私の感想～My Impression – ページ 47 – 日本200名城バイリンガル (Japan's top 200 castles and ruins)

50.Hikone Castle Part3

I admire the great efforts of Hikone City.

Features

Western Enclosure, Guardian of Back Side

There are many other attractions in this castle. For example, there is the Western Enclosure in the back of the Main Enclosure. It has the remaining Western Enclosure Three-level Turret to protect the back side of the castle. There is also another large, deep ditch with a bridge over it in front of the turret like the front side. This castle was protected strictly on both sides.

The aerial photo around the castle

The Western Enclosure Three-level Turret

The interior of the third floor of the turret

Extensive Original Front Side

Also consider walking around the southwest part of the castle, on the opposite of the front entrance. You will see there is still a large area surrounded by the Middle Moat and the Inner Moat. It is very comfortable to walk along the moats looking up the Main Tower. You will see the Kyobashi-guchi-mon Gate Ruins behind the Middle Moat, the Main Gate Ruins behind the Inner Moat and so on. You can also see this area had originally been the front side of the castle against the Toyotomi Clan at Osaka Castle in this direction.

The area surrounded by the Middle Moat and the Inner Moat

The Funamachi-guchi-mon Gate Ruins, the other route over the Middle Moat

A distant view of the Western Enclosure Three-level Turret from around the Middle Moat

A distant view of the Main Tower from around the Middle Moat

Later History

After the Meiji Restoration, Hikone Castle was under the Japanese Army to be sold. When the Emperor Meiji visited Hikone in 1878, he felt sorry about the lost of the castle and ordered to preserve it. The castle was owned by the Imperial Household, followed by the Ii Clan and now Hikone City. In 1945 during World War II, the US Army was planning an air raid to Hikone in the evening, on August 15th just after the Emperor Showa declared the end of the war. The castle might have been saved by the emperors twice. Hikone City is trying to register the castle on the World Heritage List.

The Large Ditch in front of the Balance Turret

The Genkyuen, the garden for the lord at the castle site

My Impression

When I visited Hikone Castle, I was very pleased to enter not only the Main Tower, but also most of the remaining turrets. It is very rare compare to other castles. I asked an officer why they allow some visitors to enter these turrets. His answer was that because they stored all of the items in the castle buildings into the Hikone Castle Museum. I understood it and was impressed by the great efforts of the city for preserving and continuing the castle into future generations.

The interior of Western Enclosure Three-level Turret

A view of the Hikone Castle Museum from the Main Enclosure

How to get There

If you want to visit the castle by car, it is about 10 minutes away from Hikone IC on the Meshin Expressway. There are several parking lots in the castle site.
By public transportation, it takes about 15 minutes on foot from the JR Hikone Station.
To get to Hikone Station from Tokyo: Take the Tokaido Shinkansen super express and transfer to the Biwako Line at Maibara Station or Kyoto Station.

Links and References

・Hikone Castle, Visit Omi

That’s all. Thank you.
Back to “Hikone Castle Part1”
Back to “Hikone Castle Part2”

50.彦根城　その３

彦根市の多大なご努力に感謝尊敬します。

特徴、見どころ

城の裏手の守護神、西の丸

彦根城には、もっと多くの見どころがあります。本丸の後方には西の丸があります。ここには、城の裏手を守るための西の丸三重櫓が現存しています。この櫓の前には、城の正面側と同じようにもう一つの大堀切があり、橋がかけられています。この城は、正面も裏手も両方抜かりなく防御されていたのです。

城周辺の航空写真

広大なかつての城の正面

それから、表門と反対側の城の南西部分を歩いて回られてはいかがでしょう。そこには、中堀と内堀に囲まれた広大な敷地が今でも残っています。堀沿いを歩きながら天守を見上げてみるのもいいと思います。中堀を渡ったところには京橋口門跡があり、内堀を渡ったところには大手門跡があります。他にも見どころがいくつもあります。この辺りはもともと城の正面であり、この方向のはるか先には豊臣氏がいた大坂城があり、これに対抗するためにこの城が建てられたのだと実感できます。

その後

明治維新後、彦根城は日本陸軍の管轄となり、売却されることになっていました。1878年に明治天皇が彦根を訪問したとき、この城が失われるのを残念がり、保存することを命じました。そのため、この城は皇室財産となり、その後は井伊家や彦根市に引き継がれました。1945年の第二次世界大戦のとき、米軍は８月１５日の夜に彦根空襲を計画していました。まさに昭和天皇が終戦を宣言したその夜のことだったのです。彦根城は天皇の決断により、二度救われた格好になりました。彦根市は現在、城を世界遺産に登録するための活動を行っています。

