その後～Later History – ページ 32 – 日本200名城バイリンガル (Japan's top 200 castles and ruins)

174.Ouchi Clan Hall/Konomine Castle Part3

Yamaguchi was focused on rebuilding again during the Meiji Restoration.

Later History

Yamaguchi was focused on rebuilding again at the end of the Edo Period. Until then, the Choshu Domain by the Mori Clan was based on Hagi Castle beside the Japan Sea. They wanted to move their homebase to Yamaguchi. This was because its location would be the best for communication with other domains to respond to the potential threats from Western countries, in fact, to be against the Tokugawa Shogunate. They eventually built Yamaguchi Castle beside Konomine Mountain, partly using the Western style with cannons, without the shogunate’s permission. They thought they could reuse Konomine Castle for the final battle. Eventually, they became one of the winners of the Meiji Restoration. As a result, Yamaguchi Castle was turned into the Yamaguchi prefectural office. In addition, Yamaguchi Prefecture produced 8 prime ministers of Japan, the largest number among all the prefectures, including the 1st prime minister, Hirobumi Ito and the late Shinzo Abe recently.

The remaining front gate of the Yamaguchi government office in the Yamaguchi Castle period

Konomine Castle Ruins seen from the gate

Hirobumi Ito, the 1st prime minister (licensed under Public Domain via Wikimedia Commons)

My Impression

I think the combination of Ouchi Clan Hall and Konomine Castle was a very good for both the government and defense like that of the Takeda Clan with Takeda Clan Hall and Yogaiyama Castle. It was also proven by the Choshu Domain that they wanted to use Konomine Castle again at the end of the Edo Period. However, in the case of the Ouchi Clan, it was too late to prepare for it. Maybe that’s because they thought Yamaguchi could never have been attacked by enemies because their government was very stable. Nobunaga Oda, who was the ruler in the 1570’s to the 1580’s, might have thought the same way before he was killed in the Honnoji Incident in 1582.

The restored earthen walls of Ouchi Clan Hall

The remaining stone walls of Konomine Castle

How to get There

If you want to visit Ouchi Clan Hall Ruins by car, it is about a 15-minute drive away from Yamaguchi IC on the Chugoku Expressway. There are parking lots in the northern and southern sides of the ruins. To get to Konomine Castle Ruins from there, you will need about another 20 minutes. There is a small parking lot on the mid slope of the mountain.
If you want to use public transportation, it takes about 15 minutes on foot from JR Kami-yamaguchi Station to get Ouchi Clan Hall Ruins. To get Konomine Castle Ruins from there, you will need about another 1 hour.
To get to Kami-yamaguchi Station from Tokyo or Osaka: Take the Sanyo Shinkansen super express and transfer to the Yamaguchi Line at Shin-Yamaguchi Station.

The small parking lot on the mid slope of the mountain

That’s all. Thank you.
Back to “Ouchi Clan Hall/Konomine Castle Part1”
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174.大内氏館・高嶺城　その３

山口は明治維新のとき、再度築城の地として注目されました。

その後

山口には江戸時代末期になって再び城郭が再建されました。それまでは、毛利氏による長州藩は日本海に面した萩城を本拠地としていました。長州藩は、西洋諸国からの潜在的脅威に対抗するため、諸藩と連携する必要から山口に本拠地を移すことが最善と称しましたが、その実、徳川幕府に反抗しようとしていたのです。そして高嶺山の麓に幕府の許可なしに、西洋式築城法を部分的に採用し、砲台を備えた山口城を建設しました。また、もしも戦いとなったときには高嶺城を再利用しようと考えていました。そうするうちに、長州藩は明治維新における勝者となったのです。その結果、山口城は山口県庁となりました。余談ですが、山口県は８人の総理大臣を輩出していて、全都道府県の中では最多となります。その中には初代の伊藤博文と、最近では安倍晋三がいます。

伊藤博文写真 *(licensed under Public Domain via Wikimedia Commons)*

私の感想

大内氏館と高嶺城のコンビネーションは、統治と防御を両立するのにとてもよい組み合わせだと思います。同じような例として、武田氏が築いた武田氏館と要害山城が挙げられます。このことは、江戸時代末期において、長州藩が高嶺城を再利用しようとしていたことからも裏付けされます。しかしながら大内氏の場合は、準備が遅すぎたように思います。大内氏は、その統治が安定していたことから山口が敵から攻撃されることはないと思っていたのかもしれません。1570年代から1580年代にかけて天下人として君臨した織田信長もまた、1582年の本能寺の変で殺されるまでは同じように思っていたかもしれないことと似ているように思います。

ここに行くには

車で行く場合：大内氏館跡は、中国自動車道の山口ICから約１５分のところです。北側と南側に駐車場があります。高嶺城跡までは、大内氏館跡から２０分程かかります。山の中腹に小さな駐車スペースがあります。
公共交通機関を使う場合は、ＪＲ上山口駅から大内氏館跡まで歩いて約１５分かかります。高嶺城跡まではそこから更に１時間程かかります。
東京または大阪から上山口駅まで：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

・大内氏館跡（大内氏遺跡）、山口市観光サイト
・「西国一の御屋形様大内氏がわかる本入門編・興亡編」山口市
・「日本の城改訂版第１２０号」デアゴスティーニジャパン
・「幕末維新の城／一坂太郎著」中公新書

これで終わります。ありがとうございました。
「大内氏館・高嶺城その１」に戻ります。
「大内氏館・高嶺城その２」に戻ります。

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.
Back to “Tsuwano Castle Part1”
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