リンク、参考情報～Links and References – ページ 49 – 日本200名城バイリンガル (Japan's top 200 castles and ruins)

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”

30.高遠城　その３

絵島が後半生を過ごした土地

その後

明治維新後、高遠城の全ての建物は撤去されるか売られていきました。1875年に城跡は高遠公園となり、元武士たちは公園に桜を植え始めました。それ以来、この地は桜の名所として発展していったのです。城跡はまた、1973年に国の史跡に指定されました。

桜のシーズンの桜雲橋周辺 *(licensed under Public Domain via Wikimedia Commons)*

私の感想

高遠城は自然の地形をうまく利用して築かれたこと、そして地元の人々が将来の世代に渡って城跡を維持し続けるために大変な努力をしてきたということがよくわかりました。

更には、もしお時間が許せば、高遠町歴史博物館にある「絵島囲み屋敷」を訪れてみてはいかがでしょう。絵島は、江戸時代に徳川幕府の本拠地であった江戸城の大奥の大年寄でした。彼女は歌舞伎を観た後、門限に遅れた罪で追放されました。これは大奥内の内部抗争により起こされた事件とも言われています。彼女は亡くなるまでの２７年間、隔離された部屋に幽閉されました。筆記用具は一切与えられず、ひたすら読経をする日々だったと言います。高遠の人々はやがて彼女を尊敬するようになり、その晩年には、高遠藩の藩主が高遠城に彼女を招き、城の女中に躾の指導をさせたりしました。

絵島を描いた浮世絵、歌舞伎役者と遊んでいて門限に遅れたと*当時は*思われていました *(licensed under Public Domain via Wikimedia Commons)*

ここに行くには

車で行く場合：
中央自動車道の伊那ICから約３０分かかります。
公園周辺と高遠町歴史博物館に駐車場があります。
公共交通機関を使う場合は、ＪＲ伊那市駅からＪＲバス（高遠線）に乗り、高遠バス停で降りてください。そこから歩いて約１５分です。
東京から伊那市駅まで：
新宿駅で特急あずさ号かかいじ号に乗り、岡谷駅で飯田線に乗り換えてください。

リンク、参考情報

・高遠城の魅力をご紹介、伊那市
・「日本の城改訂版第６３号」デアゴスティーニジャパン
・「列島縦断「幻の名城」を訪ねて／山名美和子著」集英社新書
・「現代語訳　信長公記／太田牛一著、中川太古訳」新人物文庫

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

127.Shinpu Castle Part3

Was it the mixture of a castle and a hall?

Features

Another mysterious Degamae system

You should finally check out the Degamae system on the northern side of the castle. It consists of two banks sticking out of the mountain, which are very unique to the castle. Historians often wondered if they were used as the strongholds for guns or for adjustment of the water in the moats. It is still uncertain because no other example like that were found in other castles.

The map of the northern part of the castle

There was a water moat around the Degamae system

Later History

The ruins of Shinpu Castle was developed after they were designated as a National Historic Site in 1973. Nirasaki City has been changing them to public land since 1988 and 98% of them are now publicly owned. The city also started the excavation of the site in 1998 and the development as a historical site in 2005. That’s why we can visit and see the castle ruins at anytime.

My Impression

I think that Shinpu Castle was the mixture of a castle and a hall like the combination of Takeda Clan Hall and Yogaisan Castle before. Yogaisan was a mountain castle used for emergencies when a battle happened around Takeda Clan Hall. Shimpu Castle was a hybrid of the two previous castles. That’s why someone can easily see it as a hall. However, Shimpu Castle was too large to be protected by a few soldiers. When Nobunaga Oda’s troops were heading for the castle, most of Katsuyori Takeda’s retainers surrendered or escaped from him. He must have realized that it would be impossible to protect the castle all by themselves. Shimpu Castle couldn’t show full potential.

The imaginary drawing of Takeda Clan Hall (from the signboard at the site)

Yogaisan Mountain (licensed by さかおり (talk via Wikimedia Commons)

The miniature model of the ruins of Shinpu Castle (Nirasaki Folk Museum)

How to get There

If you want to visit there by car:
It is about 10 minutes away from Nirasaki IC on the Chuo Expressway.
There is a parking lot alongside Yamanashi Prefectural Road 17 on the east of the ruins.
By train, it takes about 10 minutes on foot from Shinpu Station on the JR Chuo Line.
To get to Shinpu Station from Tokyo: Take the limited express Azusa or Kaiji at Shinjuku Station, and transfer at Kofu Station to the Chuo Line.

The ruins of Shinpu Castle that can be seen from the parking lot

Links and References

・Shimpu Castle Ruins, Nirasaki City Official Site
・Shinpu Castle Ruins, Nirasaki City Tourism Association

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