2024年2月 – ページ 6 – 日本200名城バイリンガル (Japan's top 200 castles and ruins)

186.Kaneda Castle Patr1

Kaneda Castle was one of the ancient mountain castles in western Japan. They were built by the Imperial Court after the Battle of Baekgang, Korea in 663. Kaneda Castle was at the foremost line against possible invasions from the alliance of Tang and Silla. This was because it was located in Tsushima Island, only about 50km away from Korea.

Location and History

One of Ancient Maintain Castles

Kaneda Castle was one of the ancient mountain castles in western Japan. They were built by the Imperial Court after the Battle of Baekgang, Korea in 663. Japan tried to help Baekje, but was beaten by the Tang and Silla alliance. Emperor Tenchi was scared of invasions from the alliance, so he ordered these castles’ constructions. Kaneda Castle was at the foremost line against the alliance because it was located in Tsushima Island, only about 50km away from Korea.

The locations of the major ancient mountain castles

The map about the Battle of Baekgang (licensed by Samhanin via Wikimedia Commons)

These castles are also called Korean style mountain castles which were established in Korea and brought to Japan with the instructions from the refugees from Baekje. There had been many battles in ancient Korea (part of present day North and South Korea) due to invasions from China and the internal conflict with three countries, Baekje, Silla and Goguryeo. The style involves surrounding the whole mountain by stone walls or earthen walls, which was very different from that of Japanese castles that would be later established. If people in Korea at that time were attacked by enemies, they would escape to their mountain castle, wait for the enemies’ supply to run out and counterattack the enemies. This style was applied to Japan to immediately prepare for possible invasions from the alliance.

The diorama of Kaneda Castle Ruins, exhibited by the sightseeing information center Fureaidokoro Tsushima

Stone Walls mostly surround Mountain

The Imperial Court built Mizuki in 664 as the 1st ancient mountain castle. After that, it also built Ono and Kii Castles in 665, and then, Takayasu, Yashima and Kaneda Castles in 667, according to Nihon-shoki, the oldest official chronicles of Japan. It is thought that nearly 30 ancient mountain castles, including recorded and non-recorded ones, were built along the estimated routes of the invasions around the northern Kyushu Region and Seto Inland Sea. The Imperial Court also drafted soldiers from eastern Japan, who would be called Sakimori, and sent them to the northern Kyushu Region to protect and monitor this area. The fire-signal system was also developed in the region to rapidly inform the signs of what happened.

Kaneda Castle was built on Joyama Mountain facing Aso Bay in the central part of Tsushima Island. The castle was about 15km away to the north from the provincial capital of Tsushima, near the current Izuhara Port. This was probably because the usage of the castle would follow that of the mountain castles in Korea like a shelter. Its perimeter was about 2.2km, which was mostly covered with stone walls, in contrast to other ancient mountain castles like Ki-no-jo, mostly surrounded by earthen walls. The northern and western sides of the castle were along the steep ridges of the mountain, which were naturally very defensive. On the other hand, the southern side faced the valley which would be the entrance to the castle and the eastern side was beside the bay. That’s why several gates were built and the stone walls were higher on these sides. It is thought that there were no office buildings and no warehouses, but only buildings like barracks the Sakimori soldiers used inside the castle, according to the results of excavations.

The aerial photo around the castle

The stone walls of Kaneda Castle (the southeast stone fortress)

The relief map around the castle

Castle is shortly abandoned because of Stable Diplomatic Relations

Meanwhile, the diplomatic negotiations with foreign countries continued. For, example, Tang and Goguryeo started to fight with each other in 666. Both countries asked Japan for help. While Emperor Tenchi moved the capital from Asuka in Nara to Otsu, more interior than Asuka in 667 and made the first national census in 670 probably to prepare for the next war. The tension between Japan and Tang reached its peak after Tang defeated Goguryeo in 668. It is said that Tang actually planned to invade Japan then. However, the plan was canceled as Tang and Silla battled each other in 670. The battle resulted in Silla repelling Tang and the unification of Korea Peninsula in 676. The next emperor, Tenmu, also made friendly relations with Silla, which meant the serious threat to Japan had gone.

