2023年5月 – ページ 6 – 日本200名城バイリンガル (Japan's top 200 castles and ruins)

170.Hamada Castle Part3

Castles look very different depending on people’s perspectives.

Features for History Fans

From Approach Entrance to Nakanomon Gate Ruins

For serious history fans, consider getting back to the starting point of the shrine approach. Let us seek together the original route to the Nakanomon Gate Ruins which we talked about above. The foot had the Main Hall and warriors’ houses and turned into residential areas, so you will need to follow narrow paths among the modern houses. Then the large stone walls of the gate will suddenly appear. These walls are original and they look so great, but are partially covered with wiring nets to prevent them from collapsing.

The map around the casltle, the red broken line is the estimated original route

The shrine approach on the left and the residential area on the right

The narrow path among the residential area

the stone walls of the gate suddenly appears

The stone walls are partially covered with wiring nets

After passing the gate ruins, you will go on a promenade along the valley probably similar to the original route while seeing old stone walls around. You will eventually reach the mid slope beside the shrine.

The promenade which is nearly on the original route

You can see some old stone walls beside the promenade

Going through Third and Second Enclosures

Let us pass the gate building and turn left again, but make sure not to go straight, instead, turn right this time. You can begin now to enter the two tiers of enclosures, surrounded by stone walls, which are original. However, these walls were piled up again during the Showa Era. It was said that the stones for the walls had collapsed before the repair. The lower tier is the Third Enclosure, and the upper is the Second Enclosure. The Second Gate was built between them. A square defensive space called Masugata which was also behind the gate where you can still see the same shape. You will finally reach the Main Enclosure as well from the Second Enclosure passing by the First Gate Ruins.

The restored image by CG of the Second Gate, from the signboard at the site

The square defensive space behind the gate

The ruins of the First Gate to the Main Enclosure

My Impression

After visiting the ruins of Hamada Castle, I realized that people would have different impressions from the same place depending on their purposes such as relaxing or learning about history. I think this idea was similar to the people in the past. Records show that after the warriors in Hamada Castle had gone, children played in the remaining Main Tower until it finally collapsed during the earthquake. There were also very different impressions about the castle between the warriors (the high class) and local people (the low class).

The area around the Main Tower base ruins

The restored image by CG of the Main Enclosure, from the signboard at the site

How to get There

If you want to visit Hamada Castle Ruins by car, it is about a 15-minute drive away from Hamada IC on the Chugoku Expressway. There are parking lots in the western and southern sides of the ruins.
By public transportation, it takes about 20 minutes on foot from JR Hamada Station to get there.
If you go there from Tokyo or Osaka, I recommend traveling by plane, using an express bus or combining them with trains.

The parking lot in the western side of the ruins

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

170.浜田城　その３

城は見る人の視点によって全然違うものです。

特徴、見どころ（歴史ファン向け）

参道入口から中ノ門跡へ

もし歴史にすごく興味がある方だったら、神社の参道の入口まで戻って、先ほど見えた中ノ門跡に至るオリジナルのルートを探してみてはいかがでしょう。丘の麓にはかつては御殿や武家屋敷があったのですが、今では住宅地になっています。よって、その住宅街の間の細い道をぬって進んでいくと、突然中ノ門の大きな石垣が突然現れます。この石垣はオリジナルでとても見栄えがしますが、一部は崩壊防止のためのネットで覆われています。

城周辺の地図、赤破線は推定オリジナルルート

門跡を通り過ぎると、谷に沿った歩道を進んでいきますが、周りに古い石垣も見えますので恐らくはオリジナルのルートに近い道なのでしょう。そうすると、神社のとなりの中腹部分に到着します。

二の丸と三の丸を通ってみる

もう一回、門の建物を通り過ぎて、左に曲がってみましょう。でもその次はまっすぐの道の方に行かないで、今度は右の方に曲がります。ここはオリジナルルートで、石垣に囲まれた二段の曲輪群に入って行きます。しかし、石垣は昭和時代に積み直されています。その修繕の前には、こられの石垣に使われた石は既に崩れてしまっていたとも言われています。下段の曲輪は三の丸で、上段は二の丸となります。二ノ門が両者の間に築かれていました。桝形と呼ばれる防御のための四角い空間がその門の背後に設定されていて、今でもその形がわかります。二の丸からは、一ノ門跡を通って本丸に再度たどり着くことになります。