私の感想

彦根城を訪れた時、天守だけでなく、ほとんどの現存櫓の中に入ることができ、とても満足しました。他の城に比べるととても珍しいことだったからです。そこで、そのことについて係員の方に聞いてみたところ、城の建物に残っていた物は、全て彦根城博物館に収蔵したため、ビジターを入れることが可能になったというお答えでした。私はそれで納得し、彦根市が未来永劫この城を保存継承していくための多大なご努力に対して、改めて敬意を表したい思いです。

ここに行くには

車で行く場合：名神自動車道の彦根ICから約１０分のところです。城がある区域にいくつか駐車場があります。
公共交通機関を使う場合は、ＪＲ彦根駅から歩いて約１５分かかります。
東京から彦根駅まで：東海道新幹線に乗り、米原駅か京都駅で琵琶湖線に乗り換えてください。

リンク、参考情報

・国宝　彦根城、公式ホームページ
・「彦根城を極める／中井均著」サンライズ出版
・「よみがえる日本の城２２」学研
・「日本の城改訂版第６、１２８号」デアゴスティーニジャパン
・「幕末維新の城／一坂太郎著」中公新書

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

143.Mino-Kaneyama Castle Part3

The ruins were preserved as a public forest.

Features

Arriving at Main Enclosure

You will finally reach the Main Enclosure on the top. The enclosure is also partly surrounded by stone walls. The southwestern corner stone walls are said to be part of the base for the Main Tower. However, it is still uncertain if the castle had the tower.

The map around the castle

The imaginary drawing of the Southwestern corner Turret (or Main Tower?) in the past, from the signboard at the site

The present stone walls at the southwestern corner

The remaining stone walls around the Main Enclosure

The inside of the enclosure is a square now, but stone foundations and roof tiles for some buildings were discovered by researchers.

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

You can see some remaining stone foundations

The ruins of the original Main Enclosure entrance

From there, you can see great views of the Kiso-gawa River in the north and the Nobi Plain in the west, like the lord of the castle did in the past. You will also realize the castle had a good location.

A view of the Kiso-gawa River from the Main Enclosure in the north

A view of the Nobi Plain River from the Main Enclosure in the west

Later History

After Mino-Kaneyama Castle was abandoned, many of its stone walls were destroyed and its buildings were demolished as waste materials. In the Edo Period, the Owari Domain which owned the mountain including the ruins banned people from entering it. After the Meiji Restoration, the mountain was preserved as an Imperial Forest or a government-owned forest. Even after the castle was abandoned, it was still difficult for people to enter it many years later. The mountain was sold to the local government which is now Kani City. The city researched the ruins between 2006 and 2010 and found that they still have the features of a Shokuho style castle. The castle ruins were designated as a National Historic Site in 2013.

The monument for the mountain being sold to the local government

My Impression

When I visited the ruins of Mino-Kaneyama Castle, I pictured Tsuyama Castle which Tadamasa Mori finally built after he became the founder of the Tsuyama Domain in Mimasaka Province. Tsuyama Castle was built on a mountain with three tiers all surrounded by high stone walls. The castle was often considered impenetrable. I think Tsuyama Castle resembles Mino-Kaneyama Castle in the way that the stone walls were built. I also speculate that Tadamasa might have tried to build the strongest castle based on his experience of Mino -Kaneyama Castle.

How to get There

I recommend using a car when you visit the castle ruins.
It is about a 15-minute drive away from Kani-Mitake IC on the Tokai-kanjo Expressway. There are several parking lots including the Barbican Enclosure around the ruins
If you want to use public transportation, you can take the YAO Bus from Akechi Station on Meitetsu-Hiromi Line and get off at the Moto-Keneyamacho-yakuba-mae bus stop. It takes about 15 minutes on foot from the bus stop to get there.
To get to Akechi Station from Tokyo or Osaka: Take the Tokaido Shinkansen super express, transfer to the Meitetsu-Inuyama Line at Nagoya Station and transfer to the Meitetsu-Hiromi Line at Inuyama Station or Shin-Kani Station.

The parking lot at the Barbican Enclosure

That’s all. Thank you.
Back to “Mino-Kaneyama Castle Part1”
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