2022年10月 – ページ 7 – 日本200名城バイリンガル (Japan's top 200 castles and ruins)

82.Ozu Castle Part3

People in Ozu struggled to restore the Main Tower.

Later History

After the Meiji Restoration, Ozu Castle was abandoned and once used as a government office. However, the castle land was eventually sold and the castle buildings were demolished. Four turrets lastly remain as Owata Turret in the Second Enclosure, the Southern Corner Turret in the Third Enclosure, and the two ones in the Main Enclosure. People in Ozu were afraid to lose the castle ruins, so they turned them into a park with peach trees in the Meiji Era.

The remaining Owata Turret in the Second Enclosure

the remaining Southern Corner Turret in the Third Enclosure

The old photo of the Main Enclosure after being planted with peach trees, exhibited in the castle

After World War II, people in Ozu had been thinking about restoring the Main Tower in the original way, while many other Main Towers in Japan were restored in a modern way like Nagoya Castle. This was because many materials for the restoration remained, such as drawings, the frame model of the tower made when it was repaired, and several clear photos taken before it was scraped, which was a very rare case in Japan.

The Main Tower of Nagoya Castle, restored in a modern way

the frame model of the Main Tower of Ozu Castle, used for the restoration, from the signboard at the site

However, there was a big problem with the law. Japan’s Building Standard Act has very strict rules on wooden buildings which are over 13m tall. The original Main Tower of Ozu Castle was over 19m, which meant it couldn’t be restored. The good news came in the 1990’s, the wooden towers in the other castles of Shirakawa-Komine, Kakegawa and Shiroishi were allowed to be restored. Ozu Castle’s Main Tower is the tallest among other towers, but after a long negotiation with the officials, the tower’s restoration was completed in 2004.

The restored wooden three-leveled turret of Shirakawa-Komine Castle

The restored *wooden* Main Tower of Kakegawa Castle

The restored *wooden* Main Tower of Shirakawa-Komine Castle

The restored wooden Main Tower of Ozu Castle

My Impression

I think the Main Tower of Ozu Castle is the best one out of the restored Main Towers in Japan. This is because the tower and two remaining turrets both sides are in perfect harmony. In addition, I recommend seeing the castle from the riverside. River traffic was one of the main means of transportation, so the castle’s design was done considering the view from the riverside. You can see a beautiful completely restored appearance of the Main Tower and the collaboration with the turrets.

A view of Hijikawa River from the Main Enclosure

A view of the Main Tower and the Handrail Turret from around the river

How to get There

If you want to visit the castle by car, it is about 10 minutes away from Minami-Ozu IC on the Matsuyama Expressway. There is a parking lot for visitors in the city area near the castle.
By public transportation, it takes about 25 minutes on foot from the JR Iyo-Ozu Station.
If you go there from Tokyo or Osaka, I recommend traveling by plane or using an express bus.

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

82.大洲城　その３

大洲の人たちは苦労して天守を復元しました。

その後

明治維新後、大洲城は廃城となり、一時官庁（明治初頭の大洲藩、大洲県など）として使われました。しかしやがて城の敷地は売却され、城の建物は撤去されていきました（天守は1888年に解体）。最終的には４つの櫓だけが残りました。二の丸にある苧綿（おわた）櫓、三の丸にある南隅（みなみすみ）櫓、そして本丸にある２つの櫓です。大洲の人々は城跡が失われるのを恐れ、明治時代に公園とし桃の木を植えました。

第二次世界大戦後、大洲の人たちは天守をオリジナルと同じ工法で復元することを考えていました。一方、日本の他の天守は名古屋城のように現代の工法で再建されていました。オリジナルの工法にこだわった理由は、多くの復元のための材料が残っていたからです。図面や天守を修理したときに作った天守雛形、そして天守が解体される前に撮られた鮮明な写真などです。このような事例は日本ではとても稀なことでした。

しかし、このような天守復元には大きな法律の壁がありました。日本の建築基準法は、１３ｍを超える高さの木造建築物に対してとても厳しい内容となっているのです。大洲城のオリジナルの天守の高さは１９ｍを超えており、そのまま復元するのは不可能でした。ところが1990年代に状況が好転し、白河小峰城、掛川城、白石城といった他の城の天守や櫓の木造による復元が許可されたのです。大洲城の天守はそれらの中では最も背が高いものでしたが、当局との長い交渉の結果、2004年に天守が元の高さのまま木造で復元されたのです。

