その後～Later History – ページ 64 – 日本200名城バイリンガル (Japan's top 200 castles and ruins)

134.Toyama Castle Part3

Toyma City should be more proud of the real history of the castle.

Later History

After the Meiji Restoration, Toyama Castle was abandoned. All the buildings of the castle were demolished or burnt. The center of the castle was turned into the Toyama prefectural office, and the other areas were turned into the city area. Toyama Park was established in 1939 after the prefectural office was moved to the ground of the former Jintsu-gawa River. However, Toyama City was reduced to ashes due to the Great Toyama Air Raid in 1945. After World War II, People in Toyama held an industrial exhibition at the ruins of the castle in 1954. The Imitation Main Tower was built for the event to celebrate the revival of the city. Since then, the ruins are being developed as an urban park.

The ruins of the prefectural assembly hall in the park

The Imitation Tower when it was completed *(licensed under Public Domain via Wikimedia Commons)*

My Impression

The ruins of Toyama Castle are not designated as a historic site at all. That means Toyama City can develop the park however it likes. The city can build imitation buildings as new attractions. However, I think the city should inform the citizens and visitors of what the castle really looked like since there are still some original items. I’m afraid that people would be not sure why the city and people are there and how they survived until today. The city might lose its identity. The city might also think castles must have a great Main Tower and stone walls. However, Toyama Castle has a great history without them. If the city thinks so, I recommend learning what the people in Takaoka City in the same prefecture have been doing. They have been maintaining the ruins of Takaoka Castle with soil-made enclosures and water moats after the castle abandoned, while using them as a natural park and for modern facilities.

The Imitation Tower on the original stone walls, connected to the imitated stone walls on the right

The Imitation Tower and the original stone walls of the Iron Gate

The ruins of Takaoka Castle is maintained as a natural park

How to get There

If you want to visit there by car:
It is about 15 minutes away from Toyama IC on Hokuriku Expressway.
The park offers a parking lot.
By train, it is about 10 minutes on foot from Toyama Station.
To get to Toyama Station from Tokyo: Take the Hokuriku Shinkansen super express.

The entrance of the parking lot in the park

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

134.富山城　その３

富山市は、もっと真の城の歴史を尊重すべきです。

その後

明治維新後、富山城は廃城となりました。すべての城の建物は撤去されるか、火事で燃えてしまいました。城の中心部は富山県庁となり、それ以外の場所は市街地となっていきました。県庁舎が神通川が以前流れていた敷地に移転した後は、1939年に富山公園が設立されました。しかし、1945年の富山大空襲により、富山市は灰燼に帰してしまいます。第二次世界大戦後、富山市の人たちは、1954年に城跡で産業博覧会を開催しました。模擬天守は、市の復興を祝して開かれたその博覧会のために建てられたのです。それ以来、城跡は都市公園として整備されています。

完成当時の模擬天守 *(licensed under Public Domain via Wikimedia Commons)*

私の意見

富山城跡は、史跡として指定されてはいません。すなわち、富山市は自らの好きなように公園を開発し、観光資源として模擬建築をつくることができます。しかし私は、富山市は市民や観光客に対して、城は本当はどのような姿をしていたのか、もっと知らせるべきだと思います。まだ、オリジナルのものが残っているからです。そうしなければ、なぜこの都市とそこに住む人々がここにいて、どうやって今日まで生き残ってきたのかが、わからなくなってしまうのではないでしょうか。アイデンティティを失ってしまうかもしれません。富山市は、城には立派な天守や石垣がなくてはならないと思っているかもしれませんが、富山城にはそれがなくても誇るべき歴史があるのです。ぜひ、同じ県にある高岡市の人たちがやっていることを見習っていただきたいと思います。彼らは、高岡城が廃城となった後、城跡の土造りの曲輪を、自然公園や公共施設として使いながら、ずっと維持し続けています。

ここに行くには

車で行く場合：
北陸自動車道の富山ICから約１５分かかります。
公園に駐車場があります。
電車の場合は、富山駅から歩いて約１０分のところです。
東京から富山駅まで：北陸新幹線に乗ってください。

リンク、参考情報

・富山市郷土博物館、富山市
・「越中４６０年を行く　富山城探訪／北日本新聞社編」北日本新聞社
・「加賀藩二代藩主　前田利長が造った城／杉本宏著」２２世紀アート
・「よみがえる日本の城８」学研

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

119.Sugiyama Castle Part3

Castle layout researchers focus on Sugiyama Castle.

Features

Main Enclosure, Center of Castle

The Main Enclosure is the largest and highest one in the castle. It has three entrances in the south, north and east. The north and east ones were also strictly protected by other enclosures and dry moats like you simulated in the south. The lord of the castle would be able examine the situation in all directions clearly and give the appropriate instructions.

The locations of the Main Enclosure and the northern and eastern enclosures

The Northern Entrance of the Main Enclosure

*The Eastern Entrance of the Main Enclosure*

The eastern enclosures seen from the Main Enclosure

In addition, some bypass routes are set in the castle, but some of them are dead-end alleys. If you see the layout of the castle, you may think it looks like a maze. It’s true for enemies, but it’s a well-designed fortress for defenders.

The locations of the spots which are supposed be dead-end alleys

The dead-end alley at the Southern Second Enclosure

The dead-end alley beyond the Well Enclosure

Later History

The ruins of Sugiyama Castle were not known to the public until around 1980s. Only the researchers who studied the layout of castles were interested in this castle. They published the dictionaries and magazines which featured the layout of castles since 1987. The layout drawing of Sugiyama Castle has been one of the most featured ones in these books. The castle became popular little by little. After the excavations between 2002 and 2007, the ruins became a National Historic Site in 2008. It is considered one of the “Hiki Castles Ruins”.

This location map is also a good layout drawing

My Impression

I imagine if Sugiyama Castle was much larger, and equipped with turrets, gates, and stone walls, it would look like the great castles built much later, such as Himeji Castle. This means Sugiyama Castle could be the pioneer of the advanced castle design. However, I rather prefer the effort of building the castle to its historical value. The unknown builders of the castle must have had a small budget, resources, workers, and little time because the purpose of the castle was limited. They thought hard to create their great work under the difficult situation. It may have been easier for them to build a great castle if they had enough resources. I think Sugiyama Castle is also a good lesson for us about how to use limited resources to create good work.

How to get There

I recommend using a car when you visit the ruins.
It is about 15 minutes away from Ranzan-Ogawa IC on Kanetsu Expressway.
The ruins offer a parking lot.
By public transportation, take the Tokigawa-cho route bus bound for Seseragi Center from Musashi-Ranzan Station on the Tobu-Tojo Line and get off at the Taguro bus stop.
It is about 20 minutes on foot from the bus stop.

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