ここに行くには～How to get There – ページ 42 – 日本200名城バイリンガル (Japan's top 200 castles and ruins)

157.Hachimanyama Castle Part3

A dictator’s willful behavior is to be rewarded someday.

Features

Hidetsugu’s Residence Ruins at Foot

There are also the ruins of Hidetsugu’s residence at the foot of the mountain. If you are in the Barbican Enclosure, you can use the recently developed trail to go down to the ruins. Of course, you can also visit them from the city area. Hidetsugu’s residence was the elevated point of the warriors’ residential area. Its foundation, surrounded by huge stone walls, remains and looks so great. Some roof tiles covered with golden leaf were found at this site, which proved Hidetsugu lived there.

The map around the castle

The trail going down from the Barbican Enclosure

The stone walls, using huge stones, remained

Later History

The life of Hachimanyama Castle was only 10 years while its former castle town have been prospering as a commercial city for a long time. The castle ruins have become a popular tourist spot since the cable car was first launched in 1962. On the other hand, because of the mountain’s steep terrain, landslides sometime happen which could destroy the ruins such as in 1967. Omi-Hachiman City, which owns the ruins, preserves and researches them, preparing the development of the place as a historical site.

The remaining stone walls on the mountain

My Impression

Was Hidetsugu only a victim of the incident in 1595? I think no. Yoshimitsu Mogami, a great lord at Yamagata Castle, lost his daughter who just reach Kyoto to be Hidetsugu’s wife because of the execution. He was very angry and decided to leave the Toyotomi Clan. Many other nobles and lords, who communicated with Hidetsugu, asked Ieyasu Tokugawa (who would become the final ruler after Hideyoshi’s death) for help in order to avoid punishment. Hideyoshi’s willful behavior resulted in the destruction of his clan including his beloved son, Hideyori, in the summer campaign of the siege of Osaka, attacked by the Tokugawa Shogunate in 1615.

Yoshiaki Mogami from Battle of Hasedo Standing Screen (licensed under Public Domain via Wikimedia Commons)

The portrait of Hideyori Toyotomi, owned by Yogenin Temple (licensed under Public Domain via Wikimedia Commons)

The summer campaign of the siege of Osaka folding screens, owned by Osaka Castle Museum (licensed under Public Domain via Wikimedia Commons)

How to get There

If you want to visit the castle by car, it is about 30 minutes away from Gamo smart IC on the Meshin Expressway. There is a parking lot beside the cable car platform.
By public transportation, you can take the Omi-Tetsudo Bus bound for Chomeiji from JR Omi-Hachiman Station and get off at the Osugicho bus stop. It takes about 5 minutes to get there.
Or it may be a good idea to use a rental bicycle from the station.
To get to Omi-Hachiman Station from Tokyo: Take the Tokaido Shinkansen super express and transfer to the Biwako Line at Maibara Station or Kyoto Station.

The parking lot beside the cable car platform

That’s all. Thank you.
Back to “Hachimanyama Castle Part1”
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157.八幡山城　その３

独裁者の勝手な振る舞いはいずれ報われるときが来ます。

特徴、見どころ

麓の秀次居館跡

山麓には、秀次の居館跡もあります。もし、出丸にいらっしゃるのでしたら、最近開設された山道を下りて、居館跡に行くこともできます。もちろん、市街地側からもアクセス可能です。秀次の居館は、武士たちの居住地域の中でも、一番高い所にありました。その基礎部分は、巨石を使った石垣に囲まれて今も残っており壮観です。この場所で、金箔が押された瓦が発見されていて、秀次が住んでいたということがわかったのです。

城周辺の地図

その後

八幡山城の歴史はわずか１０年で終わりました。一方、旧城下町はその後も長く商都として繁栄しています。この城跡は、1962年にロープウェイが開業して以来、人気の観光地となりました。一方、山の急な地形のため、1967年のときなど崖崩れが時おり発生し、城跡が破壊されました。城跡を所有している近江八幡市は、保存や調査を行い、この地を史跡として整備するための準備を行っています。

