特徴～Features – ページ 2 – 日本200名城バイリンガル (Japan's top 200 castles and ruins)

23.Odawara Castle Part2

I think that the bast way to feel what Odawara Castle was during the Sengoku Period, would be to wak the So-gamae structure. Therefore, this article will show you how to walk around the So-gamae in the current Odawara City.

Features

Rare Remaining So-Gamae structures on Plain Area

Unfortunately, there are only a few remaining structures of So-gamae on the plain city area. First of all, it might y be better to walk the old Tokaido Road to the east. The starting point would be Matsubara Shrine, or a rest station called “Odawarajuku-Nariwai-Koryukan”, which are located at the center of the old transportation hub of Odawara.

It would be more comfortable to go on Kamaboko Street, where there are many traditional Japanese fish cake (which is called Kamaboko) shops are located, which is also similar to the route of the old Tokaido Road during the Sengoku Period. If you walk along the street for a while, you will eventually reach Hojo Inari Shrine. The shrine was built by the Hojo Clan and at the southeast corner of the So-gamae structure.

If you turn left to the north of the shrine, you will soon find the ruins of Edoguchi-mitsuke (which means the gate to Edo). The gate was the eastern entrance of Odawara Transportation Hub during the Edo Period. It was also the Sannoguchi Gate of the So-gamae structure earlier on. Therefore, the partitions of the gate were used until the end of the Edo Period.

In addition, there is also Sanno Shrine, which is little far from the gate ruins, which was a defensive position of the Hojo Clan outside the So-mgamae during the Battle of Odawara. The only direct fighting during the battle happened at this site.

The ground of the shrine looks like a defensive position

If you go on the path beside the gate ruins, you will eventually arrive at one of the few remaining structures of So-Gamae in the city area. It is called, Renjoin Temple Earthen Walls, which is about 100m long and about 3m high. It was originally set with a moat and more defensive than this single unit. You will see a large dent on the walls, which was caused by the Odawara air raid in 1945 during World War II. The ruins had a long history through the multiple periods.

Remaining Structures on the Hill Areas

An easy way to the So-gamae structure on the hill area is to go on the opposite street of a park, called “Medaka-no-gakko”. The street will go up on Yatsu Hill, one of the hill areas behind the Odawara city area. You will eventually find the ruins of Shiroshita-Haridashi. Haridashi refers to the overhanging part of the So-gamae structure. The defenders could have lookout point of the attackers and could counterattack the side from the site. The remaining structure is the base of the overhanging part. That’s why the line forms a right angle.

You can also look around the remaining dry moats along the hill. However, most of them are currently farms now, where visitors are not allowed to enter.

If you continue to go along the street for a while, you will eventually encounter a three-way intersection. Turn right at the intersection, then you will be able to travel on the So-gamae structure easily.

After a while, you will be at Yamanokami-Horikiri. Horikiri refers to a ditch separating a hill in order to avoid the enemies from attacking through the hill. If you go to the bottom edge of the Horikiri, you will find the dry moat of the So-gamae structure touching the Horikiri at right angles. However, the moat is much deeper than the Horikiri. That means the enemies that fell inside the moat, would not be able to invade the Horikiri easily.

Looking at the moat of the So-gamae structure from the edge of the Horikiri ditch

Looking up the earthen walls of the So-gamae structure and the ditch from the bottom of the moats

Next comes Inari-mori (which is the town name). At this site, the earthen walls and dry moats of the So-gamae makes a dent inwards along the natural terrain. The outside of the depression looks like an isolated island. The Hojo Clan also built earthen walls on the island in part to not allow enemies to stay there. This site is one of the most intact parts of the So-gamae structure. The moats managed to keep their original conditions of about 10m deep and over 50-degree slant. This is probably why the visitors are kept out from the moats by ropes and poles.

Large Ditchies of Komine Okane-no-dai, Highlight of So-gamae Structure

The northern part of Odawara City is surrounded by the three hill areas: Hachimanyama, Tenjinyama, and Yatsu. Komine Okane-no-dai hill is part of the Hachimanyama hill area and the highest among the areas. Therefore, the hill was the most important spot for the Hojo Clan in terms of protecting Odawara Castle from invasion. The clan eventually separated the hill by building three ditches. If you walk from the Inarimori Ruins along the So-gamae structure, you will reach the intersection to the three ditches. If you turn right, you will be at the western ditch, left to the eastern ditch, or if you keep going straight, it will lead to the central one.

