2023年11月 – ページ 2 – 日本200名城バイリンガル (Japan's top 200 castles and ruins)

60.Ako Castle Part3

According to Historians, The 47 Ronin assaulted Kira due to their Samurai Spirit. If it’s true, why is the story still so popular among many current Japanese people?

Features

Many Attractions in Main Enclosure

The Main Enclosure is compact and all surrounded by stone walls and water moats, so you can easily see its complex layout. There are three entrances to it but only two of them are available excluding Hanebashi-mon (meaning Draw Bridge Gate) in the back of the southern side.

The aerial photo around the Main Enclosure of the castle, the red markers indicates its three entrances

The stone walls and water moats of the Main Enclosure

The front gate of the northern side was restored and has the Masugata system as well.

The other one of the eastern side, called Umaya-guchi-mon (meaning Stable Side Gate), was also restored. The gate was simple but the stone walls around are bent elaborately to protect the gate from guns and arrows from the walls.

There was the Main Hall inside where the lords including Asano (Takumi-no-kami) lived. Now, there is a flat exhibition of the hall instead, where you can see its layout and what rooms were in it.

The layout of the Main Hall drawn in the illustration during the Edo Period, from the signboard at the site

The large stone wall base for a Main Tower stands out at its corner and you can climb it and see the view of the area around from the top.

There is also a small but beautiful pond garden which is designated as a National Place of Scenic Beauty, together with that of the Second Enclosure.

Later History

After the Meiji Restoration, Ako Castle was abandoned and all the castle buildings were sold or demolished. Most of the moats were buried and turned into fields and residences area with other castle’s land. The Main Enclosure was used as a school until 1981. The Oishi Shrine was established in 1912. The restoration of the castle started in 1935 where the moats in front of the Main Enclosure were re-dug. Since then, many other buildings and structures of the castle have been restored probably because of the popularity of the incident and Ronin. The ruins have been designated as a National Historic Site since 1971.

The old photo of the Main Enclosure front gate, from the signboard at the site

*The old photo of the Second Enclosure gate, from the signboard at the site*

The ruins of Ako Castle in the 1930’s *(licensed under Public Domain via Wikimedia Commons)*

My Impression

I honestly say I don’t like the Ako Incident story because there was no good reason for killing Kira (in addition, in the very popular play “Chushin-gura” based on this incident, Asano cuts Kira at the front (in fact, it was from the back) after Kira’s bullying due to Asano refusing the huge bribe or Asano’s wife refusing Kira’s love). Historians say this was done due to Bushi-do (the Samurai Spirit) which refers to their devotion to their master or domain with honor and pride even without any reasons. If it’s true, why is the story still so popular among many current Japanese people? I guess it’s because they still have the same or similar devotion to Samurai in the Edo Period as they sometimes look devoted to their boss or company without any reasons to survive. I also speculate that Oishi might have understood his master was mad but he didn’t have any other choice.

*A Ukiyoe-painting of Asano assaulting Kira in the Edo Castle, attributed to Kuniteru Utagawa (licensed under Public Domain via Wikimedia Commons)*

How to get There

If you want to visit there by car, it is about a 10 minutes’ drive away from Ako IC on the Sanyo Expressway. There are several parking lots around the castle ruins.
By public transportation, it takes about 15 minutes on foot to get there from JR Banshu-Ako Station.
From Tokyo or Osaka to the station: Take the Sanyo Shinkansen super express express and transfer to the Sanyo Line at Himeji Station or the Ako Line at Aiou Station.

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

60.赤穂城　その３

歴史家によれば、四十七士は結局武士道を貫くために討入りを実行したということですが、なぜこの物語が現在の日本人にも人気があるのでしょうか。

特徴、見どころ

様々な要素が詰まっている本丸

本丸はコンパクトで、全て石垣と水堀によって囲まれています。そのため、容易にその複雑なレイアウトが見て取れるでしょう。本丸の出入口は３つありますが、裏側の南の方角にある刎橋門（はねばしもん）以外の２つの門が通行可能です。

城周辺の航空写真、赤いマーカーは３つの出入口の場所を示しています

北側にある正面の本丸門は復元されていて、ここにも桝形があります。

もう一つの門は東側にある厩口門（うまやぐちもん）で、こちらも復元されています。この厩口門は簡単な構造ですが、周りにある石垣が巧みに曲げられていて、そこから銃や矢で攻撃することで門を守れるようになっています。

本丸内部には御殿があって、そこでは浅野内匠頭を含む歴代の城主が住んでいました。現在では、代わりに御殿の平面展示があり、そのレイアウトと、何という部屋があったのかわかるようになっています。

本丸の隅の方には、大きな天守台石垣が目立っています。天守台の上に登ることができ、そこから周辺の景色を眺めることができます。

また、本丸内には小さくも美しい池泉庭園があり、二の丸にある庭園とともに国の名勝に指定されています。

その後

明治維新後、赤穂城は廃城となり、城の全ての建物は売却されるか、撤去されていきました。ほとんどの堀も埋められ、他の城の土地とともに畑や住宅地になっていきました。本丸は1981年まで学校用地として使われました。大石神社は1912年に設立されています。城の復元事業は1935年に始まり、本丸前の堀が掘り返されました。それ以来、赤穂事件や四十七士の人気もあいまって、城の多くの建物や構造物が復元されています。城跡自体は1971年以来、国の史跡に指定されています。

