2022年7月 – ページ 5 – 日本200名城バイリンガル (Japan's top 200 castles and ruins)

90.Hirado Castle Part3

Hirado City is trying a unique promotion.

Features

Rare loopholes through Stones

If you are interested in the Yamaga military style, you can find the loopholes through stones near the Raccoon Dog Turret. Loopholes for guns were usually built through only mud or plaster walls in other castles. However, in Hirado Castle, they were built through the stone walls as well, which is a very rare feature in Japanese castles. It is thought that they were built using the Yamaga style.

An example of normal loopholes for guns from Himeji Castle

a loophole through Stones of Hirado Castle, exhibited by Hirado Castle

Later History

After the Meiji Restoration, Hirado Castle was abandoned, and most of the castle buildings were demolished. The ruins became Kameoka Park. In 1962, the Imitation Main Tower and four turrets were rebuilt and opened to the public as the new Hirado Castle. Hirado City recently started a new and unique promotion with private companies offering visitors one of the turrets, called Kaiju-Yagura,
to be remodeled and operate as a hotel.

The Kenso Turret, one of the rebuilt turrets in the castle

The Kaiju Turret which is also used as a hotel

My Impression

The present Hirado Castle is not what I had expected before my visit because I thought the castle still kept its old style from the 16th Century. I was convinced of that after learning the history of the castle prior to my visit. I think the castle has a unique atmosphere which probably originates from the Yamaga military style. If you want to learn more about its history, I recommend visiting the restored Dutch Trading House or Matsura Historical Museum near Hirado Port.

The unique shape of the Main Enclosure of Hirado Castle

The restored Dutch Trading House seen from the Main Tower

How to get There

I recommend the use of a car when you visit the castle. It is about 30 minutes away from Matsuura IC or Saza IC on the Nishi-Kyushu Expressway. You can park at the parking lots at Kameoka Park.
If you go there from Tokyo or Osaka, I recommend going to either Fukuoka or Nagasaki Airports by plane. After that, it’s better to rent a car as it takes a lot more time to visit the castle by using public transportation to get there.

The parking lot seen form the Main Tower

Links and References

・Hirado Castle Website
・Matsura Historical Museum

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

90.平戸城　その３

平戸市は、ユニークな取り組みを行っています。

特徴、見どころ

珍しい石の狭間

もし、山鹿流軍学に興味がおありでしたら、狸櫓の近くにある石の狭間を探してみてはいかがでしょう。通常他の城では鉄砲狭間は、土塀や白壁をくり抜いて作られました。ところが、平戸城では石垣を通しても作られました。日本の城の中ではとても珍しい例です。これも、山鹿流を採用したことで作られたものです。

その後

明治維新後、平戸城は廃城となり、ほとんどの城の建物が撤去されました。城跡は亀岡公園となりました。1962年には模擬天守と４基の櫓が再建され、新しい平戸城として一般に公開されました。平戸市は最近、民間企業と共同で新しくユニークな取り組みを始めました。櫓の一つである懐柔（かいじゅう）櫓をホテル施設として観光客に利用してもらおうとするものです。

私の感想

現在の平戸城は、私が訪れる前に想像していたものとは異なっていました。私は、平戸城には１６世紀以来の古いスタイルが残っていると思っていたのです。しかし、城の歴史を学んだ後は納得できました。この城には、恐らくは山鹿流軍学に由来する独特な雰囲気があります。もし、城の歴史をもっと知りたければ、復元されたオランダ商館や松浦史料博物館に行ってみることをお勧めします。

ここに行くには

この城を訪れる際は、車を使われることをお勧めします。西九州自動車道の松浦ICか佐々ICから約３０分かかります。亀山公園の駐車場を使うことができます。
東京か大阪から来られる場合には、飛行機で福岡空港か長崎空港に行き、レンタカーを借りた方がいいと思います。そこから公共交通機関を使うと、相当な時間を要するからです。

リンク、参考情報

・平戸城公式ウェブサイト
・松浦史料博物館
・「よみがえる日本の城２１」学研
・「日本の城改訂版第１１７号」デアゴスティーニジャパン
・「海賊の日本史／山内譲著」講談社現代新書
・「江戸幕府はなぜオランダを選んだのか／姉崎慶三郎著」まんがびと

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

90.Hirado Castle Part2

A castle with a unique character

Features

Layout using Yamaga style

Today, if you are close to the present Hirado Castle and look at the Imitation Main Tower and some rebuilt turrets on the hill, you may feel that the arrangement of how they are placed is odd. In other castles in general, the Main Tower and turrets are placed along the natural terrain. However, those of Hirado Castle look like they are facing their own directions. This is probably because these buildings were built along the complex line of the stone walls surrounding the castle, based on the Yamaga style.

The Imitation Tower and rebuilt turrets on the hill

The aerial photo around the castle

If you drive to the castle, you can easily go up to the parking lot in the northern part of the hill near the top. After parking, you can walk on the path to the Main Enclosure on the top. The trail reaches the only remaining castle buildings, which are the North Entrance Gate and the Raccoon Dog Turret. The stone walls beside the gate rise with an acute angle to the neighboring turret called Jizozaka
Yagura. This interesting feature may have come from the Yamaga style as well. After passing the gate, you will go on the zigzagged route surrounded by stone walls to the Main Enclosure.

The path from the parking lot to the top

The stone walls rising to the Jizozaka Turret

Main Route to Kameoka Shrine as Approach

You can also access the castle from the south by walking on the Main Route. The route is also the approach to the Kameoka Shrine which is located in the Second Enclosure. The ruins of the Main Gate are on the route. These ruins still have a square space surrounded by strong stone walls, called Masugata, which were built for defense. If you go on to the Second Enclosure Gate’s wide stone steps
of the ruins, you will be in the Second Enclosure. There was the Second Enclosure Main Hall where the lord of the Hirado Domain lived. The three-story Inui Turret was rebuilt in the present time as a souvenir shop. The Kameoka Shrine is at the back of the enclosure below the Main Enclosure.

Castle, Town and Sea seen from Main Tower

The Main Enclosure has the Imitation Main Tower and two rebuilt turrets. The Main Tower was originally another turret called Okimi-Yagura. It is actually a modern building used as a historical museum and observation platform. From the top floor, you can enjoy a great view of the area around the castle, seeing Hirado Port in the north and Hirado Strait in the east both connect to the
Genkai-nada Sea, and there is the interesting shape of the enclosure below.

A view of the Main Enclosure seen from the Main Tower

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