特徴～Features – ページ 97 – 日本200名城バイリンガル (Japan's top 200 castles and ruins)

141.Gujo-Hachiman Castle Part2

A beautiful symbol of the town

Features

Symbol of Gujo-Hachiman Town

Today, Gujo-Hachiman Castle has become a symbol of the Gujo-Hachiman town. You can see the rebuilt Main Tower of the castle on the mountain from any parts of the town. The mountain is covered with cherry blossoms in spring, green leaves in summer, autumn leaves in fall, and snow in winter. A famous writer, Ryotaro Shiba said the castle was “the most beautiful mountain castle in Japan” when he visited it in the early spring when the snow remained on the ground. If you drive to the castle, you can park either at the foot, halfway up, or on the top of the mountain. You can also hike up the mountain from wherever you park.

A view of Gujo-Hachiman Castle from the town

The map around the castle

If you climb from the parking lot at the foot, you will pass by the ruins of the rice warehouse where the farmers gathered during the Gujo uprising and the Shiroyama Park where the Main Hall was built. From this point, you can enter the mountain trail.

The route from the parking lot at the foot

Three-tier Belt Enclosures

After about a 10-minute climb, you will see the three-tier Belt Enclosures surrounded by old stone walls that were piled up naturaly. The first (lower) tier is now used as the paved road to the parking lot on the top. The second (middle) tier is used as the promenade for visitors from the parking lot to the castle facilities. The third and final upper tier is for the path connecting the Cherry Enclosure and the Pine Enclosure on the top.

The route is mixed with the roadway and trail

The paved road on the lower tier (on the left) and the stone walls of the middle tier (on the right)

The observation platform on the middle tier (originally a barbican?)

The promenade on the middle tier (on the left) and the stone walls of the upper tier (on the right)

The path on the upper tier (on the left) and the stone walls of the Cherry Enclosure (on the right)

Rebuilt Main Tower has Traditional Taste

You can enter the Cherry Enclosure to visit the rebuilt Main Tower. Experts speculate the three-level Main Tower would have been built in this area. However, because it was only seen in some drawings, and not scientifically proven by excavations and records. It would be difficult to call the current tower the reconstructed one. If the original towers was not built on the past, we can call the current tower the imitation tower. Since we can’t be certain of that fact, let’s simply refer to it as the rebuilt main tower.

The map around the top

The original stone wall base for the tower

The Main Tower in the drawing of the battle in 1600 at the castle, exhibited in the Main Tower of the castle

It is the oldest wooden rebuilt Main Tower in Japan, built back in 1933, nearly 90 years ago. However, it is not the original, but it has a taste of traditional Japanese architecher. You can hear squeak noises from wooden floors as you walk or climb in the tower because of this old wooden building. The tower has 4 levels and 5 floors including the lower floors which are used for exhibitions of the castle and town. You can easily climb up on the stairways to the top floor. There, you can enjoy a great view of the area around.

A view of Gujo-Hachiman town from the top floor

To be continued in “Gujo-Hachiman Castle Part3”
Back to “Gujo-Hachiman Castle Part1”

141.郡上八幡城　その２

美しき街のシンボル

特徴、見どころ

郡上八幡のシンボル

現在郡上八幡城は、郡上八幡の街のシンボルとなっています。街のどこからでも山の上に城の再建天守を眺めることができます。山は、春には桜に、夏には青葉に、秋には紅葉に、冬には雪に包まれます。有名な作家である司馬遼太郎は、まだ雪が残る早春にこの城を訪れたとき、「日本でいちばん美しい山城」と称しました。車でこの城を訪れる場合、山の麓にも、中腹にも、頂上付近のいずれにも駐車することができます。その停めた場所のどこからでも山に登っていくことができます。

城周辺の地図

もし山麓にある駐車場から登っていくのであれば、郡上一揆のときに農民たちが集まった御蔵会所跡や、御殿が建てられていた城山公園を通り過ぎていきます。この辺りから山道に入っていきます。

