特徴～Features – ページ 111 – 日本200名城バイリンガル (Japan's top 200 castles and ruins)

83.Uwajima Castle Part2

The Main Tower of peace time remains

Features

Entrance to Castle

Today, Uwajima Castle has few buildings, but including one of the twelve remaining Main Towers in Japan. The sea and water moats around the castle were removed and only the mountain parts remained. If you want to visit the castle from Uwajima Station, you can walk through the city area and enter the eastern side of the mountain beside the fire station. There was the Third Enclosure in the past. You will see a traditional building like the Main Gate at the entrance. It is actually the Nagaya-mon Gate of the house of the Kori Clan, a senior vassal of the Uwajima Domain, which was moved from another place in 1963.

The map around the castle

The entrance to the castle from Uwajima Station

The Nagaya-mon Gate of the house of the Kori Clan

Climbing up with Seeing Stone Walls

You can climb up to the top of the mountain through the zigzagged trail, seeing old stone walls which might have been built in Takatora’s period. You will first be the Well Enclosure on the way. This is one of the many small enclosures of the castle, which had not only a well but also a set of defense; a gate, turret and stone walls. If you go farther, you will be under the high stone walls of the Main Enclosure. You can see half of the stone was built using some old stones and you can also see the trace of some parts that were repaired. After that, you will reach the Main Enclosure, passing the Second Enclosure.

The high stone walls of the Main Enclosure

The right side of the blue line was built using old stones, while the left side was repaired, from the signboard

Views from Main Enclosure

The Main Enclosure originally had many buildings around the Main Tower which was the only thing that remained. You can enter the enclosure through the stone walls of the Kushigata-mon Gate. You can also enjoy views of the city area in the northeast and the Uwajima Bay in the northwest. In fact, the bay was beside the mountain, but the reclamation of the bay started in the Edo Period, probably it was reclaimed earlier than other castles.

The past Main Enclosure drawn in the “Folding Screen of Illustration of Uwajima Castle and Town”, from the signboard

A view of Uwajima city area from the Main Enclosure

A view of Uwajima Bay from the Main Enclosure

Elegant Appearance of Main Tower

The highlight of the Main Enclosure is, of course, the Main Tower. The tower is not so large (15.7m high) compared with other remaining Main Towers in Japan. However, it looks very elegant with white plaster walls and lots of decorations. It has three levels with three roofs which all have a good design. The top roof has a Chinese styled gable. The second roof has a large triangular shaped gable, and the first roof has two smaller gables. In addition, the entrance of the first floor has another Chinese styled gable on its roof.

The Main Tower seen from below the high stone walls

To be continued in “Uwajima Castle Part3”
Back to “Uwajima Castle Part1”

83.宇和島城　その２

平和の時代の天守が健在です。

特徴、見どころ

城への入口

現在、宇和島城にはあまり多くの建物は残っていませんが、日本の現存１２天守の内の一つがここにあります。城の周りの海や水堀は既になくなっていて、山の部分のみが残っています。もし宇和島駅から城の方へ行かれるのでしたら、市街地を通り過ぎて消防署の脇の山の東側から入っていきます。そこは、かつては三の丸でした。入口のところに、大手門のような古い建物が見えます。これは、実は宇和島藩の家老だった桑折（こおり）氏の長屋門だったものを1963年にこの地に移築したのです。

城周辺の地図

石垣を見ながら登る

そこからは、高虎の時代に築かれたかもしれない古い石垣を見ながら、曲がりくねった山道を通って山の頂上の方に登っていきます。まずは、その途中にある井戸丸に着きます。この曲輪は、城にある多くの小さな曲輪の一つなのですが、井戸があるだけではなく、防御のための門、櫓、石垣が組み合わされていました。更に進んでいくと、本丸の高石垣の下に至ります。その石垣をよく見てみると、半分は古い石を使って築かれたままですが、他の箇所は修理された痕跡があります。その後、二の丸を通り過ぎて本丸に到着します。

本丸からの眺め

本丸にはもともと天守の周りに多くの建物があったのですが、今では天守だけが残っています。本丸には櫛形（くしがた）門跡の石垣を通って入っていきます。本丸からは、北東の方には市街地が、北西の方には宇和島湾の景色が見えます。実は、この湾は山の際まで迫っていたのですが、湾の埋め立ては江戸時代から始まりました。他の城の事例よりはずっと早い事だったと思われます。

優雅な姿の天守

本丸の見どころはもちろん天守です。この天守は、他の現存天守と比べると、それ程大きくはありません（高さ15.7ｍ）。しかし、白い漆喰壁と多くの飾りによってとても優雅に見えます。天守は三階建てであり、三層の屋根はそれぞれよくデザインされています。最上階の屋根は唐破風となっています。そして二階の屋根には大型の千鳥破風があり、一階の屋根は２つの小振りの千鳥破風となっています。更には、一階への入口には、もう一つの唐破風が屋根に付いています。

「宇和島城その３」に続きます。
「宇和島城その１」に戻ります。

179.Kagomori Castle Part2

You can enjoy a mountain castle safely.

Features

Unique Natural terrain

Today, the ruins of Kagomori Castle have been re-developed for visitors. If you drive to the ruins, you can park at the south of the mountain, which is below the upside-down U shape. After that, you can first walk to the bottom of the valley called Furogadani, which is likely the inside of the U shape. You will probably feel like you are entirely surrounded by the ridges of the mountain, which has very unique terrain. You can still see the well of the castle, filled with water, but probably can not be consumed now.

The aerial photo around the castle

The well of the castle, *quoted from the website of Matsuno Town*

Enclosures are in line on U shape Ridge

Visitors typically climb up to the western edge of the U shape from the valley through the steep zigzagged trail. You will reach the Western 10th Enclosure, which is approximately 70m above the bottom of the valley. There is the restored gate, a barrack with horse stable and earthen walls, thanks to the results from the excavations. The excavation team also discovered that the enclosure had the hall turrets, which was called Tamon-Yagura, beside the earthen walls. From there, you can see the area around including the Shinjo Enclosure, which is located on the opposite edge of the U shape. Overall, this enclosure was the pivot point of the castle.

If you want to get closer to the center of the castle, the Main Enclosure, you will have to go through as many as eight enclosures. Each enclosure is small, but all are in a line on the long and the narrow ridge of the mountain. These enclosures were divided by artificial ditches called Horikiri. The route to the Main Enclosure is much narrower and goes along the side of these enclosures. If enemies were to attack the castle using this route, they would have found it very challenging. However, visitors today can walk on the same route safely because steps and bridges were installed.

The steps and bridge installed on the trail

Main Enclosure, Center of Castle

When you reach the entrance of the Main Enclosure, you will find some remaining stone walls. They are part of the alternative entrance called Koguchi, which replaced the old ditch in the later stage of the castle. The Main Enclosure is on the top of the mountain (approximately 90m from the foot) and the center of the U shape ridge. From here, you can enjoy views of Matsuno Town in the north and both edges of the ridges, the Sinjo Enclosure and the Western 10th Enclosure you passed through. This was ideal for the headquarters.

A view of *the Western 10th Enclosure* from the Mian Enclosure

A view of the Shinjo Enclosure from the Mian Enclosure

There are also some restored pillars and floor of the Main Hall to show visitors its layout based on the excavation. It was thought that this is where the lord lived and some ceremonies were held in the same hall. In addition, relics like stone foundations and rooftiles, which might have been used for the Main Tower, were discovered in the enclosure.

The partially restored pillars and floor of the Main Hall

To be continued in “Kagomori Castle Part3”
Back to “Kagomori Castle Part1”