ここに行くには～How to get There – ページ 14 – 日本200名城バイリンガル (Japan's top 200 castles and ruins)

158.Fukuchiyama Castle Part3

As long as looking at the stone wall base for the Main Tower of Fukuchiyama Castle, Mitsuhide Akechi seems to have followed a policy of Nobunaga Oda’s castle constructions. That means Mitsuhide was a follower of Nobunaga.

Features

Views from Restored Main Tower

The current Main Tower is actually a restored modern building which is used as a historical museum and an observation platform, where you can learn about Mitsuhide Akechi and the history of the castle. You can also enjoy a view of the city area around the castle from the top floor. For instance, you can see the Third Enclosure which is used as the City Hall on the right and the Hoki-maru Enclosure which has become a park on the left, over the residential area of the former Second Enclosure in the west.

The map around the castle

The Third Enclosure has become the City Hall

In the northern direction, you can see the Yuragawa River and the bank along it that Mitsuhide built, and it’s called Akechi-yabu or Akechi-bush. Mitsuhide planted bamboos along the river bank to make it durable.

Only remaining building of Castle

Akagane-mon Bansho or the Guardhouse for the Bronze Gate, which is located in the Main Enclosure, is the only remaining part of the building and is one of its attractions. It had been originally built in the Second Enclosure, but was moved to the current position because the said Second enclosure was removed. In addition, the building of the Bronze Gate was moved to Shogenji Temple in the city and is used as its front gate.

The map around the castle

The Guardhouse for the Bronze Gate in the Main Enclosure

The front gate of Shogenji Temple, quoted from the Fukuchiyama City Website

Later History

After the Meiji Restoration, Fukuchiyama Castle was abandoned and most of the castle buildings including the Main Tower were demolished or moved. It is said that the 20th Infantry Regiment of the Imperial Japanese Army destroyed the Second Enclosure for the convenient of the transit between their station and maneuvering ground. On the other hand, people in Fukuchiyama wanted to restore the Main Tower as a symbol of the city for a long time. The restoration launched since 1968 when the illustration of the castle in the Edo Period was found. It is once faced with a budget problem, but it was completed in 1986 with lot of donation from the citizens, which was more than a half of the final budget.

The Second Enclosure was removed and became the city area

My Impression

One of the popular assumptions of the reason for Mitsuhide’s rebellion has been the difference of Nobunaga and Mitsuhide’s characters. It is said that Nobunaga was radical while Mitsuhide was traditional. However, as long as looking at the stone wall base for the Main Tower of Fukuchiyama Castle, Mitsuhide seems to have followed a policy of Nobunaga’s castle constructions. It refers to using anything including Buddhism items to build their castles immediately. I honestly say that the stone walls using the tomb stones looks little strange. There is no telling how people at that time felt. I think Mitsuhide was definitely a follower of Nobunaga. A new assumption recently came that Mitsuhide’s position became weak during the discussion about how Nobunaga would invade the Shikoku Region. Mitsuhide’s opinion about it was rejected and his rival, Hideyoshi’s one was taken by Nobunaga. The Honnoji Incident occurred just before the invasion would be done. I’m wondering if the real reason for Mitsuhide’s decision will be uncovered.

The joint of the newer stones on the left and the older ones on the right for the stone wall base of Fukuchiyama Castle’s Main Tower

The portrait of Nobunaga Oda, attributed to Soshu Kano, owned by Chokoji Temple, in the late 16th century (licensed under Public Domain via Wikimedia Commons)

The Portrait of Hideyoshi Toyotomi, attributed to Mitsunobu Kano, owned by Kodaiji Temple (licensed under Public Domain via Wikimedia Commons)

How to get There

If you want to visit there by car, it is about 3 kms away from Fukuchiyama IC on the Maizuru-Wakasa Expressway. There is a parking lot beside the castle hill.
By public transportation, it takes about 15 minutes on foot to get there from JR Fukuchiyama Station.
From Tokyo to Fukuchiyama Station: Take the Tokaido Shinkansen super express and transfer to the Sanin Line at Kyoto Station.

The parking lot of the Fukuchiyama Castle Park

That’s all. Thank you.
Back to “Fukuchiyama Castle Part1”
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158.福知山城　その３

福知山城の天守台石垣を見る限り、明智光秀は信長信長の城郭建築の方針に従っていたように思えます。つまり光秀は、忠実な信長への追随者だったのです。

特徴、見どころ

復元天守からの眺め

現在の天守は復元されたとはいっても、実際には近代的なビルであり、歴史博物館と展望台として使われています。天守の中では明智光秀のことや城の歴史を学ぶことができます。最上階からは、城周辺の市街地の景色を眺めることができます。例えば西の方には、住宅地となった元二の丸地区の向こうに、市役所となった三の丸が右側に、公園となっている伯耆丸が左側に見えます。

城周辺の地図

北の方には、由良川と光秀が築いた川に沿った堤防が見えます。その堤防は「明智藪」と呼ばれていますが、この名前は、光秀が堤防を強固にするために竹を植えたことに由来します。

唯一の現存建物

もう一つの城の見どころは、唯一の現存建物である銅門番所（あかがねもんばんしょ）で、現在は本丸の中にあります。この建物はもともと二の丸の中にあったのですが、二の丸が撤去されてしまったために現在地に移されました。参考に、銅門そのものは、市内の正眼寺（しょうげんじ）に移され山門として使われています。

城周辺の地図

その後

明治維新後、福知山城は廃城となり、天守を含む城のほとんどの建物は撤去されるか移設されました。二の丸については、旧日本陸軍の第２０歩兵連隊が駐屯地と演習場の移動の利便のために破壊したと言われています。一方、福知山の人たちは長い間、天守が復元されることを願っていました。その天守の復元は、江戸時代の城絵図が見つかったのをきっかけに1968年に検討が始まりました。一時、予算不足の問題に陥りますが、市民からの寄付もあり1986年に完成しました。最終的には費用の半分以上が寄付により賄われました。