The ruins of the imperial palace of Otsu (*licensed by Saigen Jiro via Wikimedia Commons)*

As a result, there would be no need for maintaining all the ancient mountain castles. Many of them including Kaneda Castle were repaired or improved by the end of the 7th Century. However, it is thought that Kaneda Castle was abandoned at the beginning of the 8th Century. Manyoshu, the oldest anthology of Japan, which was first published in the late 8th Century, contains a Tanka poem created by a Sakimori soldier who was in charge of Tsushima Island. Interestingly, this Tanka was published nearly a century after the castle was active. The life of this great castle was only 30 to 40 years.

The ruins of Kaneda Castle (the first gate)

To be continued in “Kaneda Castle Part2”

186.金田城　その１

金田城は、西日本にあった古代山城のひとつでした。これらの城は、663年に朝鮮で起こった白村江の戦いの後、朝廷によって築かれました。金田城は唐・新羅連合軍の侵攻の恐れに対峙する最前線に当たりました。金田城ががあった対馬は朝鮮からわずか約５０ｋｍのところに位置していたからです。

古代山城（朝鮮式山城）の一つ

金田城は、西日本にあった古代山城のひとつでした。これらの城は、663年に朝鮮で起こった白村江の戦いの後、朝廷によって築かれました。日本は百済を助けようとしましたが、唐と新羅の連合軍に敗れました。天智天皇は、連合軍による日本侵攻を恐れ、城の建設を命じたのです。金田城は連合軍の侵攻に対峙する最前線に当たりました。金田城ががあった対馬は朝鮮からわずか約５０ｋｍのところに位置していたからです。

主要な古代山城の位置

白村江の戦いの図、緑色部分が百済、青色部分が新羅 (licensed by Samhanin via Wikimedia Commons)

古代山城はまた、朝鮮式山城と呼ばれていて、これは朝鮮で確立し、百済からの亡命者の指導のもとに日本に導入された築城方式です。古代朝鮮（現在の北朝鮮と韓国に相当）では、中国からの侵攻と三国（百済、新羅、高句麗）による内乱が続いていて、多くの戦いが起こっていました。この築城方式は、石垣もしくは土塁により山の周りを囲ってしまうというやり方で、後に確立した日本式の城郭とは随分違っていました。当時の朝鮮の人たちは、敵軍に攻撃されると山城に逃げ込み、敵の補給が切れるのを待ってから、反撃に転じるという戦法を取っていました。この方式が、唐・新羅の連合軍による侵攻に迅速に備えるため、日本にも適用されたのです。

山の全周を囲む石垣

朝廷は、最初の古代山城として、664年に水城を建設しました。その後、最古の公式の歴史書である「日本書紀」によると、大野城と基肄（きい）城が665年に、高安城・屋島城・金田城が667年に築かれました。トータルでは、記録されているものもされていないものも含め、３０近くもの古代山城が、想定された侵攻ルートである北九州から瀬戸内海に沿って築かれたと考えられています。また、朝廷は「防人（さきもり）」と呼ばれた兵士を東日本から徴発し、北九州地方に送って防衛と監視にあたらせました。それとともに、狼煙（のろし）によって情報伝達が迅速にできるようになっていました。

金田城は、対馬の中心部の浅茅（あそう）湾に面した城山（じょうやま）に築かれました。城は、現在の厳原（いずはら）港近くの対馬国府から北に約１５ｋｍ離れたところにありました。これは恐らく、城の使われ方が朝鮮の場合に準じて、避難所という位置づけだったからと思われます。その全周は約２．２ｋｍで、大半が石垣によって囲まれていました。大半が土塁によって囲まれていた鬼ノ城（きのじょう）などの他の山城とは対照的です。金田城の北側と西側は、山の険しい峰に沿っていて、自然の要害となっていました。一方、南側は谷に向かって開いていて、城の入口であったようです。また、東側は湾に面していました。よってそれらの場所では、門や高石垣が築かれたりしていました。発掘の結果によると、城の内側には官庁や倉庫の建物はなく、防人が駐屯した兵舎のような建物があったと考えられています。

