ここに行くには～How to get There – ページ 22 – 日本200名城バイリンガル (Japan's top 200 castles and ruins)

197.Shibushi Castle part3

Wonderful molding using natural terrain

Features

Nakanokuo, Pivot of Defense

Over the dry moat, the other major enclosures of Nakanokuo (the enclosure No.4 & 5) and Onokuo (the enclosure No.6 & 15) follow and are all divided by other dry moats crosswise. In particular, you should check out Nakanokuo (the enclosure No.5), over Nakanokuo (the enclosure No.4). To reach the enclosure, you need to go out of the Main Enclosure, go through the right lengthwise dry moat from the front, and enter the second crosswise dry moat. The bottom of the moat is not flat, but has two tiers, so you also need to climb to the upper tier.

The map around Uchijo portion, the red broken line is the route from the Main Enclosure to Nakaokuo (the enclosure No.5)

The second crosswise dry moat has two tiers

Then, you will face huge vertically cut cliff of the enclosure like a thick column and need to walk around to enter. If you were an enemy, you must have been attacked by the defenders from above until then. The entrance path is altered by thick earthen walls as well, just like a palace gate made of soil. This enclosure might have been pivotal to the defense in the castle.

The vertical cliff of Nakanokuo (the enclosure No.5) ‘s side

The earthen walls surrounding the enclosure

Looking down the bottom of the moat from the enclosure

The part of Nakaokuo (the enclosure No.5) of the miniature model exhibited in *Shibushi City Center for Archaeological operations*

Amazing Dry Moats

Both the lengthwise dry moats outside the plateau are amazing. The dry moat on the left side from the front (the western side) is called O-Horikiri or the Large Ditch. It is about 17m deep and was about 7m deeper than now according to the excavation. The collapsing volcanic ash has been filling the bottom of the moat naturally. However, it is still enough for us to understand how great the warrior’s work for the moat was.

The part of the Large Ditch of the miniature model

The dry moat on the right side is also surprising. The cut section of the outside enclosure is still vivid making us understand how hard their work was!

The Back Route of the castle goes beside the cut section and very narrow like the Main Route. It must have been made very defensive like the Main Route.

The part of the Back Route of the miniature model

Later History

After Shibushi Castle was abandoned, the foot of the mountain was used as the warriors’ residences called Shibushi Fumoto. Fumoto refers to a residence area for a unique defense system of the Satsuma Domain led by the Shimazu Clan, called Tojo or the Outer Castles, during the Edo Period. Unlike other domains letting their retainers live together in their home base, the Satsuma Domain sent many of its retainers to their local sites to protect the frontiers of its territory. Shibushi Fumoto was one of the most important among over 100 Fumoto of the domain. You can also walk around the Fumoto area at the same time as visiting Shibushi Castle Ruins. As for the castle ruins, they have been excavated and researched since 2003. As a result, they were designated as a National Historic Site in 2005.

The area around still has an atmosphere of Shibushi Fumoto

My Impression

I have never seen such a large and precise miniature model of a mountain castle like the one of Shibushi Castle (Uchijo portion) in Shibushi City Center for Archaeological operations before. I have certainly seen large and precise miniature models of more modern castles like Himeji Castle because they often had or still have many buildings such as the Main Tower, turrets and gates, and great structures such as stone walls. They would be easy to be copied for a model and the model can be popular with people. On the other hand, making models of a mountain castle should be difficult and may be less popular, so it could be rare, especially realistic ones. However, the miniature model of Shubushi Castle is one of the rarely seen models, worth to see by itself, and helps visitors understand what the real castle was very well.

*The miniature model of Uchijo, exhibited by Shibushi City Center for Archaeological operations*

How to get There

If you want to visit the castle ruins by car, it is about a 15 minute drive away from Shibushi IC on the Miyakonojo-Shibushi Road. There is a parking lot for visitors near the ruins. In addition, Shibushi City Center for Archaeological operations is about 3km away from the ruins and it also has a parking lot.
If you want to use public transportation, it takes about 20 minutes on foot to get there form JR Shibushi Station.
For visitors from Tokyo or Osaka: It may be a good idea to rent a car at Kagoshima or Miyazaki Airports after using a plane.

That’s all. Thank you.
Back to “Shibushi Castle Part1”
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197.志布志城　その３

自然の地形を生かした見事な造形

特徴、見どころ

防衛の要所、中野久尾

その空堀の向こうには、「中野久尾（なかのくび）（曲輪４）」「中野久尾（曲輪５）」「大野久尾（おおのくび）（曲輪６）」「大野久尾（曲輪15）」といった主要曲輪が、横方向の空堀に区切られて続いています。特に、「中尾久尾（曲輪４）」の向こう側の「中尾久尾（曲輪５）」は注目です。この曲輪に着くためには本丸を出て、城跡入口正面から見て右側の縦方向の空堀を進み、２番目の横方向の空堀に入っていきます。その空堀の底は平らではなく２段になっています。よって、また上段の方に登って行かなければなりません。

内城周辺の地図、赤破線は本丸から中野久尾（曲輪５）までのルート

そうすると、太い柱のような、巨大な垂直に削られた曲輪の崖に突き当たり、曲輪に入るにはその崖を回り込む必要があります。もし敵であったなら、入口にたどり着く前に上方から守備兵に攻撃されてしまうでしょう。また、入口の通路も、分厚い食い違い状の土塁によって曲げられています。まるで土造りの宮殿の門のようです。この曲輪は城防衛の要の場所だったのかもしれません。

