ここに行くには～How to get There – ページ 32 – 日本200名城バイリンガル (Japan's top 200 castles and ruins)

66.Tsuwano Castle Part3

Tsuwano Town is making great efforts to maintain the ruins.

Features

Sanjukken-dai and Main Tower Bases

The next is the highest point of the castle, called Sanjukken-dai or the about 54m long base. It was surrounded by mud walls in the Edo Period, and it is a square now which is definitely a great view spot. Please enjoy a view of Tsuwano Town with reddish brown colored roofs.

The map around the castle

The view of Tsuwano Town with reddish brown colored roofs

A view of the Hostage Turret Ruins from the Sanjukken-dai base

A steep slope beside the Sanjukken-dai base where many of its stone walls have collapsed

The next is the stone wall base for the Main Tower just blow the Sanjukken-dai Base. It was rare that the Main Tower was not at the highest point among Japanese castles.

The Main Tower base blow the Sanjukken-dai Base

Attractions of former Castle Town

If you have time, you should check out many historical items in the former castle town such as the restored domain school, some remaining gate buildings of senior vassals, the old houses of Amane Nishi and Ogai Mori, and the carps in the waterways which Naomori started to breed.

The restored domain school called Yorokan

The front gate of the residence of the Tako Clan, a senior vassal of the Tsuwano Domain

Later History

After the Meiji Restoration, Tsuwano Castle was abandoned and most of the castle buildings were demolished. One of them, a gate at the foot was used as the front gate of Hamada Prefectural Government and finally moved to the ruins of Hamada Castle. The Tsuwano Domain was just merged to the prefecture at that time. The gate is still remaining at the site. Tsuwano Castle Ruins were designated as a National Historic Site in 1942. Tsuwano Town has been researching and repairing them one by one to maintain them.

The gate of the Tsuwano Castle at Hamada Castle Ruins

My Impression

I can’t imagine how tough the castle construction including the stone walls on such a steep mountain was in a short period of Naomori Sakazaki at only 16 years. I hope Tusuwano Town will somehow maintain and develop the castle ruins, which should be hard work. I would like to visit the ruins again by climbing the trail from the foot next time, where the older castle ruins the Yosimi Clan first built can be seen.

The stone walls of the Southern Turret Gate Ruins on the mountain

How to get There

If you want to visit the castle ruins by car, it is about 40 minutes away from Muikaichi IC on the Chugoku Expressway. There is a parking lot in front of the lift platform at the foot of the mountain.
By public transportation, It takes about 20 minutes on foot from Tsuwano Station. Or you can take the Iwami-Kotsu Bus or Tsuwano Town Bus from the station and get off at the Mori bus stop to get the lift.
To get to Tsuwano Station from Tokyo or Osaka: Take the Sanyo Shinkansen super express and transfer to the Yamaguchi Line at Shin-Yamaguchi Station.

That’s all. Thank you.
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66.津和野城　その３

津和野町は城跡の維持に多大な努力をしています。

特徴、見どころ

三十間台と天守台

人質櫓の次は、城の最高地点で三十間台と呼ばれ、５４ｍの長さがあります。江戸時代には土塀に囲まれていましたが、今は広場になっていて絶景ポイントとなっています。赤褐色の屋根に彩られた津和野町の街並みの眺めを楽しみましょう。

城周辺の地図

三十間台の下隣には天守台石垣があります。日本の城で天守が最高地点にないのは珍しいケースです。

城下町の見どころ

お時間があるようでしたら、かつての城下町沿いにある多くの歴史遺産をご覧になってはいかがでしょうか。復元された藩校、現存する重臣屋敷の門、西周や森鴎外の旧居、そして坂崎直盛が飼育を始めさせた鯉などです。

その後

明治維新後、津和野城は廃城となり、ほとんどの城の建物は撤去されました。そのうちの一つ、山麓にあった門の一つが浜田県庁舎の正門として使われ、最後は浜田城跡に移設されました。その当時、津和野藩は浜田県（旧浜田藩）に統合されていたのです（その後、現在の島根県に統合されました）。その門は今でも浜田城跡にあります。津和野城跡は、1942年に国の史跡に指定されました。津和野町は城跡の維持のため、その調査と修復をひとつひとつ継続して行っています。

