私の感想～My Impression – ページ 15 – 日本200名城バイリンガル (Japan's top 200 castles and ruins)

111.Mukai-Haguroyama Castle Patr3

The trail to the Main Enclosure turns left or right, and then, a horizontal moat goes along it on the left. The other right side are vertical cliffs. That means the enemies were able to attack the enclosure only on this trail and the defenders would be able to focus on the spot.

Features

Main Enclosure is protected by Moats and Cliffs

Going back to the forest road, you can also climb to the Main Enclosure on the top of Iwasaki Mountain. If you walk straight up on the trail, you will see a huge scale of vertical moat designed to avoid enemies from moving freely parallel to the right.

The map around the castle

The trail on the left and the vertical moat on the right

The trail turns left or right, and then, a horizontal moat goes along it on the left. The other right side are vertical cliffs. That means the enemies were able to attack the enclosure only on this trail and the defenders would be able to focus on the spot.

The layout of the Main Enclosure, the white part is the trail, the yellow part shows enclosures or bottoms of the moats, and the orange part is cliffs, exhibited by the Mukai-Haguro Gallery

Final place of Final Castle

The trail goes in a zigzagged pattern and reaches the Main Enclosure. It is also protected by other alternating gate, earthen walls and dry moats like the Second Enclosure, but smaller and had steeper terrain, so it can be seen as the final place of the final castle.

The entrance ruins of the Main Enclosure

The Main Enclosure is surrounded by dry moats and earthen walls as well

Later History

The mountain, where Mukai-Haguroyama Castle was built, was first designated as a natural park in 1953 and the forest road was developed on the mountain in 1964. As for the castle ruins, they were first designated as a historic site of Hongo Town (at that time) in 1974. The excavations of the ruins have been done since 1982. As a result, they were finally designated as a National Historic Site in 2001.

There is a huge rock on the Main Enclosure, which was partially cut to provide stone materials

My Impression

I visited the ruins of Mukai-Haguroyama Castle twice. During my first visit, I just found the castle ruins simply becoming the natural park. However, in my second visit, I was advised at the Mukai-Haguro Gallery in advance, so that I was able to see the major spots of the castle easily. In my experiences, I would like Aizu-Misato Town, the current owner of the ruins to install a streamline path for walking from the foot to the top which would make visitors better understand what the castle looked like.

there are many paths in the Third Enclosure, like a maze

How to get There

If you want to visit there by car, it is about a 15-minute drive away from Nitsuru smart IC or a 20-minute drive away from Aizuwakamatsu IC on the Banetsu Expressway. There are several parking lots for each spot of the ruins.
By public transportation, it takes about 20 minutes on foot to get the northern entrance of the park from JR Aizu-Hongo Station.
From Tokyo to the station: take the Tohoku Shinkansen super express, transfer to the Banetsu-sai Line at Koriyama Station, and transfer to the Tadami Line at Aizuwakamatsu Station.

The parking lot beside the Second Enclosure

That’s all. Thank you.
Back to “Mukai-Haguroyama Part1”
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111.向羽黒山城　その３

本丸への山道は左右に曲がりますが、横堀が左側に沿って作られ、反対の右側は切岸による崖になっています。つまり、敵はこの山道からしか攻撃できないため、守備兵はこの地点に反撃を集中できるわけです。

特徴、見どころ

堀と崖で敵を防ぐ本丸

林道の方に戻れば、岩崎山の山頂にある本丸に登って行くこともできます。山道をまっすぐ登って行くと、右側に並行して敵が自由に動くことを防ぐために作られた大規模な縦堀が見えてきます。

城周辺の地図

山道は左右に曲がりますが、今度は横堀が左側に沿って作られ、反対の右側は切岸による崖になっています。つまり、敵はこの山道からしか攻撃できないことから、守備兵はこの地点に反撃を集中できるわけです。

本丸の縄張り図（白い部分が道、黄色い部分が曲輪または堀底、橙色部分が斜面）、向羽黒ギャラリーにて展示

詰めの城の詰めの場所

山道はジグザグに曲がりながら本丸に至ります。本丸も、二の丸と同じように食い違いの門、土塁、空堀によって防御されています。しかし、二の丸よりは小さく険しい地形になっているので、詰めの城の中の、そのまた詰めの場所と言えるでしょう。

その後

向羽黒山城が築かれた山は、最初は1953年に自然公園として指定されました。1964年には山上に林道が開設されました。城跡に関しては、最初は1974年に当時の本郷町の史跡に指定されました。そして城跡の発掘が1982年以降続けられています。その結果、ついには2001年に国の史跡に指定されました。

