私の感想～My Impression – ページ 19 – 日本200名城バイリンガル (Japan's top 200 castles and ruins)

93.Hitoyoshi Castle Part3

A big event for the Hitoyoshi area happened in 1877, when a hero of the restoration, Takamori Saigo started a rebellion against the government known as the Seinan War.

Features

Climbing to Moutain part

Next comes the hill area of the castle, which probably has existed since the first stage of it, but was modernized with stone walls in the later stage. There are no buildings but the foundations remain. You will climb the ruins of Oshita-mon or the Lower Gate which was the only entrance to the Third, Second, and Main Enclosures. You will need to climb wide stone steps and then turn right and walk around below the edge of the hill, where the defenders on the hill must have attacked enemies in the past.

The map around the castle

Enemies must have been attacked from above

You will first be in the Third Enclosure which widely covers the edge of the hill. The enclosure has mostly been made of soil and a square since the castle was active. It may be a good viewing spot of the Hitoyoshi city area.

A view of the city area from the Third Enclosure

Going to Second and Main Enclosures

The Second Enclosure is higher than the Third Enclosure and surrounded by stone walls with two ruins of defensive gates, Nakano-gomon and Uzumi-gomon. This is because there was another Main Hall for the lord which had been considered as the center of the castle before the Mitachi hall was built below the hill.

The Second Enclosure seen from the Third Enclosure

The Main Enclosure is the highest enclosure of the castle, but it is small and had no Main Tower. Instead, this enclosure seemed to be used as a religious spot of the Sagara Clan. Its stone steps and foundations have become curved which make us feel its long history.

The stone steps and foundations have become curved

Later History

After the Meiji Restoration, Hitoyoshi Castle was abandoned and all the castle buildings were sold or demolished. Only one gate of the Main Hall, called Horiai-mon, was move to the residence of a senior vassal, the Shingu Clan and remains. A big event for the Hitoyoshi area happened in 1877, when a hero of the restoration, Takamori Saigo started a rebellion against the government known as the Seinan War. His troops started an attack on Kumamoto Castle from the south in Kagoshima, while many warriors of Hitoyoshi also joined the Saigo’s side as the Hitoyoshi Party. However, they failed to capture Kumamoto Castle and withdrew to the Hitoyoshi area. The party suggested for Saigo to go there because the area has natural defenses, surrounded by mountains.

*The portrait of Takamori Saigo by* **Edoardo Chiossone** *(licensed under Public Domain via Wikimedia Commons*)

Saigo’s headquarters was at the Eikokuji Temple in the area and his staff stayed in the Shingu Clan’s residence. They thought they would be able to hold the area for a long period of time, but the response of the government army was prompt. A gun battle occurred between the army in the north and the Saigo troops in the south, binding the Kumagawa River. The Saigo troops shot from around the Third Enclosure of Hitoyoshi Castle on the hill, however, the shot did not reach the enemy because their guns were outdated. As a result, Saigo withdrew again to other places and was eventually defeated at Kagoshima Castle, his home base. The Hitoyoshi Party surrendered before then.

The map aound the castle

The Third Enclosure of hitoyoshi Castle, where the Saigo troops set their butteries

As castle ruins, they have been developed as Hitoyoshi Castle Park and were designated as a National Historic Site in 1961. Some castle buildings at the riverside, such as Sumi-Yagura or the Corner Turret and Otemon-waki-Tamon Yagura or the row-style turret beside the Main Gate, were recently restored. The Hitoyoshi Castle History Museum opened in 2005 but is currently closed as mentioned in the previous section.

The closed Hitoyoshi Castle History Museum

My Impression

I was very impressed by the great view of Hitoyoshi Castle Ruins with a large stream of the Kumagawa River. I understood nature could provide not only good things like the terrain for the castle but also bad things like disasters. I really hope that the castle ruins will be completely repaired soon and would like to visit their again so that I will be looking forward to seeing the mysterious basement in the museum and walking over the castle ruins to see larger area of the first stage of the castle.

The panorama view of Hitoyoshi Castle Ruins from a bridge over the Kumagawa River

How to get There

If you want to visit the castle ruins by car, it is about a 10-minute drive away from Hitoyoshi IC on the Kyushu Expressway. There is a parking lot for visitors in the castle ruins.
If you want to use public transportation, it takes about 20 minutes on foot to get there form JR Hitoyoshi Station.
From Tokyo or Osaka to Hitoyoshi Station: Get an express bus from Kagoshima Airport or Sin-Yatsushiro Station of the Kyushu Shinkansen super express, get off at the Hitoyoshi IC bus stop, and transfer to the Sanko bus bound for the station.

