私の感想～My Impression – ページ 65 – 日本200名城バイリンガル (Japan's top 200 castles and ruins)

119.Sugiyama Castle Part3

Castle layout researchers focus on Sugiyama Castle.

Features

Main Enclosure, Center of Castle

The Main Enclosure is the largest and highest one in the castle. It has three entrances in the south, north and east. The north and east ones were also strictly protected by other enclosures and dry moats like you simulated in the south. The lord of the castle would be able examine the situation in all directions clearly and give the appropriate instructions.

The locations of the Main Enclosure and the northern and eastern enclosures

The Northern Entrance of the Main Enclosure

*The Eastern Entrance of the Main Enclosure*

The eastern enclosures seen from the Main Enclosure

In addition, some bypass routes are set in the castle, but some of them are dead-end alleys. If you see the layout of the castle, you may think it looks like a maze. It’s true for enemies, but it’s a well-designed fortress for defenders.

The locations of the spots which are supposed be dead-end alleys

The dead-end alley at the Southern Second Enclosure

The dead-end alley beyond the Well Enclosure

Later History

The ruins of Sugiyama Castle were not known to the public until around 1980s. Only the researchers who studied the layout of castles were interested in this castle. They published the dictionaries and magazines which featured the layout of castles since 1987. The layout drawing of Sugiyama Castle has been one of the most featured ones in these books. The castle became popular little by little. After the excavations between 2002 and 2007, the ruins became a National Historic Site in 2008. It is considered one of the “Hiki Castles Ruins”.

This location map is also a good layout drawing

My Impression

I imagine if Sugiyama Castle was much larger, and equipped with turrets, gates, and stone walls, it would look like the great castles built much later, such as Himeji Castle. This means Sugiyama Castle could be the pioneer of the advanced castle design. However, I rather prefer the effort of building the castle to its historical value. The unknown builders of the castle must have had a small budget, resources, workers, and little time because the purpose of the castle was limited. They thought hard to create their great work under the difficult situation. It may have been easier for them to build a great castle if they had enough resources. I think Sugiyama Castle is also a good lesson for us about how to use limited resources to create good work.

How to get There

I recommend using a car when you visit the ruins.
It is about 15 minutes away from Ranzan-Ogawa IC on Kanetsu Expressway.
The ruins offer a parking lot.
By public transportation, take the Tokigawa-cho route bus bound for Seseragi Center from Musashi-Ranzan Station on the Tobu-Tojo Line and get off at the Taguro bus stop.
It is about 20 minutes on foot from the bus stop.

That’s all. Thank you.
Back to “Sugiyama Castle Part1”
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119.杉山城　その３

縄張り研究者たちは杉山城に注目しています。

特徴、見どころ

城の中心、本郭

本郭は、この城ではもっとも大きく、かつ高い位置にある曲輪です。ここには南北と東側の三つの入口（虎口）があります。南側でシミュレートしてみたように、北側と東側の虎口もまた、曲輪群と空堀により固く守られていました。この城の城主は、全ての方角の状況を把握し、的確な判断を下せたことでしょう。

更には、この城にはバイパスルートも設定されていますが、その内のいくつかは袋小路になっています。この城の縄張りを見ると、迷路のようだと思われるかもしれません。城を攻める敵にとってはその通りでしょう。しかし、守る方にとっては非常によく設計された要塞なのです。

その後

杉山城跡は、１９８０年代頃までは一般には知られていませんでした。縄張り研究者たちのみがこの城に関心を持っていたのです。彼らは1987年以来、城の縄張り図を掲載した事典や雑誌を刊行してきました（「中世城郭研究」など）。これらの書籍では、杉山城の縄張り図が最も多く掲載されているものの一つでした。これにより、この城は少しずつ知れ渡ってきたのです。2002年から2007年に発掘が行われた後、この城跡は2008年に「比企城館跡群」の一つとして国の史跡に指定されました。

私の感想

もし杉山城がもっと大きくて、櫓、門、石垣などを備えていたとしたら、姫路城のような、ずっと後に作られた見事な城のように見えるのではないでしょうか。杉山城は、先進的な城の設計を先取りしていたことになります。しかし個人的には、この城の歴史的価値よりも、それを築いた努力に敬意を表します。この城の知られざる築城者は、少ない予算、資材、作業者しか確保できなかったに違いありません。この城の目的は限られていたからです。その築城者は、困難な状況下でもどうやって優れた仕事ができるか懸命に考えたことでしょう。もし十分な予算があれば、すごい城を作るのは容易だったかもしれません。杉山城は、現代の私たちにとっても、限られた資源でどうやっていい仕事をするのかを示すよい教材だと思うのです。

ここに行くには

ここに行くには、車を使われることをお勧めします。
関越自動車道の嵐山小川ICから約１５分の所です。
城跡に駐車場があります。
公共交通機関を使う場合は、東武東上線の武蔵嵐山駅からせせらぎセンター行きのときがわ町路線バスに乗り、田黒バス停で降りてください。
バス停から歩いて約２０分かかります。

リンク、参考情報

・国指定史跡　杉山城跡公式ホームページ
・「杉山城の時代／西股総生著」角川選書
・「歴史群像６１号、戦国の堅城　武蔵杉山城」学研

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

125.Kozukue Castle Part3

The ruins have become popular since the construction of the road.

Features

Parted Barbican

In fact, the ruins were partly destroyed and divided by the Daisan-Keihin Road. You can look at one of the barbicans over the road from the entrance of the Western Enclosure. You will have to go through the tunnel under the road to get there. The top of it is one of Fujizuka Mounds, called Fuji-sengen, made for worshiping Mt. Fuji since the Edo Period. It might had been a turret base before that. When you walk out of the ruins, you will get back to the city area right away.

The map around the castle

The Daisan-Keihin Road parting the ruins

Later History

After Kozukue Castle was abandoned, the local people have called the ruins Shiroyama or the Castle Mountain. The studies about the castle started as early as in the Edo Period. However, the ruins ironically became popular as a historic site since they were partly destroyed by the construction of the Daisan-keihin Road in 1963. Through that, Yokohama City launched the Kozukue Castle Ruins Forest to preserve them in 1977. People are now interested in what the castle was like in the past.

The ruins of Kozukue Castle and Daisan-Keihin Road

My Impression

I think Kozukue Castle is a good example of how to protect a castle with few defenders. I guess if a battle happened at Kozukue Castle when Hideyoshi invaded, this castle could survive at least over one night unlike Yamanaka Castle and Hachioji Castle.

The large dry moat in front of the Western Enclosure

How to get There

I recommend using a train when you visit the ruins because the park has no parking lot.
It takes about 15 minutes on foot from JR Kozukue Station on the Yokohama Line.

The castle ruins seen from the platform of Kozukue Station

The Yokohama-Kamiasao Road (Kanagawa Prefectural Road 12) goes near the station, so turn right at the Kozukue Station Intersection and go along the street. Then, turn right at the Kozukuetsuji Intersection.

Turn right at the Kozukuetsuji Intersection

Go along the street again, cross the railway and turn left at the first intersection.

Go along the street in the residential area, and when you find the signpost for the ruins on the utility pole on the right, turn right. You will eventually arrive at the entrance of the ruins.

Turn right when you find the signpost on the utility pole (inside the red circle)

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