見事な空堀

台地の両外側に刻まれた空堀は見事なものです。城跡の入口から見て左側（西側）の縦方向の空堀は、大堀切と呼ばれています。現在でも１７ｍの深さがあり、発掘調査によると過去には更に７ｍ深かったとのことです。火山灰の土壌が自然に崩れて堀の底を埋めていっているのです。しかしそれでもこの堀を作った大変な作業は今でも十分に想像できます。

右側の空堀もまた驚きに値します。外側の曲輪の切断面はいまだに生々しく、これもまた大変な仕事であったろうと感嘆します。

城の搦手道は、その切断面の脇を通っていて、大手道のようにとても狭くなっています。ここもまた大手道と同じような防御の仕組みが施されていたのです。

その後

志布志城が廃城となった後、城があった山の麓は「麓（ふもと）」と呼ばれる武家屋敷群として使われました。麓とは、島津氏による薩摩藩が江戸時代の間採用した独特の防御システム（「外城（とじょう）」と呼ばれました）により設定された居住区域のことを言います。本拠地に藩士を集住させた他の藩とは違い、薩摩藩は多くの藩士を周辺地に送り込み、領地の辺境地帯の防衛に当たらせました。志布志麓は、１００以上もある麓の中でも最も重要なものの一つでした。志布志城跡を巡るのと同時に、その麓地区を歩いて回ることができます。城跡に関しては、2003年以来発掘調査が行われていて、その結果、2005年には国の史跡に指定されています。

私の感想

私は、志布志市埋蔵文化財センターにある志布志城（内城部分）の模型ほど大きく且つ精巧な山城の模型を、かつて見たことがありませんでした。確かに、姫路城のようなもっと近代的な城の、大きくて精巧な模型であれば見たことはあります。そのような城には、天守、櫓、門のような建物や、石垣のような立派な構造物が現在に残っている場合がよくあるからです。それであれば、その模型を作ることは比較的簡単であり、人々の注目も浴びやすいでしょう。一方、山城の模型を作ることは難しい面があり、人気もでないでしょう。だから稀であり、本物そっくりという訳にもなかなかいきません。ところが、この志布志城の模型はその稀な例の一つであり、これを見るだけでも行くに値します。そして本物の城がどのようであったのかビジターが理解する手助けになります。

ここに行くには

車で行く場合：都城志布志道路の志布志ICから約１５分かかります。城跡の近くにビジター向け駐車場があります。また、志布志市埋蔵文化財センターは城跡から約３ｋｍ離れたところにあり、ここにも駐車場があります。
公共交通機関を使う場合は、ＪＲ志布志駅から歩いて約２０分かかります。
東京または大阪からくる場合：飛行機で鹿児島空港か宮崎空港にいき、そこからレンタカーを借りるのがよいと思います。

リンク、参考情報

・志布志城跡、志布志市公式ホームページ
・「日本の城改訂版第１０５号」デアゴスティーニジャパン
・「志布志市埋蔵文化財センター志布志城跡リーフレット紹介（城主編）

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

15.Ashikaga Clan Hall Part3

The hall survived because it became a temple.

Features

Ashikaga School

The Ashikaga School is next to Bannaji Temple in the southeast. The school teaching Confucianism was said to be moved to the current place during the Muromachi Period and have as many as 3,000 students during the Sengoku Period. Its remaining buildings are few such as the Confucian Shrine and some gates, but other parts including the school buildings, earthen walls and water moats were recently restored. You may feel it is more likely to look like a warrior’s hall than the temple.

The map around the castle

The remaining Nyutoku-mon Gate of Ashikaga School

The restored school building of Ashikaga School

The restored earthen walls and water moats surround the school

Ruins of Kabasaki Temple

The ruins of Kabasaki Temple (the current Kabasaki Hachimangu Shrine) are about 5km away from Bannaji Temple in the northeast. Kabasaki Temple had been originally built by Yoshikane Ashikaga as his retreat, and considered the holy of the hollies for his clan. However, it declined after the Meiji Restoration for the same reason as Bannaji Temple with the only one building remaining. The site was recently excavated and has been developing as a historical site by officials. There, you can see the foundations of its buildings such as the Multi-Treasure Pagoda and the Mausoleum. That’s why there might have been similar scenery to Bannaji Temple in the past. In addition, restored stone steps go down from the ruins to the restored Pure Land style pond garden. The style refers to the builder who wanted to create a Pure Land in his garden so that they could go the real Pure Land after their death. The garden probably shows Yoshikane’s religious faith.

The restored Pure Land style pond garden

My Impression

I had little complex impression about Ashikaga Clan Hall when I visited the ruins. They don’t have outstanding items for a castle, instead, they remained as a temple. If the hall continued to be used as the hall, it wouldn’t have survived until now because of some battles or conversions. Hence, I understood that it is rare to see such many old remaining buildings in one place as the hall was turned into the temple.

How to get There

If you want to visit Ashikaga Clan Hall Ruins by car, it is about a 15-minute drive away from Ashikaga IC on the Kita-Kanto Expressway. There is a parking lot for visitors of the tourist information center in Ashikaga City, called Taiheikikan, near the ruins. It would be better to use a car if you also want to visit Kabasaki Temple Ruins.
If you want to use public transportation, it takes about 10 to 15 minutes on foot from JR Ashikaga Station or Tobu Ashikagashi Station.
From Tokyo to JR Ashikaga Station: Take the Tohoku Shinkansen super express and transfer to the Ryomo line at Oyama Station.
From Tokyo to Tobu Ashikagashi Station: Take the JR Ueno-Tokyo Line from Tokyo Station and transfer to the Ryomo limited express on the Tobu Isesaki Line at Kitasenju Station.

That’s all. Thank you.
Back to “Ashikaga Clan Hall Part1”
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