ここに行くには～How to get There – ページ 75 – 日本200名城バイリンガル (Japan's top 200 castles and ruins)

130.Takashima Castle Part3

Some castle buildings were rebuilt by the citizens’ power.

Later History

After the governance by the Suwa Clan in the Edo Period, Takashima Castle was abandoned and almost all of the buildings in the castle were demolished. The Main Enclosure became Takashima Park in 1876, and Suwa-Gokoku Shrine was founded in it in 1900. Other enclosures were turned into the city area. After World War II, the mayor of Suwa City asked its citizens for donation to rebuild some areas of the castle. Over half of them responded to it, and the park became what we now see. This site has been intact since 1970.

My Impression

Takashima Castle may be less popular than Suwa Lake and Suwa-taisha Shrine. I was actually surprised to know the castle was beside the lake in the past. I also imagine people in the past must have been surprised to see the great castle being built beside the lake. Suwa Lake was said to be over three times larger in the Ancient Times than now. That means people in this area have been continuing to reclaim land for a very long time. Takashima Castle was certainly one of the process.

The estimated range of Suwa Lake in the Ancient Times, quoted from the website of Hamanoyu, a hotel in Suwa

The remaining stone wall base for the Main Tower

The remaining stone walls of the Kabuki-mon Gate

How to get There

If you want to visit there by car:
It is about 15 minutes away from Suwa IC on the Chuo Expressway.
Takashima park offers a paking lot.
By train, it is about 10 minutes away from JR Kamisuwa Station on foot.
To get to Kamisuwa Station from Tokyo: Take the limited express Azusa or Kaiji at Shinjuku Station.

The stone wall base for the Main Tower is in front of the parking lot.

Links and References

・Suwa Takashima Castle (Official Website, you can download the “Takashima Castle leaflet in English”)

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

130.高島城　その３

市民の力により再建されました。

その後

江戸時代における諏訪氏による支配の後、高島城は廃城となり、ほとんどすべての城の建物は撤去されました。本丸は1876年に高島公園となり、その中に諏訪護国神社が1900年に創建されました。他の曲輪は市街地になっていきました。第二次世界大戦後、諏訪市長は城の一部を再建するための寄付を市民に呼びかけます。半数以上の市民がそれに応え、1970年以来、公園は今見ることができる姿になったのです。

私の感想

高島城は、諏訪湖や諏訪大社よりは有名でないかもしれません。私自身、この城がかつては湖畔にあったことを知って驚きました。湖の畔に立派な城ができた当時の人たちもきっと驚いたのではないでしょうか。諏訪湖は古代には今より３倍の大きさがあったと言われています。この地域の人たちは、遥かな時間をかけて干拓を続けてきたのです。高島城も確かにこの過程にあったのでしょう。

ここに行くには

車で行く場合：
中央自動車道の諏訪ICから約１５分かかります。
高島公園に駐車場があります。
電車の場合は、ＪＲ上諏訪駅から歩いて１０分のところです。
東京から上諏訪駅まで：
新宿駅に特急あずさ号かかいじ号に乗ってください。

リンク、参考情報

・諏訪高島城（公式ホームページ）
・古代の「諏訪湖」は広かった！？高島城（諏訪の浮城）の謎（浜の湯公式ブログ）
・「日本の城改訂版第４２、４４号」デアゴスティーニジャパン

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

30.Takato Castle Part3

Ejima lived in the latter half of her life in that land.

Later History

After the Meiji Restoration, all of the buildings in Takato Castle were demolished or sold. In 1875, the castle ruins were turned into Takato Park and the former warriors started to plant cherry blossoms in the park. Since then, the site has been developing as a site famous for cherry blossoms. They were also designated as a National Historic Site in 1973.

Around the Cherry Cloud Bridge in the cherry-blossom season (licensed under Public Domain via Wikimedia Commons)

My Impression

I have learned that Takato Castle was really built using natural materials and the local people made a great effort to continue maintaining the castle ruins into the future generations.

The earthen walls (on the left) and the Middle Moat (on the right) of the Second Enclosure

In addition, if you have time, I recommend that you visit the restored house for “Ejima” at the Takato Historical Museum. Ejima was a senior officer of “Ooku” or the Inner Chambers of Edo Castle, the home base of the Tokugawa Shogunate in the Edo Period. She was banished to the Takato Domain because she was late for the closing time of the castle after seeing a Kabuki play. It is said the incident was caused by an internal conflict of Ooku. She was confined in a quarantined room of the house for 27 years before her death. She was also not given any writing materials, so she was devoted to reading a sutra. People in Takato eventually respected her and the lord of the domain invited her to Takato Castle to educate the women in the castle in her last years.

The entrance of the restored house for Ejima

The house was strictly surrounded by the fences.

Ejima drawn in a Ukiyo-e Painting, she was thought that she was late for playing with a Kabuki actor. *(licensed under Public Domain via Wikimedia Commons)*

How to get There

If you want to visit there by car:
It is about 30 minutes away from Ina IC on the Chuo Expressway.
There are several parking lots around the park and in the Takato Historical Museum.
By public transportation, take the JR bus (Takato line) from JR Inashi Station, and get off at the Takato bus stop. The ruins are about 15 minutes away on foot.
To get to Inashi Station from Tokyo: Take the limited express Azusa or Kaiji at Shinjuku Station, and transfer at Okaya Station to the Iida Line.

Links and References

・Noble ruin of the castle park, Ina City Official Website

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