特徴～Features – ページ 117 – 日本200名城バイリンガル (Japan's top 200 castles and ruins)

138.Echizen-Ohno Castle Part2

Visit both the castle and the castle town.

Features

Four Trails to Top

Today, Echizen-Ohno Castle is part of Kameyama Park on the mountain. There are four trails to the top of the mountain. Only one of the four routes called Hyakken-zaka is the original one which is zigzagged and steep.

The map around the castle

If you want to walk on a gentle slope, you can use other routes such as the Southern Route. The walk takes about 15 to 20 minutes. If you choose the Southern Route and climb up stone steps after the walk, you will arrive at the Main Enclosure on the top.

Old Stone Walls and Rebuilt Main Tower

The enclosure is surrounded entirely by the old stone walls which Nagachika Kanamori originally built. These stone walls were piled up using natural stones in an old way called Nozura-zumi. They look wild but were built wisely. Part of them seemed to have been re-piled when the castle buildings were rebuilt in the present time.

The stone walls surrounding the Main Enclosure

The rebuilt Main Tower on the stone walls

What you see on the stone walls is the rebuilt Tenshu which was constructed in 1968. It doesn’t resemble the original Tenshu of Echizen-Ohno Castle which looked like combined halls. It looks like a typical Main Tower which people in Japan usually imagine as Tenshu. The reason why such a Tenshu was built was probably because people in this area wanted it. The Tenshu building is actually a modern building which is also used as a historical museum and an observation platform. You can learn more about the castle inside.

The rebuilt Main Tower, its shape is different from the original one

From the top floor, you can enjoy a great view of Ohno city area including the old castle town and Inuyama Mountain where the old castle before Echizen-Ohno Castle was built.

A view of the Inuyama Mountain side from the Main Tower

A view of the Castle Town side from the Main Tower

Attractions at Foot of Mountain

You can also visit other attractions of the castle at the foot of the mountain. There is an educational complex in the Second Enclosure now called Meirin. The facilities include a primary school and a community center. The short part of the water moat remains in front of the facility.

The Second Enclosure seen from the Main Tower

The Second Enclosure with the water moat

There is the restored house of the Uchiyama Clan, a senior vassal family of the Ohno Domain. There is also the remaining warrior’s house of the Tamura Clan around.

The remaining warrior’s house of the Tamura Clan

Attractive Castle Town

If you have time, I recommend walking around the old castle town. For example, the morning market is held every day excluding midwinter at the Shichiken Street in the merchant area. A famous spring spot called Oshouzu is near the temple area. It was used by the lord of the castle. There are a lot of springs in this town, which have been used for domestic water since the town was developed.

You can also see zigzagged streets at several points, which were made to prevent enemies from attacking the castle easily.

To be continued in “Echizen-Ohno Castle Part3”
Back to “Echizen-Ohno Castle Part1”

138.越前大野城　その２

城と城下町両方に行ってみましょう。

特徴、見どころ

４つの登山道

現在、越前大野城は山上にある亀山公園の一部となっています。山頂にいくには４つの登山道があります。４つのうち、1つだけが元からあった道で、百閒坂と呼ばれ、急で曲がりくねっています。

城周辺の地図

緩やかな道を登っていきたければ、南登り口など他の登山道を選ぶこともできます。１５分から２０分くらいの登りになります。もし、南登り口から登ったとすると、登山道を歩いた後石段を上がっていくと頂上の本丸に到着します。

古い石垣と復興天守

本丸は全体を古い石垣に囲まれていて、これはもとは金森長近が築いたものです。この石垣は、野面積みという古い方法により、自然石を使って積み上げられています。野性的で粗野にも見えますが、巧みに築かれています。一部分は、現代になって城の建物が再建されたときに積み直されているようです。

石垣の上には、1968年に建てられた復興天守が乗っています。その天守は、館が組み合わされたようなオリジナルの天守とは違う姿をしています。通常日本人がイメージしている典型的な高層の塔の姿です。このような天守が建てられたのは、おそらくこの地方の人たちがそう望んだからなのでしょう。天守の建物は、実際には現代的なビルで、歴史博物館や展望台としても使われています。その中で、この城のことをより学ぶことができます。

