popular as a historic site since they were partly destroyed by the construction of the Daisan-keihin Road in 1963. Through that, Yokohama City launched the Kozukue Castle Ruins Forest to preserve them in 1977. People are now interested in what the castle was like in the past.

The ruins of Kozukue Castle and Daisan-Keihin Road

My Impression

I think Kozukue Castle is a good example of how to protect a castle with few defenders. I guess if a battle happened at Kozukue Castle when Hideyoshi invaded, this castle could survive at least over one night unlike Yamanaka Castle and Hachioji Castle.

The large dry moat in front of the Western Enclosure

How to get There

I recommend using a train when you visit the ruins because the park has no parking lot.
It takes about 15 minutes on foot from JR Kozukue Station on the Yokohama Line.

The castle ruins seen from the platform of Kozukue Station

The Yokohama-Kamiasao Road (Kanagawa Prefectural Road 12) goes near the station, so turn right at the Kozukue Station Intersection and go along the street. Then, turn right at the Kozukuetsuji Intersection.

Turn right at the Kozukuetsuji Intersection

Go along the street again, cross the railway and turn left at the first intersection.

Go along the street in the residential area, and when you find the signpost for the ruins on the utility pole on the right, turn right. You will eventually arrive at the entrance of the ruins.

Turn right when you find the signpost on the utility pole (inside the red circle)

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