私の感想

大洲城の天守は、日本の復元天守の中では一番だと思います。この天守とその脇にある２基の現存櫓が、完璧な調和を保っているからです。それから、この城を川の方から見てみることもお勧めしたいです。河川交通はかつては主要な交通手段の一つでした。よってこの城は、川沿いからの見栄えを意識して設計されたのです。今でも、美しく完璧に復元された天守の外観と櫓とのコラボレーションを眺めることができます。

ここに行くには

車で行く場合は、松山自動車道の南大洲ICから約１０分かかります。城の近くの市街地にある観光駐車場を利用することができます。
公共交通機関を使う場合は、ＪＲ伊予大洲駅から歩いて約２５分かかります。
東京か大阪から来られる場合は、飛行機か高速バスを使われることをお勧めします。

リンク、参考情報

・大洲城公式サイト
・「大洲城下物語」愛媛県大洲市
・「よみがえる日本の城１０」学研
・「築城の名手　藤堂高虎／福井健二著」戒光祥出版
・「週刊名城をゆく３４／宇和島城大洲城」小学館

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

82.Ozu Castle Part2

You can enjoy both the restored Main Tower and the remaining turrets.

Features

From Entrance to Second Enclosure

Today, Ozu Castle is open to the public as the Shiroyama Park. The range of the park is the Main Enclosure and part of the Second Enclosure. The water moats, which was one of the most important features of the castle, were unfortunately reclaimed. This is so, the entrance of the park faces the public road. However, you can see the Main Tower, which had been scraped in 1888, but was restored in almost the same way in 2004.

The aerial photo around the castle

You can also walk on the road, which was probably one of the moats, into the park. You will pass the ruins of the Main Gate with some remaining stone walls, then you will be in the Second Enclosure. The enclosure had the Main Hall and lots of warehouses, and the only warehouse that remained is called” Shimo-daidokoro”.

The ruins of the Second Enclosure Main Gate

Restored Main Tower and Remaining Turrets at Main Enclosure

After that, you will climb on the hill which is the Main Enclosure. The enclosure has the lower and higher tiers. The lower tier has the ruins of a large well, so it was also called the Well Enclosure in the past. The higher tier is the highest and the center of the castle. It was surrounded by the gates, walls and turrets, but now you can easily enter the main enclosure. The restored Main Tower with the two remaining turrets both sides still stand out, which are definitely the highlight of the castle.

The stone walls around the Well Enclosure

Going to the higher tier of the Main Enclosure

The restored Main Tower (in the center), the remaining Kitchen Turret (on the right), and Handrail Turret (on the left)

These buildings are connected to each other by the other restored Passage Turrets. Visitors enter the entrance of the Kitchen Turret or Daidokoro Yagura, one of the remaining turrets. It is thought that this turret was used for a kitchen like the name as there are lots of lattice windows for ventilation. You will next go to the restored area. The materials of the area still look new unlike those of the remaining area. However, you may not feel strange because both areas were built in the same way using wooden materials. You will enter the Main Tower after going through the Passage Turret.

Interior of restored Main Tower

The Main Tower has four floors. The central part of the first and second floors is made in the open beam ceiling. For that, you can see lots of wooden pillars and how they are combined wisely. The wooden materials for the pillars were provided by many local organizations or individuals, which are shown on the panels in the tower. The panels also explain the history of the castle.

The open beam ceiling between the first and second floors

You can go up to the top floor by climbing the steep stairways but which is considered safe, using handles. You can enjoy a view of Hijikawa River from the top through a lattice window made in the original way.

The stairway from the third floor to the top floor

Handrail Turret with good views

You can also go to the other remaining turret called the Handrail Turret or Koran Yagura from the back of the Main Tower through the other Passage Turret. The turret has a veranda with the handrail at the second floor like the name. You can climb up to the floor using the original stairway. Actually, you can’t go out to the veranda probably to preserve the place. However, you can feel the floor is open and enjoy a view of the outside. The lord of the castle must have used the turret for viewing.

From the Main Tower to the Handrail Turret

The interior of the first floor of the turret

The interior of the second floor of the turret

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