特徴～Features – ページ 99 – 日本200名城バイリンガル (Japan's top 200 castles and ruins)

143.Mino-Kaneyama Castle Part2

The castle ruins in a natural park

Features

Berbican Enclosure with well remaining Stone Walls

Today, the ruins of Mino-Kaneyama Castle have been well developed as part of a natural park though no castle buildings remain. Many people visit the park to relax. If you visit there by car, you can park at the Berbican Enclosure on the mid slope of the mountain. Don’t forget to see the stone walls around the enclosure as they are only walls still intact in this castle. You will understand its reason once you climb up to the Main Enclosure.

The imaginary drawing of the whole Mino-Kaneyama Castle, exhibited by Sengoku Yamashiro Museum

the map around the castle

The imaginary drawing of the Barbican Enclosure in the past, from the signboard at the site

The remaining stone walls of the Barbican Enclosure

Third Enclosure with trace of Castle destroyed

From the parking lot, you can first enter the Third Enclosure where you will see its stone walls partially collapsed. This is the trace of the castle being intentionally destroyed. No one would be able to build another castle on it and it could also be the sign that the castle had been abandoned. This enclosure has another entrance on the opposite side, which leads to the castle town, however, the route can’t be used now.

The imaginary drawing of the Third Enclosure in the past, from the signboard at the site

The present Third Enclosure (gate ruins)

You can also see the partially remaining stone walls of the Second Enclosure above the Third Enclosure.

The imaginary drawing of the Second Enclosure in the past, from the signboard at the site

The partially remaining stone walls of the Second Enclosure, seen from the Third Enclosure

Masugata, Important point for Defense

You can go further to the Belt Enclosure surrounding the Main Enclosure by passing the Second Enclosure. You will see many collapsed stones from past stone walls on the way there.

The slopes of the Belt Enclosure, seen from the Second Enclosure

The Belt Enclosure had a square defensive entrance called Masugata, with the Main Gate standing in front of it. That meant it was an important point for the castle to protect. You can now see the ruins of it with the front stone steps and some stone walls surrounding the square space. The ruins of the Second Gate are on the right side of the space and lead to the Main Enclosure.

The imaginary drawing of the Masugata Entrance in the past, from the signboard at the site

To be continued in “Mino-Kaneyama Castle Part3”
Back to “Mino-Kaneyama Castle Part1”

143.美濃金山城　その２

自然公園の中にある城跡

特徴、見どころ

石垣がよく残る出丸

現在、美濃金山城跡には建物は残っていませんが、自然公園の一部としてよく整備されています。多くの人たちがこの公園にくつろぎに来ています。もし城跡に車で来られるのでしたら、山の中腹に位置する出丸にある駐車場に停めることができます。この曲輪の周りにある石垣を見逃さないようにしましょう。この城では唯一今でも健在な石垣だからです。その理由は、そこから本丸の方に登っていくとわかります。

城周辺の地図

破城の跡が残る三の丸

駐車場からは、最初に三の丸に入って行きますが、そこでは石垣が部分的に崩れているのが見えます。これは城が、城主により意図的に破壊された痕跡なのです。このことにより、他の者がそこに新たに城を築かないように、また城が廃されたということのサインなのです。この曲輪の反対側にはもう一つ入口があり、城下町の方に通じています。しかし、このルートは今は使えなくなっています。

三の丸の上方には二の丸があり、そこでも部分的に崩れた石垣を見ることができます。

城を守る重要ポイント、桝形

二の丸を過ぎて、更に本丸の周りを囲む腰曲輪の方に進んでいきます。その途中では、かつて石垣に使われていたであろう多くの崩れた石がころがっているのが見えます。

腰曲輪には、桝形と呼ばれる防御のための四角いスペースがあり、その前には大手門が立っていました。城を守るためには重要なポイントだったのです。今では、手前にある石段と、四角いスペースを囲む石垣がいくらか残っています。二の門跡が、桝形の右側にあり、そこから本丸に向かっていきます。

「美濃金山城その３」に続きます。
「美濃金山城その１」に戻ります。

144.Ogaki Castle Part3

Let us feel a water of city and an atmosphere of the castle town.

Features

Walking along Former Outer Moat

The map around the castle

If you want to know what a Water Castle is like, consider walking around Suimon-gawa River, the former Outer Moat. The river still surrounds the northern and western sides of the castle. If you walk from the north to the west along the flow of the river, you can understand how large the castle was in the past. You can also see the ruins of the Tatsunokuchi-mon Gate on the northern side and the ruins of the Takebashiguchi-mon Gate on the western side.

The illustration of the Tatsunokuchi-mon Gate in the past, from the signboard at the site

The ruins of the Takebashiguchi-mon Gate

In addition, there are the Spring of Ogaki at the northwest corner and the Suito Park at the southwest corner where you can see Ogaki is still a city of water.

Walking along Old Mino Road

If you arrive at the Suito Park, you can walk along the old Mino Road as the road still goes on the southern and eastern sides of the castle through the former castle town. The pavement of the road is painted in a different color (beige) from other roads, so you can easily follow it.

The road is painted in a different color from other roads

You will see some traditional items such as an old sweet beans jelly shop, the ruins of Honjin (officially appointed inn) of Ogaki-juku Station on Mino Road and the ruins of Toiyaba (administration office). You can still feel what the castle town was like there.

The elegant roof of the sweet beans jelly shop

The ruins of Toiyaba (administration office)

My Impression

Before the Battle of Sekigahara, there might have been a chance for Mitsunari to defeat Ieyasu. If Mitsunari stayed in Ogaki Castle for longer time, the number of his supporters, including his master Hideyori, could increase. However, I think Ieyasu was much superior to Mitsunari as a general. Ieyasu trapped Mitsunari by wining Mitsunari’s allies like Hideaki Kobayakawa over to Ieyasu’s side. Ieyasu made Mitsunari leave Ogaki Castle by choice. I think Ieyasu learned a lot from his lost in the Battle of Mikatagahara in 1573 when he was young. He was trapped by Shingen Takeda to leave his Hamamatsu Castle by himself and defeated. As a result, he did a similar way in Sekigahara to what he had been done in Mikatagahara.

The statue of Ieyasu Tokugawa at Hamamatsu Castle

The monument of the Battle of Mikatagahara

How to get There

If you want to visit the castle by car, it is about 15 minutes away from Ogaki IC on the Meishin Expressway. There are several parking lots around the park.
By public transportation, it takes about 10 minutes on foot from the JR Ogaki Station.
To get to Ogaki Station from Tokyo or Osaka: Take the Tokaido Shinkansen super express and transfer to the Tokaido Line at Nagoya Station.

That’s all. Thank you.
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