2023年5月 – ページ 2 – 日本200名城バイリンガル (Japan's top 200 castles and ruins)

72.Yoshida-Koriyama Castle Part3

Motonari might have been a great lord as well as a prophet.

Features

Main Portion of Castle

The Third and Second Enclosures had each alternative entrance called Koguchi to avoid enemies from entering easily. You can still see their traces today. The Third Enclosure is the largest one in the castle.

The map around the main portion of the castle

The entrance ruins of the Third Enclosure

Looking down the stone walls of the Third Enclosure

The Second Enclosure also had stone walls, but it was said that their stones were partially taken to use for Motonari’s grave during the Meiji Era as well.

The Main Enclosure is highest in the castle. It was thought that it had Motonari’s residence and a lookout tower. Unfortunately, the view from there today is not clear because it is covered by trees.

Going to Main Castle though Ozaki-maru Enclosure

The tour route will eventually lead you to Ozaki-maru Enclosure where Motonari’s son, Takamoto lived by climbing down along another ridge. This enclosure is still separated by an artificial ditch from the others. Others were said to have been divided by each other in the same way. A viewing spot is nearby to see the area around the mountain.

The map around the castle

Climbing down towards the edge of another ridge

The remaining ditch beside Ozaki-maru Enclosure

The viewing spot which could have been an enclosure

Finally, you will be at the intersection to the starting point or the Main Castle where Motonari and Takamoto originally lived in. I recommend visiting the Main Castle if you have time. This is the only route to it, so you will have to continue to climb down on the steep ridge to the edge of it. You will also see several ditches to avoid enemies from attacking from the back. You will eventually arrive at the Main Castle which is much lower and smaller than so many other enclosures on the top. Its name originates from the original main portion of the castle. You will realize what the Mori Clan was developing with this castle. To return to the starting point, you will need to climb up the same steep ridge. You will also realize why Takamoto wanted to move near the top from there.

Looking down the edge of the ditch from the enclosure

My Impression

Perhaps I shouldn’t say this, but I honestly felt that it was incredible that such a great warlord came from such a local location when visiting the Yoshida town of Aki-Takada City which owns the ruins of Yoshida-Koriyama Castle. That probably proves why Motonari Mori was an outstanding leader. In addition, Motonari also managed to persuade his children not to get more territory than him. However, his grandchild, Terumoto wanted to be the ruler of Japan in the Battle of Sekigahara but failed. That’s why he had to leave Aki Province where he was originally from. Motonari might have also been a great prophet.

The remaining earthen walls of the Warehouses Ruins

How to get There

I recommend using a car when you visit the castle ruins because there are only a few trains and buses available. It is about a 20-minute drive away from Takada IC on the Chugoku Expressway. There is a parking lots at the foot of the mountain.

That’s all. Thank you.
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72.吉田郡山城　その３

元就は、偉大な戦国大名であり、預言者であったかもしれません。

特徴、見どころ

城の中心部分

三の丸と二の丸の入口は虎口と呼ばれる食い違いの構造となっていて、敵が簡単に侵入できないようになっていました。今日ではその痕跡を目にすることができます。三の丸は城では最大の曲輪です。

城中心部分の地図

二の丸にも石垣が残っていますが、その一部は明治時代に元就の墓所を整備するために持ち出されたと言われています。

本丸は城の最高地点にあります。そこには元就の居館や物見櫓があったと言われています。残念ながら、見晴らしは木々に覆われているためあまりよくありません。

尾崎丸を通って本城へ

城址巡りのルートは峰沿いに下っていき、やがて尾崎丸に至ります。ここは、元就の息子、隆元が住んでいた場所です。この曲輪は今でも、となりの曲輪と人工的な堀切で隔てられているのがわかります。他の曲輪も同様の方法で分けられていたと言われています。山の周辺の地域を見渡すための展望スポットが近くにあります。

城周辺の地図

ルートの最後の方で、スタート地点に戻るか、元就と隆元がもともと住んでいた本城の方に行くかの分かれ道があります。もしお時間があるようでしたら、本城の方に行ってみてください。本城に行くにはこの道しかなく、峰上の急坂を端の方にある本城に向かって下っていきます。その途中では、背後からの敵の攻撃を防ぐための堀切がいくつか見られるでしょう。そうするうちに本城に着きますが、ここは山頂部で見られた曲輪群より、ずっと低い位置にあり、またずっと規模も小さいことがわかると思います。この「本城」という名前は、もともとあった城の主要部分だったことを表しています。この城は、毛利氏とともに発展していったのです。スタート地点に戻るためには、先ほど来た峰上のルートを登って戻っていくしかありません。こうして登り下りしてみると、なぜ隆元が山頂の方に移住したいと思ったのかわかった気がします。