私の感想

光秀が本能寺の変を起こした理由としてよく言われていたのは、信長と光秀との性格の違いでした。信長は革新的だったのに対して、光秀は伝統を重視していたというのです。しかし、福知山城の天守台石垣を見る限りの話ですが、光秀は信長の城郭建築の方針に従っていたように思えます。つまり、城の建設を急ぐためには仏教のために使われていたものでも何でも使うということです。正直に言わせていただくと。墓石を石垣のために使うということには少々違和感を感じます。当時の人たちにとっては、尚更だったのではないでしょうか。光秀は、忠実な信長への追随者だったと思います。最近提示された推論では、信長が四国征伐を行うにあたり、光秀の立場が危うくなっっていたということです。信長が光秀の意見（長宗我部氏を支持する）を退け、ライバルの秀吉の意見（三好氏を支持し、長宗我部氏を倒す）が採用されたのです。その四国征伐が行われる直前に、本能寺の変が起こったのです。光秀の決断の理由が明らかになるのではないかと期待します。

織田信長肖像画、狩野宗秀作、長興寺蔵、１６世紀後半 (licensed under Public Domain via Wikimedia Commons)

豊臣秀吉肖像画、加納光信筆、高台寺蔵 (licensed under Public Domain via Wikimedia Commons)

ここに行くには

車で行く場合：舞鶴若狭自動車道の福知山ICから約３ｋｍのところです。城がある丘の脇に駐車場があります。
公共交通機関を使う場合は、ＪＲ福知山駅から歩いて約１５分かかります。
東京から福知山駅まで：東海道新幹線に乗って、京都駅で山陰本線に乗り換えてください。

リンク、参考情報

・福知山城　明智光秀が築いた城、福知山市
・「明智光秀・秀満:ときハ今あめが下しる五月哉／小和田哲男著」ミネルヴァ書房
・「明智光秀の城郭と合戦／高橋成計著」戒光祥出版
・「よみがえる日本の城１９」学研

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

14.Mito Castle Part3

After seeing the restored Main Gate and Corner Turret, I would like the city to restore the Three-level Turret as the Main Tower of the castle as well.

Features

Only Remaining building in Castle

Back to the central street, you can go further to the Main Enclosure. You may be surprised to see, in front of the enclosure, another but much deeper (22m) dry moat. It is now used as a ground for the Suigun Railway Line. Of course, it is the castle’s original. The enclosure has the only remaining building of the castle, Yakui-mon Gate which was said the Satake Clan had built. If it’s true, the gate might have been used as their Main Gate. Please make sure you don’t enter the school to stay where you are allowed to see it on the designated area around after crossing the Honjo-bashi Bridge over the moat.

The map around the castle, the broken red line shows the Sugiyama Slope and the broken blue line shows the Sakumachi Route

The large dry moat in front of the Main Enclosure

Its bottom has become a ground for the Suigun Railway Line

Going to the Main Enclosure over the bridge

The Yakui-mon Gate, the only remaining building of Mito Castle

Other Attractions in Second and Third Enclosures

There are two original back routes from the Second Enclosure, which we can still use, the Sugiyama-zaka Slope in the north and the Sakumachi Route in the south. Both routes have restored gates called Sugiyama-mon and Sakumachi-Sakashita-mon. If you walk down on the southern route to go back to Mito Station, you will see the large scale plateau on your right side, which is covered by concrete panels today. There was also the large Senba Lake on the left in the past, but it was reclaimed and reduced to the original western part around the Kairakuen Garden.

The restored Sakumachi-Sakashita-mon Gate

If you have time, you should consider visiting the large outer dry moat of the Third Enclosure, at the root of the plateau. It remains as it was and only the earthen walls go across the moat to the prefectural office which was the senior vassals’ residences. Overall, the castle was protected by the three huge moats.

The aerial photo of around the castle

The earthen bridge has become the entrance of the prefectural office

Later History

Even after the severe events in the early Meinji Era, the Three-level Turret in the Second Enclosure of Mito Castle, which was so great that it was once called “One of the 20 remaining main towers in Japan”, had still remained until World War II, but it was burned down by the Mito air raids in 1945. After World War II, the Kodokan area was designated as a Special National Historic Site in 1952. The other items, the earthen walls, dry moats, and Yakui-mon Gate has been designated as historic sites of Ibaraki Prefecture. Mito City has recently restored some castle buildings as we can see now.

The remaining earthen walls around the Yakui-mon Gate at the Main Enclosure

My Impression

After visiting the ruins of Mito Castle, I realized that strong castles don’t always need stone walls. This was proven not only by the past battles, but also by the two dry moats being used for the current transportation. In addition, seeing the restored Main Gate and Corner Turret, I would like the city to restore the Three-level Turret as the Main Tower of the castle as well. This is because the 8 Main Towers, which had been burned down mostly during World War II, were restored except for that of Mito Castle. However, there is no plan for it yet.

A view of the earthen walls and the dry moat in front of the Second Enclosure from the Main Bridge

The explanation board of the Three-level Turret is at a different place from its original position

How to get There

If you want to visit there by car, it is about a 15 minutes drive away from Minami-Mito IC on the Kitakando Expressway or a 30 minutes drive away from Mito IC on the Joban Expressway. There is a parking lot beside the Main Gate.
By public transportation, it takes about 10 minutes on foot to get there from JR Mito Station.
From Tokyo to Mito Station: Take the Hitachi limited express at Tokyo Station.

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