城周辺の航空写真

城周辺の起伏地図

侵攻の脅威が遠のき短期間で廃城

城が築かれた一方で、外国との交渉が続けられていました。例えば、666年に唐と高句麗との戦いが始まりましたが、両方の国が日本に支援を求めてきました。天智天皇は667年に飛鳥からより内陸の大津に都を移しました。そして、恐らくは徴兵の準備のために670年に最初の戸籍（庚午年籍）を作成させました。668年に唐が高句麗を滅ぼした後は、日本と唐の緊張関係はピークに達しました。そのとき唐は実勢に、日本遠征計画を立てていたと言われています。しかし、670年に唐と新羅との戦いが始まったことで、その計画は中止になりました。そして新羅が唐を撃退し、676年に朝鮮統一を果たす結果となります。天智の跡をついだ天武天皇は新羅との友好関係構築に努め、日本への深刻な脅威は遠のきました。

大津宮跡 *(licensed by Saigen Jiro via Wikimedia Commons)*

その結果、古代山城を維持する必要がなくなりました。金田城を含む多くの古代山城は、７世紀の終わり頃までは修繕や拡張がなされていました。しかし、金田城については、８世紀初頭には廃城になったと考えられています。日本の最古の歌集である「万葉集」が８世紀終わり頃に編纂されましたが、そこには対馬で任務にあたっていた防人の短歌が収められています（巻14－3516：対馬の嶺は下雲あらなふ可牟の嶺にたなびく雲を見つつ偲はも）。しかし興味深いことに、この短歌が世に出たのは、城が廃城となってから１世紀近く経ってからということになります。金田城が現役であったのはわずか３０～４０年のことでした。

「金田城その２」に続きます。

19.Kawagoe Castle Part3

We will finally visit the remaining Main Hall in the main enclosure. It is one of the four remaining halls for exiting castles in Japan, which is very rare and valuable. In the case of Kawagoe Castle, two parts of its hall remain, its entrance and the office for the senior vassals.

Features

The Main Hall in the main enclosure (the main entrance)

From Main Entrance to Hiroma Room

Visitors usually enter the main one which has a luxurious decoration. It also has Hiroma (meaning large room),several waiting rooms for messengers, and officers’ rooms.

The layout of the current Main Hall, the entrance part is below and the senior vassals’ office is above, from the signboard at the site

The Hiroma is the first room after entering, which is the largest with an alcove and paintings on ceder-board doors as the hall’s face. An interest thing about the room is that you can see lots of traces of volleyballs on its ceiling. This is because the room was once used as the gym of a school.

The traces of volleyballs on the ceiling

Office for Senior Vassals

The senior vassals’ office was originally built at a different position, moved to another site and finally returned to the current position. In the back room, three vassals’ figures show they are discussing the matter of Shinagawa Batteries which the Kawagoe Domain was in charge of to guard Edo Bay.

The layout of the original Main Hall, the senior vassals’ office (marked by the red lines above) was little far from the entrance part (marked by the red lines below), from the signboard at the site

The figures are discussing in the back room

The drawing they are looking at seems to be about Shinagawa Batteries

Later History

After the Meiji Restoration, Kawagoe Castle was abandoned and all the castle buildings excluding the Main Hall were demolished. Most of the castle area was turned into the city area by destroying the earthen walls and filling the water moats. The remaining Main Hall was first turned into the prefectural office. After that, it changed to a public hall, a factory building, a martial arts hall, and finally a school building or gym. Its remaining part might have been reduced during the diversions. However, Saitama Prefecture designated the hall as a prefectural cultural property in 1967. Kawagoe City planed the development of the park around the castle and is carrying out it one by one.

The area around the Main Hall has recently been developed in a good condition

Miyoshino Shrine, which is located next to the main enclosure, has remained since the Edo Period

My Impression

I think there was no other way than using the castle area to develop the modern city area. That’s why Kawagoe City still prospers with commerce, agriculture, industries, and tourism. On the other hand, I am also pleased to see the volleyball traces on the remaining Main Hall. I imagine if there was a similar case to use an old hall as a gym, it could be replaced with a new building. I also guess locals in Kawagoe wanted to somehow maintain the hall no matter how it was used.

the street with Kura storehouses of Kawagoe

The ceiling of the Hiroma room of the Main Hall

How to get There

If you want to visit there by car, it is about a 15-minute drive away from Kawagoe IC on the Kanetsu Expressway.
There are several parking lots around the main enclosure.
By public transportation, take the Co-Edo Loop Bus from JR Kawagoe Station or Tobu Hon-Kawagoe Station and get off at the Honmaru-Goten bus stop.

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