私の感想

私は、向羽黒山城を２回訪れました。最初に行ったときは、城跡が単純に自然公園になっているように感じました。しかし２回目のときには、事前に「向羽黒ギャラリー」で情報を得てから城跡に行きました。そのため、城の主な見どころを効率的に見て回ることができました。自身の経験から、現在の城跡のオーナーである会津美里町には、是非山麓から頂上まで一気通貫で歩いて行けるコースを作ってほしいです。そうすればかつて城がどんな姿をしていたか、ビジターが理解しやすくなると思うのです。

ここに行くには

車で行く場合：磐越自動車道の新鶴ICから約１５分、または会津若松ICから約２０分かかります。城跡の各スポット毎に駐車場があります。
公共交通機関を使う場合は、ＪＲ会津本郷駅から公園の北入口まで歩いて約２０分かかります。
東京から会津本校駅まで：東北新幹線に乗って、郡山駅で磐越西線に乗り換え、会津若松で只見線に乗り換えてください。

リンク、参考情報

・向羽黒山城跡特設サイト、会津美里町
・向羽黒山城跡、会津美里町観光協会
・「日本の城改訂版第１３８号」デアゴスティーニジャパン
・「会津人群像No.30 葦名氏を語らずに会津は語れない」歴史春秋出版

これで終わります。ありがとうございました。
「向羽黒山城その１」に戻ります。
「向羽黒山城その２」に戻ります。

56.Takeda Castle Part3

I can’t believe the stone walls of Takeda Castle have been left intact for over 400 years since the it was abandoned. Although they have been often repaired and maintained. I still can’t understand why they have been intact for so long.

Features

From Center of Castle to Southern Ridge

The western ridge from the center, called Hanayashiki or the Flower Residence Enclosure, does not usually not allow visitors to enter because of its preservation and the safety of visitors. The enclosure is built on the steeper ridge than the others, which is said to be built to protect the back route of the castle.

The map around the castle

Therefore, you will go on the route to the southern ridge which has the narrow Southern Second Enclosure and the large Minami-Senjo or the Southern 1,000 mat Enclosure, similar to the northern ridge. If you look back to the center of the castle, you can see many great stone walls covering the top of the mountain. The view of the area around the mountain is magnificent.

A view of the center from the Southern Second Enclosure

The return path goes from the edge of the ridge, which might have been the other entrance of the castle. You will finally return to the paved path which you have passed.

The exit from the Minami-senjo Enclosure

A view of the same place above from the outside

You have returned to the paved path which you had passed.

Later History

Takeda Castle was abandoned and all the castle buildings were demolished in the early Edo Period. However, the stone walls of the castle were left as there were, for some reasons. In other cases of abolished castles, their stone walls were also destroyed. The remaining stone walls of Takeda Castle may have been a miracle. The castle ruins were designated as a National Historic Site in 1943. Since then the ruins were sometimes used as the locations of historical movies that feature the intact stone walls of the castle. In 2007, a photographer, posted his photo of the Takeda Castle in the Sky, which won an award. This made the castle famous and the number of the visitors skyrocketed.

*Intentionally broken stone walls of Iwakuni Castle on the mountain*

*The stone walls of Hizen-Nagoya Castle being destroyed like a V letter*

*The ruins of Suzume-mon Gate* of Uda-Matsuyama Castle, after its stone walls were completely destroyed

My Impression

Three things surprised me about the great stone walls of Takeda Castle three times. First, I was simply impressed to see the stone walls on the high mountain. I was wondering how and why the builders built them on such a steep place. I learned that the value of Takeda Castle for the rulers and what the builder, Masahiro Saimura did in the castle are parts of the answer. Secondly, I heard that local people make great efforts on maintaining the stone walls to preserve them and make sure visitors visit them safely. I also think the original layout of the castle even now helps visitors walk smoothly in the castle ruins. Finally, I can’t believe the stone walls have been left intact for over 400 years since the castle was abandoned. As far as I know, there is no other example of stone walls which are the same or similar to Takeda Castle. Although the stone walls have been often repaired and maintained. I still can’t understand why they have been intact for so long.

Unlike the Three castles which were abandoned in the seme period, the stone walls of Takeda Castle remain intact

How to get There

If you want to get there by car, it is about 10 minutes from Wadayama IC on the Kitakinki-Toyooka Expressway. There is a parking lot at the tourist facility halfway up the mountain.
By public transportation, you can take the Tenku-bus from JR Takeda Station and get off at the final bus stop, Takeda-jo. The stop is over 1km away from the entrance of the castle ruins. Or it takes about 40 minutes on foot from the station to the entrance.
From Tokyo or Osaka to Takeda Station: take the Sanyo Shinkansen super express and transfer to the Bantan Line at Himeji Station.

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