最上階からは、古くからの城下町や越前大野城の前に使われていた城があった戌山など、大野市一帯の素晴らしい眺めを楽しめます。

山麓の見どころ

山麓には、他にも城に関する見どころがあります。二の丸には、「めいりん」という複合教育施設があります（藩校の「明倫館」が名前の由来とのこと）。小学校や公民館などが含まれています。その施設の前には、短いですが水堀（百閒堀）の一部分が残っています。

近くには、大野藩の家老であった内山氏の屋敷が復元されています。また、周辺には田村氏の武家屋敷が現存しています。

魅力的な城下町

お時間があれば、古くからの城下町を歩いて回られたらいかがでしょう。例えば、商店街の七間通りでは、朝市が真冬期を除いて毎日開催されています。寺町の近くには、「御清水（おしょうず）」という有名な湧水池があります。ここの水は、城主ご用達だったとのことです。この町には多くの湧水池があり、城下町として最初に開発されたときから生活用水として使われてきました。

また、いくつかの場所では道がジグザグに作られており、これは敵が城を簡単に攻撃できないように作られた仕組みです。

「越前大野城その３」に続きます。
「越前大野城その１」に戻ります。

134.Toyama Castle Part2

A site mixed with original and imitation items

Features

Appearance very different from past

Today, the ruins of Toyama Castle became Toyama Castle Park which is open to the public. The appearance of the park is much different from the original state of the castle in some ways. First, the Jintsu-gawa River was rerouted from the northern side of the castle to flow in another direction in 1899. Only a stream called Matsu-kawa River flows in the original position. Second, only the Main Enclosure and the Western Enclosure remain as the park, which were tied by burying the water moat between them. Finally, no castle buildings remain but some imitation items were built. Further details on that later.

The aerial photo around the castle

The Matsu-kawa River flowing in the former Jintsu-gawa River

Original Stone Walls, Water Moats and Moved Gate

The highlights of the remaining items are the stone walls, part of the water moats, and the moved Chitose Hall Gate from the Eastern Barbican Enclosure. If you enter the park from the south, you can walk across the only remaining earthen bridge. The bridge is over the only remaining water moat to the ruins of the front gate called Kurogane-mon or the Iron Gate with the stone walls.

The stone walls include five huge ornate stones called Kagami-ishi or the Miller Stones. These stones look great and showed the authority of the lord in the past. This area is the most likely to be the original Toyama Castle.

The stone walls of the Iron Gate, including the ornate stones

The other remaining stone walls of the back gate are at the northeast part of the castle. The Chitose Hall Gate is beside the stone walls.

The Chitose Hall Gate beside the stone walls

Imitated Stone Walls and Main Tower

On the other hand, another feature of the castle, the earthen walls can hardly be seen at the site. The outline of the Main Enclosure was originally made using the earthen walls connecting the stone walls. However, the outside part is covered with the imitation stone walls built recently. The inside of it was also piled up with some stones earlier on.

The stone walls on the left are original while those on the right are imitated

The inside of the earthen walls was also piled up with stones

There are signboards which give information about the original stone walls at the site, but no explanation for the stone walls which were built in the present time. Visitors might be confused or misunderstand what the castle was like.

The signboard for the original stone walls

there is no information for the imitated stone walls

The building of Toyama Municipal Folk Museum is on the stone walls of the Iron Gate as the imitation Main Tower, where you can learn more about Toyama Castle inside. It has been a long time since its launch in 1954, so it has also become a symbol of Toyama City. Now the imitation building fits in with the original stone walls.

The imitation Main Tower built on the stone walls of the Iron Gate

The Imitation Tower seen from the inside of the park

Another art museum building which looks like a turret is also built on the stone walls of the back gate. The citizens of the city might think Toyama Castle originally had the Main Tower and was built entirely using stone walls.

The art museum built on the stone walls of the Back Gate

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