私の感想

坂崎直盛がこの城にいたわずか１６年間で、このような急峻な山の上に石垣を含む城の建設を完成させたことは、どんなに大変な事だったか想像もつきません。津和野町が、何とかこの城跡を維持整備していただくことを望みますが、これも大変な仕事です。次にこの城跡を訪れる時には、山麓から登ってみようと思います。その途中では、吉見氏が初期にこの城を築いたときの遺構が見れるそうです。

ここに行くには

車で行く場合：中国自動車道の六日町ICから約４０分かかります。山麓にあるリフト乗り場の前に駐車場があります。
交通機関を使う場合は、津和野駅から歩いて（リフト乗り場まで）約２０分かかります。また、駅から石見交通バスか津和野市営バスに乗って、森バス停で降りてリフト乗り場に行くこともできます。
東京または大阪から津和野駅まで：山陽新幹線に乗って、新山口駅で山口線に乗り換えてください。

リンク、参考情報

・日本一の山城を体感！、津和野町
・「よみがえる日本の城６」学研
・「坂崎出羽守、津和野ものがたり（４）／沖本常吉著」津和野歴史シリーズ刊行会
・「史跡津和野城跡保存管理計画書」島根県津和野町

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

129.Tatsuoka Castle Part3

The renovated landmark will come.

Later History

Tatsuoka Castle was eventually abandoned in 1871. All the buildings of the castle excluding the Kitchen House were sold and demolished. Its stone walls and water moats were buried to be used as the school and fields. Norikata Matsudaira, the founder of the castle, changed his name to Yuzuru Ogyu, throwing the outdated family name “Matsudaira” away. He helped the establishment of the former Japanese Red Cross Society, called Hakuaisha, in the Meiji Era.

This photo was taken after he changed his name to Yuzuru Ogyu (licensed under Public Domain via Wikimedia Commons)

The drawing that Prince Arisugawa Taruhito grants Sano Tsunetami the permission to create Hakuaisha, attributed to Takeo Terasaki (licensed under Public Domain via Wikimedia Commons)The drawing that Prince Arisugawa Taruhito grants Sano Tsunetami the permission to create Hakuaisha, attributed to Takeo Terasaki

People in Tatsuoka started to restore the castle ruins in 1932 by digging the moats up and repairing the stone walls. As a result, the ruins were designated as a National Historic Site in 1934 while the bridge in front of the Main Gate Ruins was restored at the same time. In addition, the Taguchi Primary School in the ruins has just closed in March, 2023 due to the school integration. Saku City, which owns the ruins, is thinking about restoring the castle as much as in the Edo Period after the closing. It plans to restore the Main Gate in the near future as well. It is also considering to restore the Main Hall by moving the Kitchen House to its original position, re-building some missing structures, and asking the owners of some removed buildings to return them to their original positions.

My Impression

I guess if a battle happened, Norikata would not use Tatsuoka Castle for the battle. Instead, he would use the former Taguchi Castle which could easily target Tatsuoka Castle. When the enemy reached the castle, he would counterattack it. Tatsuoka Castle was an outstanding landmark which could easily pull the enemy in. That is my speculation. I am looking forward to how the new Tatsuoka Castle will appear in the future.

Tatsuoka Castle Ruins seen from Taguchi Castle Ruins (the observation platform)

How to get There

If you want to visit the castle by car, it is about a 20-minute drive away from Saku-minami IC on the Chubu-odan Expressway. There are several parking lots around the castle ruins.
If you want to use public transportation, it takes about 20 minutes on foot from JR Usuda or Tatsuokajo Station.
To get to Usuda of Tatsuokajo Station from Tokyo: Take the Hokuriku Shinkansen super express and transfer to the Koume Line at Sakudaira Station.

The parking lot beside the information center

In addition, if you want to visit the Goryokaku observation platform, go on Nagano Prefectural Road 120 from the castle ruins to the north for about 500m. Once you see the signpost of the platform, turn right. The platform is 2.1km away from it along the forest road. You can reach it by following other signposts. If you drive there, you will need a small off-road vehicle to be able to reach the top. If not, you can park around the first signpost.

The parking lot near the entrance is on the right

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