特徴～Features – ページ 12 – 日本200名城バイリンガル (Japan's top 200 castles and ruins)

186.Kaneda Castle Patr2

Today, the ruins of Kaneda Castle have become part of the popular hiking course on the Joyama Mountain. The course has been well maintained because it is based on the military road that the Imperial Japanese Amy developed over 100 years ago. The road was built for the constructions of Joyama Batteries on the top area to prepare for the Russo-Japanese War.

Features

Hiking Course as Fomer Military Road

Today, the ruins of Kaneda Castle have become part of the popular hiking course on the Joyama Mountain. Visitors first drive to the starting point of the course via the Prefectural Road 24, which branches off into a forest road. The hiking course has been well maintained because it is based on the military road that the Imperial Japanese Amy developed over 100 years ago. The road was built for the constructions of Joyama Batteries on the top area to prepare for the Russo-Japanese War.

The map around the castle

It was constructed largely on the slopes to make it gentle so that carriages could carry materials. That’s why the road crossed the circular stone walls of Kaneda Castle several times. The constructions resulted in the stone walls partially being destroyed. The reasons for it may have been that the walls were unknown for the castle and the constructions were the priority at that time.

*The diorama of Kaneda Castle Ruins, the white line shows the hiking course and the gray line shows the stone walls, exhibited by the sightseeing information center Fureaidokoro Tsushima*

Road crosses over Stone Walls several times

There are a few switchbacks in this hiking course that interest with the stone walls. If you walk up the road for a while, you will see a great view of Aso Bay before meeting the first crossover point with the stone walls.

This point is the southern side of the castle, so you can see the stone walls going down on the east to the southeast stone fortress, which is amazing scenery as well.

The stone walls go down to the southeast stone fortress

The first intersection of the road and the stone walls on the diorama, the south gate is on the left and the building is on the right of the point

There are also the ruins of the south gate on the west of the point, which were recently discovered in 2003. They have stone paving and foundations which were probably for gate buildings. The ruins of a building with dug-standing pillars were also found near the gate, which might have been used as a guardhouse.

You can see the building ruins on the left of the stone walls

You will meet the second intersection with the wall after the first switchback. The stone walls climb the ridge at that point. The road also goes with the walls in parallel for a short time. It is surprising to see how well the walls were built, so long, on such a steep mountain over 1350 years ago!

The hiking course on the left and the stone walls on the right

Looking up at the stone walls from the hiking course

At the third crossover point, you will see not only stone walls but also something like a gate structure. It might be the ruins of a drainage system.

The remaining stone walls at the third intersection

The fourth crossover point mostly consists of the ruins of a military facility, so you can only see few remaining stone walls of the castle above. The top of the mountain will be soon.

The ruins of the military facility at the fourth intersection

You can see few remaining stone walls above

*The fourth intersection on the diorama*

Battery Ruins, Stone Walls and Panoramic Views on Top

You will first reach the ruins of the batteries below the top. About 100 years ago, there were four 28-inch howitzers at this site, with their gun barrels facing the bay to the west. There are only their huge platforms remaining now where you can even understand their scales.

The Aso Bay which the batteries once faced

The mountain top on the left and the batteries on the right, on the diorama

You can also climb the ridge to the top, which is the same as the western line of Kaneda Castle. Therefore, you will see some remaining stones of the castle walls on the way.

You can see some remaining stone walls on the way

At the summit, there’s very limited space, so it might be difficult to stay long, but this spot offers breath-taking, panoramic views of Aso Bay.

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

186.金田城　その２

現在、金田城跡は城山にある人気のハイキングコースになっています。このコースは１００年以上前に旧日本陸軍によって開発された軍用道路が基になっているので、よく整備されています。この道路は日露戦争に備えて、山頂に城山砲台を築く工事のために作られたのです。

特徴、見どころ

旧軍用道路がハイキングコースに

現在、金田城跡は城山にある人気のハイキングコースになっています。ビジターはまず車で県道２４号線から分岐する林道を経由してハイキングコースの出発地点まで行きます。このコースは１００年以上前に旧日本陸軍によって開発された軍用道路が基になっているので、よく整備されています。この道路は日露戦争に備えて、山頂域に城山砲台を築く工事のために作られたのです。

城周辺の地図

この道は山の斜面を大回りすることで傾斜を緩やかにし、馬車で建築資材を運べるようになっていました。そのため、金田城の円形に築かれた石垣と何回か交差しています。その結果、この工事により石垣の一部が破壊されてしまいました。その理由の一つは、その当時はその石垣が金田城のものだと知られておらず、砲台の工事が最優先事項とされていたからかもしれません。