The western ditch is at the outermost area on the hill, which was originally over 200m long, but is now only 150m long. It was built just before the Battle of Odawara. The ditch seems to get shallower and gentler compared to the original condition. However, if you look at the bottom of it, you can still see something that resembles partitions, which may be the traces of the Shoji-bori system. The edge of the ditch is still connected to the moat of the So-gamae structure.

Next comes the central ditch, which was built at the same time as the western one. The bottom of the ditch is now used as a modern road. You can still see some of the earthen walls around it remaining. A connecting road between this ditch and the eastern ditch still exists.

You will finally arrive at the eastern ditch, which has been developed as a park. You can easily walk the bottom of it. This ditch is the most intact one among the three ditches, which is 280m long and 25 to 30m wide, the same as the original conditions. It is currently 8 to 10m deep, but it was originally about 12m with the Shoji-bori system. Its slant is about 50 degrees, which may be the same as original one, too. The bottom of the ditch is not straight but rather curved, which made it difficult for enemies to walk through smoothly.

The ditch seen from its earthen walls around

Where is the goal of the So-gamae?

You will eventually go down on the hill to the New Moats and Earthen Walls of the Outer Third Enclosure. This place is where Ujimasa Hojo launched the constructions of the So-gamae structure. You can see a great view to the west from there, including Ishigakiyama Mountain where Hideyoshi Toyotomi built his Ishigakiyama Castle during the Battle of Odawara Castle. There is another interesting story where the Hojo side was very surprised to see the completion of Ishigakiyama Castle after all the trees around were cut down, called “Ichiyajo” which means “one night castle” (a castle that only took one night to build). However, the story may be doubtful because the castle ruins can clearly be seen from the site. In addition, please be mindful that the site closes at 3:00 PM, which is much earlier than other historical sites.

The New Moats and Earthen Walls of Outer Third Enclosure

You need to check out the opening hours of the site

You will next walk down to the Tenjinyama hill area. This area also has walls of the So-gamae, called the Earthen Walls, at the west of Denjoji Temple. The walls are located in front of the elevated railways of the Shinkansen (bullet train) and used as a graveyard. If you look up the site from below, you will realize this structure uses natural terrain as well.

After returning to the city area, you should also check out Hayakawa-guchi Ruins (Guchi means entrance or route), one of the few remaining items of the So-gamae structure on the plain area. The Hayakawa-guchi entrance was the front line to the west, where the Toyotomi troops attacked from. Therefore, the entrance was fortified heavily by doubled earthen walls and moats. If you enter the ruins, which have been developed as a park, you will eventually find that the park is sandwiched between the remaining doubled walls.

Other than that, you will be able to find other remaining earthen walls of the So-gamae structure, which are used as the bases of the modern residences along the seaside. If you find one of them, you will be able to understand that these structures were built on such a place and are still intact for the modern facilities to use. This will conclude the tour of the So-gamae structure.

This base of the modern residence uses the earthen walls of the So-gamae structure (its stone walls were probably added later on)

To be continued in “Odawara Castle Part3”

51.安土城　その２

現在、安土城跡は国の特別史跡になっています。城跡の前は広場になっていますが、城があったときには、この辺りから水堀や石垣に囲まれていました。安土城は、中世の東海道に沿って、京都と織田信長の以前の本拠地、岐阜の途中にあって、何かあったら両方に駆け付けることもできました。また信長は、有力家臣に琵琶湖沿いに城を築かせ、水上交通ネットワークを形成していました。今回の記事では、前回の謎対決のテーマと、城跡の見学コースに沿って、現地を紹介していきます。

特徴、見どころ

大手道を登る

大手道を歩く前に、大手門跡周辺を見ておきましょう。４つも作られた門の跡です。そのうち３つがまっすぐ入れる門（平虎口）でした。東側には平虎口が一つだけありますが、西側の方には平虎口と、二度曲がって入る門（枡形虎口）の２つが並んでいます。こんな近くに、わざわざ違う形の門を作るなんて、不思議に思います。平虎口はやはり行幸用だったのかなという気もします。

それでは、大手道を進んでいきましょう。城跡は、摠見寺の所有地なので、拝観料を支払ってから入ります。それから、まっすぐな石段を登って行きましょう。現代に訪れても特別な感じがします。昔はここから天主が見えていたのでしょう。