私の感想

吉田郡山城跡がある安芸高田市の吉田町を訪れてみて、失礼ながら正直言って、なぜこのような田舎の町から元就のような偉大な戦国大名が出現したのだろうと思ってしまいました。それはかえって、毛利元就がそれだけ傑出したリーダーだったことを示していると思うのです。また、元就は彼の息子たちにこれ以上の領土獲得を望むなと説いていました。ところが、孫の輝元は関ヶ原の戦いにおいて天下人になろうとして失敗しました。そのために輝元は出身地である安芸国を追われることになってしまったのです。元就は、偉大な預言者でもあったのかもしれません。

ここに行くには

この城跡に行くには車を使われることをお勧めします。周辺の電車やバスの本数が少ないからです。中国自動車道の高田ICから約２０分のところです。城跡の山麓に駐車場があります。

リンク、参考情報

・毛利元就　郡山城入城５００年記念事業、安芸高田市三矢の訓連携協議会
・「ガイドブック郡山城　毛利氏城跡・日本百名城」郡山城史跡ガイド協会
・「毛利元就　知将の戦略・戦術／小和田哲男著」知的生きかた文庫
・YouTube 毛利家歴史チャンネル

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

72.Yoshida-Koriyama Castle Part2

You can realize the Mori Clan’s long history by walking along the tour route.

Later History

After Yoshida-Koriyama Castle was abandoned, the Asano Clan managed to own its area during the Edo Period. This was because the Mori Clan’s territory had been reduced due to the their lost in the Battle of Sekigahara in 1600. The Asano Clan destroyed the stone walls of the castle after the Shimabara Rebellion in 1637. The Tokugawa Shogunate ordered the lords in western Japan to do it so that even abandoned castles would not be reused by other rebels.

The destroyed stone walls of the Third Enclosure

By contrast, the grave of Motonari Mori, which was built at part of the castle by his grandchild, Terumoto Mori, has been maintained. The Asano Clan allowed the lord and warriors of the Choshu Domain by the Mori Clan to pay a visit to the grave. As a result, warriors of other domains also visited it as the holy spot for a great warlord. After the Meiji Restoration, the grave was developed further, gathering the graves of other ancestors of the Mori Clan probably because the Choshu Domain was one of the victorious clans of the restoration. The castle ruins have been designated as a National Historic Site since 1940.

The grave of Motonari Mori in the castle

Features

Going to Entrance of Castle Ruins

Today, if you drive to the area around the ruins of Yoshida-Koriyama Castle, you will find some names of the local area like Katsura and Fukuhara. They are the origins of the Mori Clan’s senior vassals until the end of the Edo Period. History fans might be excited to just see them.

The map around Yoshida Town, Akitakada City

There is the tour route which is recommended by officials. Its starting point is the shrine gateway of Motonari’s grave, beside the parking lot at the foot of the mountain. If you walk along the approach towards the grave for a while, you will reach it. This may be the most developed place in the castle ruins as the holy spot. There is also Toshunji Temple Ruins which was established by Terumoto there and eventually moved to Hiroshima, Hagi and Yamaguchi with the lords of the Mori Clan.

The map around the castle

Trail on Ridge of Mountain

You can climb the trail to the top of the mountain from there, on one of its six ridges. It is basically a long trek which takes about 30 minutes to reach the top. You may find some ditches dividing the enclosures or wild animals like deer. Be careful not to provoke them.

Enclosures on Top of Mountain

You will eventually arrive at the ruins of Okurayashiki or the Storehouses below the top. The top consists of three tiered enclosures of the Main, Second and Third. The six ridges spread from the top which also have so many enclosures.

The topographical map of the mountain top, from the signboard at the site, adding the red letters

You will find countless stones collapsed which lie around the Storehouses Ruins. It is thought that this was caused by the Asano Clan following the shogunate’s instruction after the Shimabara Rebellion. These stones have been left there for nearly 400 years. However, if you walk around the wall of the Third Enclosure, you will notice some stone walls remaining as they were.

The *collapsed* stones lying around the Storehouses Ruins

Some remaining stone walls of the Third Enclosure

You can also walk around some enclosures on the six ridges such as Tsurii or the Deep Well, Umaya or the Stable, and Kamaya or the Kitchen. There will be a sign warning visitors not to enter that unstable area. Please make you don’t enter that area since it’s very unstable and could cause the land to collapse. Watch your steps as they are reclaiming to nature.

Sone ridges are not allowed to enter as of October 2022

To be continued in “Yoshida-Koriyama Castle Part3”
Back to “Yoshida-Koriyama Castle Part1”