Links and References

・Hitoyoshi Tourist Information, Hitoyoshi City

That’s all. Thank you.
Back to “Hitoyoshi Castle Part1”
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93.人吉城　その３

1877年に人吉地域にとって大きな出来事がありました。維新三傑の一人である西郷隆盛が、西南戦争として知られる反乱を政府に対して起こしたのです。

特徴、見どころ

丘上部分に登る

次に向かうのは城のうち、丘上にある部分です。恐らくは城の初期段階から存在したと思われますが、最終段階に至って石垣により近代化されました。現在建物はありませんが、その基礎や石垣が残っています。まず、丘上の本丸、二の丸、三の丸への唯一の入口であった御下門（おしたもん）跡を登ります。幅広い石段を登り、右に曲がって丘の端部分の直下を回り込んでいきます。城があった当時であれば、城の守備兵は侵入してくる敵に対して丘上から攻撃できたはずです。

城周辺の地図

まずは丘の周辺部を広く占めている三の丸に入ります。この曲輪はほとんどが土造りであり、城が現役であったときから広場になっていました。ここは、市街地を望むビュースポットになっています。

二の丸、そして本丸へ

二の丸は、三の丸よりも高い位置にあり、石垣と２つの守りの固そうな門の跡（中の御門、埋御門）に囲まれています。ここにはもう一つの御殿があって、丘下に御館が築かれるまでは城の中心部とされていました。

本丸は、城の中ではもっとも高い位置にありますが、大きくなく、かつて天守もありませんでした。その代わりに、この曲輪は相良氏にとっての宗教的な場所として使われていたようです。ここの石段や基礎の石は丸みを帯びていて、長い歴史を感じさせます。

その後

明治維新後、人吉城は廃城となり、全ての城の建物は売られるか、撤去されました。堀合門（ほりあいもん）という御殿の一つの門だけが、重臣の新宮氏の屋敷に移築され残っています。1877年に人吉地域にとって大きな出来事がありました。維新三傑の一人である西郷隆盛が、西南戦争として知られる反乱を政府に対して起こしたのです。西郷率いる軍勢は、南方の鹿児島から熊本城への攻撃を始めましたが、人吉の多くの武士たちも人吉党として西郷軍に加わりました。ところが西郷軍は熊本城攻略に失敗し、人吉地域の方に撤退することになりました。人吉党の面々が西郷に対して、人吉は山に囲まれた天然の要害であるからと勧めたのです。

西郷隆盛像、エドアルド・キヨッソーネ作 (licensed under Public Domain via Wikimedia Commons)

西郷の本営は人吉の永国寺に置かれ、参謀たちは新宮氏の屋敷に宿営しました。彼らは相当な長い期間、人吉に留まれると考えていましたが、政府軍の反応はとても速いものでした。球磨川を挟んで北側の政府軍と、南側の西郷軍との間で銃砲戦が起こりました。西郷軍は丘上の人吉城の三の丸周辺から砲撃を行ったのですが、敵には届きませんでした。彼らの装備が旧式だったからです。その結果、西郷は再び撤退の憂き目となり、各地を転戦し、ついには本拠地の鹿児島城で最後のときを迎えました。人吉党はその前に降伏していました。

城周辺の地図

城跡としては、人吉城公園として整備され、1961年には国の史跡に指定されました。川沿いの城の建物のうちいくつかは近年になって復元されました。隅櫓、大手門脇多門櫓などです。人吉城歴史観は2005年にオープンしましたが、前述のとおり、現在は臨時閉館となっています（2023年9月時点）。

私の感想

球磨川の大河なる流れとともに、人吉城跡の雄大な眺めに大変感銘を受けました。同時に、自然は城にぴったりの地形を提供するなどいい事も、災害のような悪い事も両方与えるものだということも理解できました。私は城跡が一日も早く完全復旧するように心から願っていますし、そうなったらもう一回行ってみたいと思います。歴史館の不可思議な地下室も見てみたいですし、初期に人吉城であった地区も含めて、もっと広大な範囲を歩いてみたいです。

