カテゴリー: 私の感想～My Impression

147.Takatenjin Castle Part3

Why Takatenjin Castle is my favorite Mountain Castle

Features

Around Main Route

The Main Route from the south goes up to the Third Enclosure in the eastern ridge. Probably because this route is less steep than the Back route, many fights occurred at this point. However, no one could successfully break this castle by force.

The map around the castle

Around the ruins of the Main Gate
The Main Route
The ruins of Chakuto Turret which instructed the defenders to prevent enemies from attacking

Later History

After Takatenjin Castle fell, the castle was eventually abandoned. The Takaten Shrine, which had been the guardian of the castle, remained on the top of the mountain. People around the area continued to worship the shrine for a long time. As for the castle ruins, they were designated as a National Historic Site in 1975. The research for the castle have been done since 1998. The ruins have also been developed separately.

The Takaten Shrine
The gateway of the Takaten Shrine on the Back Route

My Impression

Takatenjin Castle is my favorite mountain castle in Japan. The reasons for this are listed below.

  1. It was an important point to govern the area around.
  2. The mountain where castle was built on was not so high, that meant the soldiers could run to anywhere in case of emergency.
  3. The castle was not so large, which meant only a few soldiers could protect the castle by themselves.
  4. The slopes of the mountain are all steep or there were many cliffs, meaning enemies couldn’t attack the castle easily.
  5. The view from the top was excellent, that means the defenders could see the situations around the castle very clearly.
    In addition, the castle could get enough water. By visiting the castle ruins, I learned what mountain castles were and I realized the Takatenjin Castle was the best one. I’ve never seen any other mountain castles that have these advantages.
The Back Route passing through rough cliffs
The top is all surrounded by steep cliffs
A view from the top
The ditch seen from the Dono-o Enclosure
Looking down the dry moat from the Dono-o Enclosure

How to get There

If you want to visit the castle by car, it is about 15 minutes away from Kakegawa IC on the Tomei Expressway. There are parking lots for visitors in front of the Main Route and the Back Route.
If you want to use public transportation, you can take the Shizutetsu Justline Bus on the Kakegawa-Daito-Hamamatsu Line bound for Hamaoka-Eigyosho or Daito-shisho from Kakegawa Station and get off at the Hijikata bus stop. It takes about 15 minutes on foot from the bus stop to get there.
To get to Kakegawa Station from Tokyo or Osaka: Take the Tokaido Shinkansen super express.

The castle ruins and the parking lot in front of the Back Route
The southern entrance of the castle ruins leading to the Main Route
The parking lot in front of the Mian Route

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

147.高天神城　その３

マイベスト山城

特徴、見どころ

大手道周辺

南の方から伸びる大手道は、東側の峰にある三の丸に通じています。恐らくはこの道が搦手道より急ではなかったため、この場所では多くの激戦が繰り広げられました。しかし、力攻めでは誰もここを突破できなかったのです。

城周辺の地図

大手門跡周辺
大手道
着到櫓（敵からの防御を指揮した場所）跡

その後

高天神城落城後、城はやがて廃城となりました。高天神社は、城の守護神とされていましたが、それだけが山の頂上部分に残りました。この地の人たちは、この神社を長い間敬い続けたのです。城跡に関しては、1975年に国の史跡に指定されました。1998年以来、城跡の調査が行われています。また、城跡の整備も並行して行われています。

高天神社
搦手道にある高天神社の鳥居

私の感想

高天神城は、日本の山城の中で一番のお気に入りです。その理由を挙げてみます。
１．周辺地域を治めるのに重要な地点であること。
２．城が築かれた山がそれほど高くなく、城にいる兵士が緊急時にどこにでも駆け付けられること
３．城がそれ程大きくなく、少ない兵士で城を守ることができること
４．山が全て急坂になっているか、多くの崖があり、敵方が簡単に城を攻撃できないこと
５．頂上部分からの見晴らしがよく、守備兵が周りの状況をはっきり認識できること
これに加えて、水が十分に確保できることが必要です。この城跡を訪れてみて、山城とは何かを学び、高天神城がもっともその条件に適っていると思いました。他の山城では、ここまで全ての条件が揃っている所はないのではないでしょうか。