私の感想

秀次は、1595年に起こった事件の単なる犠牲者だったのでしょうか。そうは思いません。山形城の有力大名であった最上義光は、秀次の妻になるために京都に着いたばかりの娘をこの事件の処刑により失いました。義光は激怒し、豊臣家と袂を分かつことを決断します。他の多くの秀次と関係を持った貴族や大名たちが、罪を免れるため、秀吉の死後最終的に天下人となった徳川家康を頼りました。（その他秀次の家老であった駿府城の中村一氏、掛川城の山内一豊、浜松城の堀尾吉晴、岡崎城の田中吉政は、関ヶ原の戦いでは積極的に家康を支持しました）秀吉の勝手気ままな行動は、結果的に1615年の大坂夏の陣における徳川幕府の攻撃により、最愛の息子秀頼を含む豊臣家の滅亡を招いてしまったのです。

長谷堂合戦図屏風に描かれた最上義光 (licensed under Public Domain via Wikimedia Commons)

豊臣秀頼肖像画、養源院蔵 (licensed under Public Domain via Wikimedia Commons)

大坂夏の陣図屏風、大阪城天守閣蔵 (licensed under Public Domain via Wikimedia Commons)

ここに行くには

車を使う場合：名神自動車道の蒲生スマートICから約３０分かかります。ロープウェイ乗り場の脇に駐車場があります。
公共交通機関を使う場合は、ＪＲ近江八幡駅から長命寺行きの近江鉄道バスに乗って、大杉町バス停で降りてください。そこから約５分のところです。または、駅からレンタル自転車を借りてもよいでしょう。
東京から近江八幡駅まで：東海道新幹線に乗って、米原駅か京都駅で琵琶湖線に乗り換えてください。

リンク、参考情報

・八幡山城跡　滋賀県観光情報
・NPO秀次倶楽部
・「豊臣秀次―「殺生関白」の悲劇／小和田哲男著」PHP新書

これで終わります。ありがとうございました。
「八幡山城その１」に戻ります。
「八幡山城その２」に戻ります。

140.Genbao Castle Part3

The ruins were discovered after 400-year sleep.

Features

Largest Enclosure in back

If you want to go out of the Main Enclosure from the back entrance, you will need to turn left and right on the narrow route through the other Umadashi Enclosure like the front side. This means the back side of the castle was also protected heavily. The Enclosure II is at the very back and was the largest of the Castle. Therefore, Historians speculate it was used as a military post. On the other hand, the entrance of the enclosure to the outside is very simple and had no defensive capability. Historians also speculate this part had been uncompleted before the Battle of Shizugatake happened.

The map around the castle

The narrow earthen bridge connecting the Main Enclosure and the Enclosure ii

the entrance of the Enclosure II to the outside

Later History

Genbao Castle was eventually abandoned after Katsuie was defeated in 1583. The ruins of it were buried naturally and returned to nature covered with trees and bushes for over 400 years. However, a local historian discovered the ruins after his research based on some records and traditions in 1980. The ruins were finally designated as a National Historic Site in 1999. The ruins are now considered as very rare ones which clearly shows the who, the when and the why the castle was built. Historians can see that the techniques used in the castle were those used in the period when the Battle of Shizugatake happened.

My Impression

I was surprised to see such a complex structured castle was built on the top of a mountain. I was also convinced to learn the reason for why it was built. I remember that there is another complex structured castle ruins made of pure soil the same as Genbao, called Suginaya Castle in Saitama Prefecture. However, unlike Genbao, it is quite uncertain the who, the when and the why it was built. Some historians think Sugiyama Castle was built in the same period as Genbao Castle because they are similar. On the other hand, others argue that they are, in fact, different in some ways. Either way, it is also an interesting discussion.

How to get There

I recommend using a car when you visit the castle ruins.
It is about a 20-minute drive away from Kinomoto IC on the Hokuriku Expressway. There is a parking lot beside the entrance of the trail to the castle ruins.
After getting off from the IC, go along the National Route 365 to the north, turn right to the Prefectural Road 140 at the junction, and go through the Yanagase Tunnel. This tunnel had originally been used for the former Hokuriku Railway Line until 1964 and turned into the current road. Make sure that it is a one-way traffic which is controlled by the traffic light. Just after coming out of the tunnel, turn right to the forest road to the parking lot.
If you drive from the north of the ruins, such as Fukui Prefecture, go along the National Route 8 to the south, turn left to the Prefectural Road 140 at the junction, and turn left to the forest road in front of the Yanagase Tunnel.

The parking lot beside the entrance of the trail

The Yanagase Tunnel *(licensed by Alpsdake via Wikimedia Commons)*

The northern starting point of the Prefectural Road 140

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