大手道の左側には「伝・羽柴秀吉邸」跡があります。道の反対側に「伝・前田利家邸」跡もありますが、いずれも江戸時代以降に憶測で付けられた名称です。伝・羽柴秀吉邸は、２段構成の屋敷になっていたと推測されています。しかし、実は別々の建物で、改造された跡もあったため、本能寺の変後に、織田三法師と信雄が入場したときに、御殿として使われたのではないかという説もあります。

ずっと登っていくと、右側に摠見寺の現在の本堂（仮本堂）がありますが、ここは「伝・徳川家康邸」跡だそうです。ただし、家康が安土に来たときには、別の寺に泊まっていたという記録があります。

やがて直線の道から、ジグザグの道に変わります。防衛を考えた道筋ということなのでしょう。石段はオリジナルの石を使いながら、復元整備されたものですが、オリジナルでは材料として石仏も使われていました。城に使う石材は、この周辺の山から調達できたはずですが、なにか意図的なものを感じます。

平らなところに出ると、「伝・織田信忠邸」跡です。ここは一時お寺の施設として使われて、ほとんど城の痕跡は残っていません。大手道、通用口（百々橋口）、湖に通じる道（七曲口）と城の中心部への道が交差する場所なので、かつては石垣が積まれ、厳重に守られていたようです。

城の中心部に向かう

城の中心部に向かいましょう。石段を登っていくと、立派な門の跡が見えてきます。中心部への入口「黒金門」跡です。すごく大きな石を使い、四角い枡形で防御力も高そうです。「信長公記」では「おもての御門」と表現されています。やはり、城の正門だったのでしょう。

中に入ると、石垣だらけです。安土城の石垣が画期的なところは、その上に建物や塀を建てる前提で築かれたことです。集められた石のうち、大きなものが中心部に高く積まれました。荒々しいですが、巧みに積まれている感じがします。：「野面積み」といって自然石と、一部に荒く加工された石が使われているそうです。こういった積み方の技術を持つ職人集団が、後に「穴太衆」と呼ばれるようになりました。

「二の御門」「三の御門」跡を通り過ぎると、「二の丸東溜り」と呼ばれる場所に着きます。ここから左側が二の丸、右側が本丸となります。

二の丸には、本能寺の変の翌年に秀吉が建てた「織田信長公本廟」があります。廟への階段もそのとき作られました。ここに廟が作られたのは、信長やその家族の普段の居館があったからだという説があります。廟の一番上に石が置かれていますが、信長の化身の石とも言われる「盆山」のようにも見えます。真偽はわかりませんが、それを意識したものなのでしょう。

先ほどの「二の丸東溜り」は、「信長公記」では「御白洲」という名前で記載されています。屋外にある待機場所ということでしょう。ここから本丸に向かってもう一つ門があり、その先に「南殿」がありました。江戸時代の武家御殿の遠侍・式台・大広間にあたる建物だったようです。二条城二の丸御殿にそのセットが現存していますが、安土城はルーツの一つだったのでしょう。

本丸の中は、現在はところどころ木が立っているだけですが、この中のどこかに、行幸のための部屋か御殿があったはずです。向こう側には三の丸の石垣が見えます。そこには接待用の紅雲寺御殿がありました、景色が良かったそうです。今はそこには登れなくなっているのが残念です。

いよいよ天主台へ！

本丸から本丸取付台を通って、いよいよ天主台に行きましょう。「取付台」といっても当時は建物があって、他の建物とは渡り廊下で連結されていたようです。進んでいくと「発掘調査中」という区画があります。２０２３年から滋賀県による「令和の大調査」が、この場所から始まっているのです。天主の姿や、焼失の原因が、明らかになるかもしれないと期待されています。今のところ、天主台石垣を人為的に崩した跡が見つかり、廃城のときに行われた可能性があるそうです。

天主台の階段を登りましょう。階段の途中の踊り場に注目です。タイルのようになっているところです。「笏谷石（しゃくだにいし）」という越前国特産の石を加工して作られたものです。北陸地方に担当していた柴田勝家から献上されたそうです。

この階段は土蔵、つまり地下室に通じていました。中に入ると、礎石がたくさんあります。天主や城の建物がどんな姿をしていたのかは謎ですが、滋賀県によると、「高層の天主」「高石垣」「瓦葺きの建物」の３点セットが、初めて日本の城に現れた場所だったとのことです。また、金箔瓦が城の中心部で発見されています。「金箔瓦」自体も、安土城が初めてと言われています。（岐阜城でも金箔を押した跡のある瓦が発見されていますが、信長時代のものとは確定していません。）