私の感想

浜田城跡を訪れてみて、同じ場所であっても、訪れる人の目的（くつろぎに来ているか、歴史を学びに来ているかなど）によって全然違う印象を持つものだということがわかりました。これは、過去の人にとっても同じようなものでした。記録によれば、浜田城から武士たちがいなくなった後、地震によって崩れてしまうまでは、まだ残っていた天守の中で子どもたちが遊んでいたというのです。この頃であっても、高い身分の武士と低い身分の地元民の間では、城に対して全然違う印象を抱いていたのでしょう。

ここに行くには

車で行く場合：中国自動車道の浜田ICから約１５分のところです。城跡の西側と南側に駐車場があります。
公共交通機関を使う場合は、ＪＲ浜田駅から歩いて約２０分のところです。
東京か大阪からは、飛行機、高速バス、電車を組み合わせての行程がおすすめです。

リンク、参考情報

・「浜田城」歴史の散歩道その１～その６、浜田市
・「よみがえる日本の城６」学研
・「日本の城改訂版第６０号」デアゴスティーニジャパン
・「幕末維新の城／一坂太郎著」中公新書
・「城山公園整備事業に伴う県史跡浜田城発掘調査報告書」浜田市教育委員会

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

170.Hamada Castle Part2

Introductions for both casual visitors and serious history fans

Later History

After the Meiji Restoration, Hamada Castle Ruins had a little complicated history. The Japanese Army at first owned the ruins but they remained idle, while the remaining Main Tower collapsed due to the Hamada Earthquake in 1872. No buildings survived. After the ruins were sold to the former lord, Matsudaira Clan in 1890, Shimane Prefecture turned them into the Hamada Park in 1903. The route to the Main Enclosure on the top was developed, on the other hand, some stone walls were destroyed for the construction. In 1938, Hamada-Gokoku Shrine was established at the mid slope of the hill. Its approach from the foot was developed.

After World War II, Hamada City, which bought the ruins, planned to improve the park as well as a working area for people. Another route from the foot was developed and some stone walls were repaired by the work. The stone walls had been left after the fire at the end of the Edo Period. However, it was pointed out that their original condition was not considered in the repair. As a result, the ruins were designated as a Prefectural Historic Site of Shimane Prefecture in 1962.

The route to the ruins, which was developed after World War II

Features for General Visitors

Going to Castle Ruins through Hamada-Gokoku Shrine

Today, there are two routes to the ruins of Hamada Castle, houever they are not the original. If you choose the approach to Hamada-Gokoku Shrine as the route, it goes straight to the shrine at the mid slope with stone steps. You can look down Nakanomon Gate Ruins to the right of the way. In fact, the gate was on the original route.

The map around the casltle

The entrance of the approach to Hamada-Gokoku Shrine

The ruins of Nakanomon Gate seen from the approach

Gate moved from Tsuwano Castle

In the back of the shrine, you will see an old building which looks like a castle gate. However, it is also not original to this castle. When this city was part of the Hamada Prefectural Capital (Hamada Prefecture was later unified with Shimane Prefecture), they moved one of the gates of Tsuwano Castle for its office. The gate was finally moved to the current position in 1967 made as a park attraction.

The photo of the gate when it was used for the office

Going to Main Enclosure through Route developed in Meiji Era

You will enter the center of the ruins from the gate, the route becomes likely the original one surrounded by stone walls, but once you turn left, you will see another straight route to the Main Enclosure on the top. Such a layout was hard to believe for a castle because it would have been easier for enemies to attack it. In fact, this route was also developed for the park during the Meiji Era by breaking the stone walls of the Barbican Enclosure beside the Main Enclosure. That’s why visitors have easy access at the top.

The image of the original stone walls of the Barbican Enclosure, from the signboard at the site

Part of “the illustration of Hamada Castle Stone Walls”, from the signboard at the site, adding the red arrow as the current route and the red circles as the broken stone walls

Main Enclosure becomes Park Square

The inside of the Main Enclosure is a square now where you can see views such as the Hamada city area and Tonoura Cove. You can also see some remaining stone walls around and the rest seemed to have collapsed due to the earthquake back in 1872.

The Hamada city area seen from the Main Enclosure

Tonoura Cove seen from the Main Enclosure

The partially remaining stone walls of the Main Enclosure

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