三段になっている腰曲輪

１０分ほど登っていくと、三段になっている腰曲輪が見えてきます。この曲輪は、自然石が積まれた古い石垣により囲まれています。最初の段（下段）は現在、頂上にある駐車場に向かう舗装道路として使われています。二段目（中段）は、ビジターが駐車場から城の施設に向かうための歩道として使われています。三段目つまり上段は、頂上にある桜の丸と松の丸をつなぐ通路となっています。

趣のある再建天守

再建された天守に行くには、桜の丸から入っていきます。専門家は、この区域に三層の天守が建てられていたのではないかと推測しています。しかし、その天守はいくつかの絵画資料に見られるだけで、発掘や記録により科学的に証明されているわけではありません。よって、現在の天守を「復興天守」と呼ぶことは難しいと思われます。もし過去においてオリジナルの天守が築かれなかった場合、現在ある天守は「模擬天守」と呼ばれます。現時点ではその真偽は不確かであるため、単純に「再建天守」と呼ぶのが妥当かと思います。

山頂周辺の地図

この天守は、今から９０年近く前の1933年に建てられた、日本で一番古い木造再建天守です。オリジナルではないのですが、伝統的な日本建築の味わいがあります。古い木造建築物であるので、天守の中を歩いたり登ったりするとき、木の床からきしみ音が聞こえます。天守は４層５階であり、各階では城や街に関する展示がされています。最上階では、階段を上がっていった後、周辺地域の素晴らしい眺めを楽しむことができます。

「郡上八幡城その３」に続きます。
「郡上八幡城その１」に戻ります。

122.Otaki Castle Part2

Was there the Main Tower in the castle?

Features

Main Tower as Museum

The map around the castle

Today, there are a few remaining items of the original Otaki Castle. However, Chiba Prefecture rebuilt a historical museum that looks like the Main Tower called Otaki Castle on the Main Enclosure.

Going to Main Enclosure along Isumi-gawa River

If you want to visit the current Otaki Castle, there are two main routes you can take to visit from Otaki Station. One is for drivers, which starts from the front of the station to the south through the Imitation Main Gate. The route turns right to the west along the Isumi-gawa River. This part is named Mexico Street from the relationship with the country, which was derived from the episode of Rodrigo de Vivero.

The Imitation Main Gate near the station

You can see the route was built on the mid slope of the steep cliff with the hill on the right and the river on the left, which were a natural hazard for the castle. The parking lot is located under the Main Enclosure.

The steep cliff of the hill where the castle was built

Looking down the Mexico Street from the Main Enclosure

Going to Main Enclosure through Second Enclosure

The other route is for people on foot, which starts from the back of the station. The ruins of the real Main Gate is nearby. However, there is only one signpost because the area around has become a residential area. After going along the route, you will reach the second enclosure which is now used as a high school. The route goes up on the earthen walls to the enclosure where the Main Hall for the lord was built in the past.

There are two remaining items of the castle. One of them is the Back Gate of the hall, which was once sold, but later restored at its present location. The other is the Large Well which has a perimeter of 17meters. you can see the Main Tower at the highest point on the Main Enclosure from there.

The former Back Gate of the Main Hall called Yakui-mon

The Large Well seen from the Main Enclosure

The Main Tower on the Main Enclosure seen from the Second Enclosure

Old castle traces and New Imitation Main Tower on the Main Enclosure

You can climb up to the Main Enclosure from the front (the Second Enclosure) or the back (the parking lot). On the way to the enclosure, you can see old earthen walls, dry moats, and artificial steep cliffs which probably originated from the first stage of the castle. Indeed, the traces of the castle being called Odaki Castle were discovered during the excavation.

The route to the Main Enclosure from the Second Enclosure

The remaining earthen walls at the Main Enclosure

The route to the Main Enclosure from the parking lot

The artificial steep cliff of an enclosure in the back of the Main Enclosure

However, those of the original Main Tower or its stone wall base have not been found at all. The present Main Tower and its stone wall base were built in the present time, based on a drawing of the original three-level Main Tower which was found at an old merchant house in the castle town. However, since the only item can not be seen as real evidence. It can only be called the Imitation Main Tower.

The Imitation Tower on the Main Enclosure

The stone wall base for the Main Tower, built in the present time

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