「令和の大調査」には、発掘だけでなく、安土城を描いた絵画の探索も含まれています。信長が安土城を描かせ、天正遣欧使節に託してローマ教皇に送った「安土山図屏風」です。その屏風はバチカン宮殿に飾られましたが、現在は行方不明になっています。：滋賀県はこれまでも探していましたが、もう一度ネジを巻きなおすそうです。その屏風が見つかったら、世紀の大発見になるでしょう。

やっぱり謎の摠見寺

城の中心部から「伝・織田信忠邸」跡に戻ると、見学コースは摠見寺の方に向かいます。ルイス・フロイスによれば、「盆山」を祀っていたところです。景色が開けたところに、本堂跡があります。かつて、その本堂は二階建てで、その二階に「盆山」が置いてあったとのことです。その場所は、一階の仏像はもちろん、三重塔よりも高い位置だったと言われています。まるで、天主の宝塔と、信長の部屋のような位置関係です（これも一説によりますが）。その本堂は、改造された後、江戸時代に火事で燃えてしまいました。もし残っていたら謎の一つが解けていたかもしれません。

かつて城に接していた湖は大分干拓されてしまいましたが、今でもいい眺めです。

三重塔、仁王門は、火事を生き延びて現存し、重要文化財になっています。この寺は、他の寺から建物を移築して設立されたので、両方とも、なくなった城の建物より古いのです。摠見寺を通る道は、城の通用口（百々橋口）だったので、一番使われたはずです。信長最後の正月（天正１０年）の年賀行事には、百々橋から摠見寺に、大名・家臣・群衆が押し寄せたとの記録があります。

現在の見学コースでは、その百々橋口には出ることができません。それなので、山の中腹を回って、「伝・羽柴秀吉邸」跡に戻ってきます。

私の感想

安土城の謎を考えても、ますますわからなくなるというのが正直な感想です。しかし、その謎解きを考えること自体が面白かったです。織田信長は常識を打ち破ってきた人物なので、彼の安土城を現代の常識で考えても、答えは出ないのかもしれません。よって、決定的な証拠が出てくるまでは、謎解きを楽しめばよいのだと思います。

その謎解きの助けになる博物館が、城跡の近くにいくつもあります。併せて行ってみてはいかがでしょうか。

リンク、参考情報

・織田信長の安土城址と総見寺（安土城址の公式サイト）
・滋賀県立安土城考古博物館
・城びと、理文先生のお城がっこう、城歩き編第24回安土城の石垣1
・「信長の城／千田嘉博著」岩波新書
・「安土　信長の城と城下町」滋賀県教育委員会
・「現代語訳　信長公記／太田牛一著、中川太古訳」新人物文庫
・「歴史群像名城シリーズ３　安土城」学研
・「復元安土城／内藤昌著」講談社学術文庫
・「逆説の日本史　９戦国野望編　１０戦国覇王編／井沢元彦著」小学館
・「よみがえる日本の城２２」学研
・「新「近江八幡市」誕生までのあゆみ」近江八幡市
・「特別史跡安土城跡整備基本計画」令和５年３月　滋賀県文化スポーツ部文化財保護課
・「滋賀県文化財保護協会　紀要第２０号　安土城の大手道は無かった」木戸雅寿氏論文
・「滋賀県文化財保護協会　紀要第３０号　安土城の空間特性」大沼芳幸氏論文
・「鳥取環境大学　紀要第８号　安土城摠見寺本堂の復元」岡垣頼和氏・浅川滋男氏論文

これで終わります。ありがとうございました。
「安土城その１」に戻ります。

今回の内容を趣向を変えて、Youtube にも投稿しました。よろしかったらご覧ください。

53.Nijo Castle Part2

The eastern main gate is the only gate which visitors can use. It looks strict outside, however, if you enter inside, there will be an open space with the remaining guardhouse alongside. This is probably because this gate was the front gate of the castle, which was mainly used when ceremonies were held.

Later History

After the Meiji Restoration, Nijo Castle was used as a villa of the imperial family. For example, a party for the enthronement ceremony of the emperor Taisho was held there. The castle has become a historical site since 1934, named Former Imperial Villa Nijo-jo Castle. The site also became a World Heritage in 1994, as one of Cultural assets of the ancient capital of Kyoto.