金田城跡のジオラマ、白い道がハイキングコース、灰色の石垣は山全体を囲んでいます、対馬観光情報館にて展示

何度も石垣と交差

このハイキングコースには折り返し点があって、石垣と出会う場所が何箇所かあります。まずしばらく道を登っていくと、石垣との最初の交差箇所の前に、浅茅湾の素晴らしい眺めが目に入ってきます。

この交差箇所は、城の南側に当たり、そこから石垣が東の方に下り、東南角石塁に至っているのが見えます。これもまた素晴らしい景色です。

ここから西側には南門跡もありますが、これは最近になって2003年に発見されました。ここには石敷きや礎石があるため、門の建物があったと考えられています。この門の近くには掘立柱の建物跡もあって、見張り所か詰所であったと考えられています。

最初の折り返し点の後には、石垣との２度目の交差箇所があります。ここでの石垣は峰上を登っていきます。道は少しの間ですが、石垣と並行して進んでいます。このような険しい山の上に１３５０年も前に、こんなにも長く巧みな石垣を築いていたこと自体、大変な驚きです。

３度目の交差箇所には、石垣だけはなく、門のような構造物もあります。これは水門跡のようにも見えます。

４度目の交差箇所はほとんど軍用施設跡になっていて、上の方に残っている石垣が少し見えるだけです。その後はもうすぐ山頂となります。

山頂域では砲台跡、城の石垣、そして絶景

まず山頂下にある砲台跡に着きます。約１００年前にはここに４基の２８センチ榴弾砲があり、その砲身は西側の湾に向いていました。今そこには巨大な砲座が残っているだけですが、そのスケールは十分想像できると思います。

そこから頂上に向かう峰を登っていきます。この部分は金田城の西側のラインでもありました。そのため、登る途中には城の残存石垣も見ることができます。

山頂のスペースは限られていて、沢山人が来ているときは長居できないかもしれません。しかし、そこから見える浅茅湾のパノラマビューは息を飲むような素晴らしさです。

「金田城その３」に続きます。
「金田城その１」に戻ります。

19.Kawagoe Castle Part3

We will finally visit the remaining Main Hall in the main enclosure. It is one of the four remaining halls for exiting castles in Japan, which is very rare and valuable. In the case of Kawagoe Castle, two parts of its hall remain, its entrance and the office for the senior vassals.

Features

The Main Hall in the main enclosure (the main entrance)

From Main Entrance to Hiroma Room

Visitors usually enter the main one which has a luxurious decoration. It also has Hiroma (meaning large room),several waiting rooms for messengers, and officers’ rooms.

The layout of the current Main Hall, the entrance part is below and the senior vassals’ office is above, from the signboard at the site

The Hiroma is the first room after entering, which is the largest with an alcove and paintings on ceder-board doors as the hall’s face. An interest thing about the room is that you can see lots of traces of volleyballs on its ceiling. This is because the room was once used as the gym of a school.

The traces of volleyballs on the ceiling

Office for Senior Vassals

The senior vassals’ office was originally built at a different position, moved to another site and finally returned to the current position. In the back room, three vassals’ figures show they are discussing the matter of Shinagawa Batteries which the Kawagoe Domain was in charge of to guard Edo Bay.

The layout of the original Main Hall, the senior vassals’ office (marked by the red lines above) was little far from the entrance part (marked by the red lines below), from the signboard at the site

The figures are discussing in the back room

The drawing they are looking at seems to be about Shinagawa Batteries

Later History

After the Meiji Restoration, Kawagoe Castle was abandoned and all the castle buildings excluding the Main Hall were demolished. Most of the castle area was turned into the city area by destroying the earthen walls and filling the water moats. The remaining Main Hall was first turned into the prefectural office. After that, it changed to a public hall, a factory building, a martial arts hall, and finally a school building or gym. Its remaining part might have been reduced during the diversions. However, Saitama Prefecture designated the hall as a prefectural cultural property in 1967. Kawagoe City planed the development of the park around the castle and is carrying out it one by one.

The area around the Main Hall has recently been developed in a good condition

Miyoshino Shrine, which is located next to the main enclosure, has remained since the Edo Period

My Impression

I think there was no other way than using the castle area to develop the modern city area. That’s why Kawagoe City still prospers with commerce, agriculture, industries, and tourism. On the other hand, I am also pleased to see the volleyball traces on the remaining Main Hall. I imagine if there was a similar case to use an old hall as a gym, it could be replaced with a new building. I also guess locals in Kawagoe wanted to somehow maintain the hall no matter how it was used.

the street with Kura storehouses of Kawagoe

The ceiling of the Hiroma room of the Main Hall

How to get There

If you want to visit there by car, it is about a 15-minute drive away from Kawagoe IC on the Kanetsu Expressway.
There are several parking lots around the main enclosure.
By public transportation, take the Co-Edo Loop Bus from JR Kawagoe Station or Tobu Hon-Kawagoe Station and get off at the Honmaru-Goten bus stop.

That’s all. Thank you.
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