ここに行くには

車で行く場合：九州自動車道の人吉ICから約１０分かかります。城跡内にビジター向け駐車場があります。
公共交通機関を使う場合は、ＪＲ人吉駅から歩いて約２０分かかります。
東京または大阪から人吉駅まで：鹿児島空港か九州新幹線の新八代駅から高速バスに乗って、人吉ICバス停で降り、駅行きの産交バスに乗り換えてください。

リンク、参考情報

・人吉城の見学について、人吉市
・「中世相良氏の展開と地域社会／稲葉継陽・小川弘和編著」戒光祥出版
・「よみがえる日本の城１２」学研
・「戦況図解　西南戦争／原口泉監修」サンエイ新書

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

161.Kishiwada Castle Part3

The only thing I would ask the city to improve on the castle would be to open the views from the Main and Second Enclosures.

Features

Outside of Main Enclosure

The Main Enclosure is only connected to the Second Enclosure by the earthen bridge which is the same as the past. It looks like a castle island floating on the moat which must have had a defensive design.

The aerial photo around the castle

The earthen bridge to the Main Enclosure

However, if you go around the back side, you will find its back entrance ruins with stone steps, where a bridge to the outside was built. The bridge can not be seen in the drawing of the castle submitted to the shogunate. The reason for it could be that it was built after the drawing had been submitted or it was removed from the drawing intentionally.

The back entrance ruins of the Main Enclosure

The bridge in the back was not seen in the drawing (the upper right part)

The high stone walls surrounding it also look technical as they are curved elaborately to counterattack the enemies’ sides. They also use the lips as their base which is a rare case in Japanese castles. Some historians think that the reason may be to support the sandstones used for the walls which are weaker than the other types of stones. That’s why the stone walls were partially repaired in the present time, using granite to make them durable.

These stone walls were built on the lips

The white stones seem to have been used for the repair

Inside of Main Enclosure

The inside of the Main Enclosure has the reconstructed Main Tower, a gate, a corner turret and white walls. They have different designs from the original ones compared with those in the drawing. For example, the current Main Tower has three levels with many decorations while the original one had five levels with a simple roofing. In case like the current Main Tower of Kishiwada Castle, which was rebuilt but has a different design, should be called “reconstructed”. The enclosure also has a modern Japanese dry garden, called Hachijin-no-Niwa or the Garden of Eight Battle Formation, which was built in the same period as the current Main Tower and was designated as a National Scenic Beauty in 2014. The builders might also have created the Main Tower freely without its original design as a modern building.

The reconstructed buildings in the Main Enclosure

The tower is used as a historical museum inside and an observation platform on the top floor. The floor has a good viewing spot where you can enjoy the scenery of the area around including Osaka Bay. However, you can’t see anything on the outside from the enclosure except for the platform due to the high white walls on the top of the stone walls.

A view of the city area towards Osaka Bay from the platform

*This is also not a good view point because of the walls*

Later History

After the Meiji Restoration, Kishiwada Castle was abandoned and all the castle buildings were demolished. The castle land excluding the Main and Second Enclosures was turned into the city area. There was probably no other way to use it, other than modernizing the city of Kishiwada. After a long time, people in Kishiwada wanted to rebuild the Main Tower of the castle though they needed donations for it. As a result, it was finally completed in 1954 as the three-level Main Tower, but actually a modern concrete building has become a symbol of the city. Some people had argued that it should have been a five-level wooden one which was the same as the original tower, but there was a budget problem and the former lord, the Okabe Clan supported the original reconstruction plan. Kishiwada City is currently struggling to consider the earthquake-resistance measures of the reconstructed Main Tower due to its old age and the stricter regulations than before. It is also continuing to repair the remaining stone walls by replacing collapsed sandstones with new granite stones.

My Impression

I think the more you visit the current Kishiwada Castle, the more you will be interested in its history. The castle started out as a small one facing the sea, and it developed into the only one in Izumi Province, and finally became the symbol of the city. However, the only thing I would ask the city to improve on the castle would be to open the views from the Main and Second Enclosures. Currently, visitors can’t see the views below from them because of the walls or hedges probably for the safety reasons. I think the city will be able to replace them with other fences which can provide the views so that visitors can fully understand how the castle was developed more.

How about using this fence, partially used in the Second Enclosure, more?

*This is a good view point because of the fence*

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