The picture of the enthronement ceremony of the emperor Taisho (licensed by Ninijo via Wikimedia Commons)

The eastern main gate with the signpost of the historical site

Features

Gorgeous Second Enclosure

The eastern main gate is the only gate available to visitors. It looks strong on the outside, however, if you enter inside, there will be an open space with the remaining guardhouse alongside. This is probably because this gate was the front gate of the castle, which was mainly used when ceremonies were held.

The aerial photo of Nijo Castle, the eastern main gate is located at the lower right of the map (Google Map)

The inside of the gate, the guardhouse is in the back

If you turn right at the first corner of the tour course, you will see the Kara-mon Gate (which means Chinese-style gate). It was built with the high sophistication, as the front gate of the second enclosure main hall. It also has lots of golden decorations, which attracts many tourists, particularly those from overseas.

The route from the eastern main gate to the main hall through the Kara-mon Gate has been the official one since the beginning. The main hall has been intact since it was renovated for the Kanei Royal Visit in 1626. That’s why it was designated as a National Treasure in 1952, with its gorgeous pictures on its movable sliding doors inside.

Unfortunately, we can not take pictures inside the hall. Therefore, let me explain to you about each hall while looking at the aerial pictures of the six halls. The hall basically consists of 6 buildings. The first one is the largest one (located on the bottom right of the picture), called “To-zamurai” (which means gate guardians). It was used as the entrance and the waiting rooms, including the special room for the imperial envoys in the back. The hall next to it is called “Shikidai” (which means retainers’ rooms). It was the place for the agency service between the visitors and the shogun. The service was done by Roju (the members of the shogun’s council of elders) who had their rooms in the back.

The aerial photo of the main hall (Google Map)

The third hall is O-hiroma (which means large hall), where the visitors officially met the shogun. In fact, The Returning of the Power to the Emperor was officially announced there in 1867. The three buildings above were like the government office. The others in the back were like the shogun’s residences.
The fourth hall, called “Sotetsu-no-ma” (which means cycad room), was the connecting hall to them. The name originates from the cycad trees, presented from the Saga Domain. They were planted outside near it. Surprisingly, the trees are still alive there today.

The “Sotetsu-no-ma” hall in the left, the “O-hiroma” hall in the right, and the cycad trees are in the front

The fifth one is called Kuro-shoin (which means black library), where the shogun worked and met people in private. The famous picture of The Returning of the Power to the Emperor demonstrates the event in this room. The shogun (Yoshinobu Tokugawa) told the internal retainers about his decision in the picture.

The picture of the announcement of Returning the Power to the Emperor, owned by the Meiji Memorial Picture Gallery (licensed under Public Domain via Wikimedia Commons)

The last one is called Haku-shoin (which means white library). It was used as the shogun’s private room.

Is the Main Enclosure a Castle-like Place?

The main enclosure may be more likely a castle than the second enclosure. You can go there by crossing the bridge over the inner moat. The bridge used to have the second floor with roof overhead for the Kanei Royal Visit. The floor was demolished, but it is kept in a storage room, in case they want to restore in the future. If you go over the bridge, you will enter the remaining turret gate of the enclosure.

The bridge used to have the second floor with roof overhead

The inside of the gate is still surrounded by stone walls, which looks stronger than that of the second enclosure. The square inside the walls is one of the castle’s defense systems, called Masugata.

If you go to the center of the enclosure, the atmosphere around it will feel elegant. This is due to the place being developed as a garden for the former imperial villa. The remaining main hall of the enclosure is not the original of the castle but it came from the residence of the Katsura-no-miya imperial family in the Meiji Era. The emperor Taisho often stayed there when he was the prince.

The current main hall of the main enclosure

You can climb the main tower base, which had the real tower in the past. The emperor climbed the tower twice during the Kanei Royal Visit. The experts of the advisory panel for the site are now discussing how to restore the tower in the distant future.

The tour course will eventually guide you to the exit of the enclosure through the western entrance which is the opposite side of the turret gate. This entrance also looks impenetrable with a square space even through it doesn’t have buildings there anymore.

There are other defensive systems around the main enclosure. For example, the passage in front of the bridge and the gate, you first passed through, is separated by two gates, one in the north, one in the south.

