特徴～Features – ページ 134 – 日本200名城バイリンガル (Japan's top 200 castles and ruins)

103.Namioka Castle Part2

You can imagine how prosperous it was.

Features

Remaining Group of Enclosures

Now, the ruins of Namioka Castle has been developed as a historical park. Although you can’t see any buildings, the eight enclosure still remained. The park is very large and now sandwiched by the Prefectural Road 27 in the north and Namioka River in the south. If you stand alongside the river, you can also see that these enclosures are higher than the river. You can imagine how prosperous they were when their buildings were still there.

The aerial photo around the castle

Overlooking around Namioka River from the Inner Enclosure

Inner Enclosure which was center of castle

So far, two of the enclosures, the Inner Enclosure and the North Enclosure, were mainly excavated. The Inner Enclosure is at the center of the ruins and beside the river. The Inner Enclosure looks like the highest point in the castle ruins. It was found that it had the Main Hall for the lord of the castle. The inside of the enclosure is empty now, but a lot of cherry trees are planted at the outer edge. You can see the doubled dry moats partly with the restored wooden bridges. The moats were originally filled with water.

The cherry trees which are planted at the outer edge

The doubled moat which is divided by the middle earthen walls

North Enclosure had residential lots for warriors

The North Enclosure is the largest enclosure and was found that it had been divided into several residential lots for the warriors. Each lot had the houses for the warriors, the workshop for the craftsmen, the well, the stable and so on. Through the excavation, they discovered that the enclosure had a defensive gate and had a zigzag road. You can now see the wooden fences that show how the residential lots were divided.

The wooden fences which divide the residential lots

The miniature model of a typical residential lot, exhibited by the House in the Aomori-shi Middle Ages

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

103.浪岡城　その２

昔の姿を想像してみましょう。

特徴、見どころ

今も残る曲輪群

現在、浪岡城跡は歴史公園として整備されています。建物は何もありませんが、８つの曲輪はいまだに残っています。公園はとても大きく、今は北側の県道２７号線と南の浪岡川に挟まれていて、曲輪は川よりも高い位置にあります。建物がそこにあったときにはどんなに栄えていたか想像できるでしょう。

城周辺の航空写真

城の中心だった内館

今までの所、内舘と北館の２つの曲輪が主に発掘されています。内館は城跡の中心であり、川沿いにあります。内館は城跡の中では最も高い位置にあるように見えます。そこには城主の御殿があったことがわかっています。現在はその曲輪の中は空になっていますが、外縁には多くの桜の木が植えられています。二重の空堀には、一部復元された木橋もかかっています。堀はもとは水に満たされていました。

武士の屋敷地だった北館

北館は最も大きな曲輪で、武士たちの屋敷地によって区切られていました。それぞれの屋敷地には、武士の館、職人の作業場、井戸、馬屋などがありました。発掘を通して、北館には防御のための門とジグザグ道があったことがわかっています。また、現在は木の柵によって、屋敷地がどのように区分されていたのか見学することができます。

「浪岡城その３」に続きます。
「浪岡城その１」に戻ります。

4.Hirosaki Castle Part3

Park with beautiful cherry blossoms

Features

There is one more remaining gate building at the North Enclosure, the northmost one in the castle. It had originally been the Main Gate before the route to the castle was changed. That’s why the gate is larger than other remaining gate buildings. If you visit all the remaining buildings in the castle, you can see how large the castle is.

The remaining North Gate of the North Enclosure

Later History

After the Meiji Restoration, Hirosaki Castle was abandoned and many residential buildings such as the Main Hall for the lord were demolished. However, The Main Tower, the turret and gate buildings fortunately remained, though some of them were accidentally burned. In 1895, the castle ruins were turned into Hirosaki Park. Since then, cherry trees have been planted little by little, and the number of them reached about 2,600 by now. The first cherry blossom viewing party was held as early as in 1918. Its 100th event was held in 2021.

The Main Tower of Hirosaki Castle with cherry blossoms

As for historical issues, the Main Tower, three Three-story Turrets and five gate buildings lastly remain and all designated as the Important Cultural Properties.

The Second Enclosure Ushitora Turret, one of the three Three-story Turrets

The Second Enclosure East Gate, one of the five gate buildings

My Impression

When I compared the old drawing of Hirosaki Castle in the Edo Period with the recent map of Horosaki Park, I was really surprised to see that they are very similar. I also felt like that the castle remains as it is when I visited the park because many castle buildings are still there.

The map around the castle

Part of the illustration of Hirosaki Castle in Tsugaru District, in the Edo Period, exhibited by the National Archives of Japan

I hope that the repair of the stone walls will be completed and the Main Tower will go back to the original location soon. I also think we can enjoy the castle and park in all seasons – cherry blossoms in spring, the Neputa Festival in summer, autumn leaves in fall and snow in winter.

The Main Tower before the stone wall repairing

The Second Enclosure East Gate with autumn leaves (taken by まさあき from photoAC)

How to get There

If you want to visit there by car:
It is about 10 minutes away from Owani IC on the Tohoku Expressway.
There are several parking lots around the park.
By train, it is about 30 minutes away from Hirosaki Station on foot, or you can take the “100-yen Dotemachi Loop Bus” from the station and get off at the Shiyakusho-mae bus stop.
To get to Hirosaki Station from Tokyo: Take the Tohoku Shinkansen super express and transfer at Shin-Aomori Station to the Ohu Line.

Links and References

・Hirosaki Park, Hirosaki Castle

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