崖の間を進む搦手道
山の上も崖地に囲まれています
山上からの眺め
堂の尾曲輪から見た堀切
堂の尾曲輪から空堀を見下ろす

ここに行くには

車で行く場合、東名自動車道の掛川ICから約１５分かかります。城跡の大手道と搦手道の手前のところに、それぞれ駐車場があります。
公共交通機関を使う場合は、掛川駅からしずてつジャストラインバス掛川大東浜松線の浜岡営業所行きか、大東支所行きに乗り、土方バス停で降りてください。バス停から歩いて約１５分で現地で着きます。
東京または大阪から掛川駅まで：東海道新幹線に乗ってください。

搦手口から見える城跡と駐車場
大手道に通じる城跡南入口
大手道手前にある駐車場

リンク、参考情報

・高天神城跡、掛川市
・「戦国の山城を極める　厳選２２城／加藤理文　中井均著」学研プラス
・「家康と家臣団の城／加藤理文著」角川選書
・「歴史群像１０４号、戦国の城　遠江高天神城」学研
・「史跡高天城跡　基本整備計画策定報告書」静岡県大東町教育委員会

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

82.Ozu Castle Part3

People in Ozu struggled to restore the Main Tower.

Later History

After the Meiji Restoration, Ozu Castle was abandoned and once used as a government office. However, the castle land was eventually sold and the castle buildings were demolished. Four turrets lastly remain as Owata Turret in the Second Enclosure, the Southern Corner Turret in the Third Enclosure, and the two ones in the Main Enclosure. People in Ozu were afraid to lose the castle ruins, so they turned them into a park with peach trees in the Meiji Era.

The remaining Owata Turret in the Second Enclosure
the remaining Southern Corner Turret in the Third Enclosure
The remaining Handrail Turret
The old photo of the Main Enclosure after being planted with peach trees, exhibited in the castle

After World War II, people in Ozu had been thinking about restoring the Main Tower in the original way, while many other Main Towers in Japan were restored in a modern way like Nagoya Castle. This was because many materials for the restoration remained, such as drawings, the frame model of the tower made when it was repaired, and several clear photos taken before it was scraped, which was a very rare case in Japan.

The Main Tower of Nagoya Castle, restored in a modern way
the frame model of the Main Tower of Ozu Castle, used for the restoration, from the signboard at the site

However, there was a big problem with the law. Japan’s Building Standard Act has very strict rules on wooden buildings which are over 13m tall. The original Main Tower of Ozu Castle was over 19m, which meant it couldn’t be restored. The good news came in the 1990’s, the wooden towers in the other castles of Shirakawa-Komine, Kakegawa and Shiroishi were allowed to be restored. Ozu Castle’s Main Tower is the tallest among other towers, but after a long negotiation with the officials, the tower’s restoration was completed in 2004.

The restored wooden three-leveled turret of Shirakawa-Komine Castle
The restored wooden Main Tower of Kakegawa Castle
The restored wooden Main Tower of Shirakawa-Komine Castle
The restored wooden Main Tower of Ozu Castle

My Impression

I think the Main Tower of Ozu Castle is the best one out of the restored Main Towers in Japan. This is because the tower and two remaining turrets both sides are in perfect harmony. In addition, I recommend seeing the castle from the riverside. River traffic was one of the main means of transportation, so the castle’s design was done considering the view from the riverside. You can see a beautiful completely restored appearance of the Main Tower and the collaboration with the turrets.

A view of Hijikawa River from the Main Enclosure
The riverside of Hijikawa River
A view of the Main Tower and the Handrail Turret from around the river

How to get There

If you want to visit the castle by car, it is about 10 minutes away from Minami-Ozu IC on the Matsuyama Expressway. There is a parking lot for visitors in the city area near the castle.
By public transportation, it takes about 25 minutes on foot from the JR Iyo-Ozu Station.
If you go there from Tokyo or Osaka, I recommend traveling by plane or using an express bus.

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