In addition to the two gates mentioned above, there are two additional gates, which were built on the northern edge of the inner moat and on the southern edge of it. These gates were used to protect the castles from enemies’ attacks and to monitor regular visitors.

Furthermore, there are also two remaining storehouses on the western side of the enclosure. They were used to stock rice in preparation for a long siege. Three of the ten storehouses still remain in the castle today.

One of the remaining storehouses (in the northern side)

Another remaining storehouse (in the southern side)

If you have time, I recommend you visit the southwestern side of the enclosure. You may enjoy seeing beautiful flowers such as plum blossoms in the spring, hydrangea flowers in the summer, etc.

Let’s walk around Nijo Castle!

Many tourists may see only the inside of Nijo Castle. However, this article will guide you to other perspectives of the site. Let us walk around the perimeter of Nijo Castle, which is about 1.9 km long. Let’s start from the eastern side of it, where many tourists gather, finishing to the northern side.

The eastern side is always crowded with tourists

If you walk along the northern side, you will see the northern main gate, another highly sophisticated one, following the eastern main gate. It was probably used to communicate with the shogunate government office of Kyoto, which was located across the road. In fact, it is uncertain when it was built, that means it might be the oldest building in the castle.

If you go further, the smaller square is attached the larger square by a protrusion shown in the picture below.

The protrusion between the small square and the large square

You can also walk on the special pathway, which was partially developed on this side, to see the stone walls and moats of the castle more closely.

If you go to the western side, you will see the ruins of the western gate. It was the side entrance of the castle, which people usually used, but you cannot use it now because there is no bridge over the moat. It looks smaller and more defensive than the other highly sophisticated gates of the castle. Unfortunately, you cannot get close to the gate ruins even from the inside When Yoshinobu Tokugawa, who was the last shogun, escaped from this castle, he used this same gate, not the front gate, in order to avoid confrontations.

You will eventually see the other remaining “southwestern corner turret” at the corner between the western and eastern sides. It has quiet environment, compared to the southeastern corner turret.

You will also see water flowing out from the moat of the eastern side. This water comes from a natural spring of this site. In fact, this site had been an ancient pond, called “Shinsenen”, before the castle was built. The current Shinsenen was downsized and is next to the castle. The castle benefits from nature of Kyoto.

Where are the Old Nijo Castle Sites?

After walking around the current Nijo Castle, let us now go to the ruins of the old Nijo Castles. However, there are only a few of them remaining because they were all demolished. Basically, there is the only stone monument at each site.

Yoshiteru’s Nijo Castle, marked by the red box, Yoshiaki’s Nijo Castle, marked by the blue box, Nobunaga’s Nijo Castle, marked by the green box, and Hideyoshi’s Myokenji Castle, marked by the brown box (Google Map)

Yoshiaki’s Nijo Castle Ruins have a few other things. Some of the stone walls were excavated when the subway constructions were done. They are now exhibited on three sites. One is near Sawaragi-guchi entrance of Kyoto Gyoen National Garden, and another is in the current Nijo Castle.

The stone walls, exhibited near Sawaragi-guchi entrance of Kyoto Gyoen National Garden

The stone walls, exhibited in the current Nijo Castle (*licensed by Tomomarusan via Wikipedia Commons)*

The other one is exhibited, about 10km away to the west of Nijo Castle, in Kyoto Bamboo Park. These stone walls have a distinct feature, which came from stone Buddha statues, collected by Nobunaga Oda.

The stone Buddha statues, which were used as the stone walls, are now exhibited in the Kyoto Bamboo Park

According to a Portugal missionary, Luis Frois, who was in Japan at that time, wrote that Nobunaga ordered his servants to carry these statues using ropes which made them look like prisoners. People in Kyoto were very afraid to see this because the people worshiped the Buddha statues. Some of the statues, which are exhibited in the park, were actually destroyed intentionally.

Some of the statues were actually destroyed intentionally

Even current Japanese people would be relieved to see that these statues survived despite the harsh treatment they were given.

My Impression

Looking at the histories of all the different Nijo Castles, there were some cases where the castles fell or their masters abandoned them. That may mean that Kyoto is easy to attack but difficult to protect. On the other hand, Kyoto must also have been an attractive place to stay for the masters. I think that the world was not built in a day and therefore, Nijo Castle was not built by one castle.

The garden of the second enclosure in the left and the Kuro-shoin hall in the right

That’s all. Thank you.

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