１９３０年代の赤穂城跡、朝日新聞社「新日本大観附満州国レンズを透して見たニッポンのガイドブック」より (licensed under Public Domain via Wikimedia Commons)

私の感想

正直申し上げて、私はあまり赤穂事件の話が好きではありません。吉良を殺すためのまともな理由が見いだせないからです。ちなみに赤穂事件を基にした有名な忠臣蔵の芝居においては、浅野が吉良への莫大な賄賂を断ったり、吉良が浅野の妻への横恋慕を断られたために、吉良が散々意地悪したのを耐えかねた浅野が吉良を正面から切りつけた（史実では背後から）ことになっています。歴史家によれば、それが武士道（理由はなくとも、名誉と誇りにかけて、主君や藩に尽くす行為）なのだということですが、それが本当だとしても、なぜこの物語が現在の日本人にも人気があるのでしょうか。思うに、結局多くの日本人は今でも、江戸時代の武士たちと同じか似たようなメンタリティを持っているからではないでしょうか。現代の日本人も度々、生き残るために他に何の理由もなく、上司や会社に対して忠誠を尽くしているように見受けられるからです。更に推測するに、もしかすると大石は、自分の主君が乱心を起こしていたと知りつつ、それでも他にやり様がなかったのかもしれません。

「仮名手本忠臣蔵」三段目、塩谷判官（浅野）が高師直（吉良）に切りつける場面、歌川国輝作 *(licensed under Public Domain via Wikimedia Commons)*

ここに行くには

車で行く場合：山陽自動車道の赤穂ICから約１０分かかります。城跡周辺にいくつか駐車場があります。
公共交通機関を使う場合は、ＪＲ播州赤穂駅から歩いて約１５分かかります。
東京または大阪から播州赤穂駅まで：山陽新幹線に乗って、姫路駅で山陽本線に乗り換えるか、相生駅で赤穂線に乗り換えてください。

リンク、参考情報

・国史跡赤穂城跡(兵庫県赤穂市)　公式Webサイト
・「東大教授の「忠臣蔵」講義／山本博文著」角川新書
・「逆説の日本史１４　近世爛熟編／井沢元彦著」小学館
・「よみがえる日本の城４」学研
・「日本の城改訂版第２０号」デアゴスティーニジャパン

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

60.Ako Castle Part2

Features

One of Three Major Water Supply systems during Edo Period

Today, the ruins of Ako Castle have been well developed with lots of restored items probably thanks to the Ako Incident and the 47 Ronin. However, the ruins are worth more than its popularity and have distinct perspectives. For example, if you walk from JR Banshu-Ako Station to the ruins along the central street, you will find some explanation boards and relics for the old Ako Water Supply system. The system is considered one of the Three Major Water Supply systems during the Edo Period in Japan. This was due to few wells in the Ako area because of its salt industry.

The water supply pipes exhibited in the turret gate of the Main Enclosure

Third Enclosure, Front of Castle

After walking for a while, you will get to the Main Gate with the Corner Turret at the northern edge of the Third Enclosure. These buildings were restored during the 1950’s and have become a symbol of the castle.

Main Gate[/leaflet-marker]

The castle ruins are at the end of the street

The Corner Turret in the front and the Main Gate in the back

If you enter the gate after crossing the bridge over the moat in front of it, there is a square space surrounded by stone walls, called Masugata system. In the case of Ako Castle, the space consists of connected squares, more complex than a simple one, so the path has zigzag design, which would make the enemies get stuck.

Entering the Main Gate by going across the bridge

There is the Third Enclosure inside, which was used as the senior vassals’ residences, where only Oishi and Kondo’s row-house style gates remain on both sides of the path.

Entering the center of the Third Enclosure

The Oishi’s row-house style gate on the right

The Kondo’s row-house style gate on the left

Oishi’s main residence was turned into Oishi Shrine where he and the Ronin have been worshiped as the heroes of the incident. It may be the most popular spot in the castle. There are also some ruins of other 47 Ronin’s’ residences around.

The ruins of Kataoka’s residence, one of the 47 Ronin

Second Enclosure facing Sea in Past

If you go further to the center of the castle, you will get to the ruins of the Second Enclosure Gate. The enclosure is mostly surrounded by its water moats and surrounds the Main Enclosure.

The water moats and the stone walls surround the Second Enclosure

There was the residence of another Oishi (Tanomo-no-suke, Kura-no-suke’s great uncle) and the Second Enclosure Garden in the northern part inside. The residence’s gate and the garden were recently restored where you can enjoy walking and looking at the beautiful scenery. The partition gate dividing the northern and southern parts was also restored at the edge of the garden and you can use it during opening hours.

The restored gate of Oishi Tanomo-no-suke’s residence

The partition gate dividing the northern and southern parts of the Second Enclosure

The southern part was turned into a modern flower park, which used to face the sea in the past. The sea area was reclaimed to public facilities, so you may not understand what it looked like. However, there are ruins of the pier and gate, and Shiomi (meaning Watching Tide) and Minami-Oki (South Ocean) Turrets on the southern side of the enclosure, where you may understand its location.

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