リンク、参考情報～Links and References – ページ 55 – 日本200名城バイリンガル (Japan's top 200 castles and ruins)

58.Akashi Castle Part3

The two turrets survived and remain.

Later History

After the Meiji Restoration, Akashi Castle was abandoned, and most of its buildings were sold or demolished. However, people in Akashi started to preserve the ruins of the castle as a park. Akashi Park was opened by private owners in 1883 and reopened by the local government in 1918. The four three-story turrets couldn’t all survive through the difficult period. One of them was sold as material for a school. Another one and the plaster walls between the turrets were demolished probably due to deterioration. The rest of the two turrets were somehow repaired and remain. Both were finally designated as Important Cultural Properties in 1957.

The Main Enclosure (on the left) and the Second Enclosure (on the right) that can be seen from Akashi Station

The entrance of Akashi Park (the ruins of Akashi Castle)

My Impression

The ruins of Akashi Castle certainly have few buildings, but I think the two remaining turrets and the plaster wall between them can still show us the authority of the castle. I also think that the castle uses the natural terrain wisely and its well-designed defense system is obvious throughout. Nothing special like a war happened at the castle. As a result, the castle was able to fulfill its role of monitoring the lords.

The stone wall base for the Main Tower (from the outside of the Main Enclosure)

*The stone wall base for the Main Tower (from the inside of the Main Enclosure)*

Ko-no-ike Pond at the back of the Main Enclosure

How to get There

If you want to visit there by car:
It is about 10 minutes away from Okuradani IC on Daini Shinmei Road.
The park offers parking lots.
By train, it takes about 5 minutes on foot from Akashi Station.
To get to Akashi Station from Tokyo or Osaka: Take the Tokaido Shinkansen Super Express, and transfer to the Sanyo Line at Nishi-Akashi Station.

Links and References

・Akashi Castle Official Website

That’s all.
Back to “Akashi Castle Part1”
Back to “Akashi Castle Part2”

58.明石城　その３

２基の三重櫓が生き残りました。

その後

明治維新後、明石城は廃城となり、ほとんどの建物は売却されるか撤去されました。それでも、明石の人たちは城跡を公園として保存することを始めました。1883年に民間所有の公園としてオープンし、1918年には公営の公園として再度オープンしました。４基の三重櫓は、この困難な時代を全ては生き残れませんでした。１基は学校用の資材として売られていきました。もう１基と櫓間の漆喰塀は、恐らくは老朽化のために撤去されました。残りの２基の櫓は何とか修理され残っています。両方とも最後は1957年に重要文化財に指定されました。

私の感想

明石城跡は確かにそれほど建物は残っていません。しかし、２基の現存櫓とその間にある漆喰塀だけでも今だに城の権威を表していると思うのです。また、この城は自然の地形をうまく使っており、よく設計された防御システムが全体に行き渡っていると思うのです。この城には戦争のような特別なことは起こりませんでした。結果的に大名を監視するという役割を果たしたことになるでしょう。

ここに行くには

車で行く場合：
第二神明道路の大蔵谷ICから約１０分のところです。
公園に駐車場があります。
電車の場合は、明石駅から歩いて５分のところです。
東京か大阪から明石駅まで：東海道新幹線に乗って、西明石駅で山陽本線に乗り換えてください。

リンク・参考情報

・明石城　公式ウェブサイト
・「よみがえる日本の城４」学研
・「日本の城改訂版第８８号」デアゴスティーニジャパン
・「日本の城改訂版第１３８号」デアゴスティーニジャパン

これで終わります。
「明石城その１」に戻ります。
「明石城その２」に戻ります。

59.Himeji Castle Part4

Castles are trying to survive into the future.

Features (West Enclosure)

The West Enclosure is located on Sagiyama mountain, the southwest of the Main Towers. It was lastly improved by Tadamasa Honda, when he was married to Senhime, the daughter of Ieyasu Tokugawa, the founder of the Tokugawa Shogunate. The enclosure has large space and the Roofed Passage Turret where you can enter. You can also see equipment for battles such as machicolations as well as rooms for women who might have served Senhime. The view of the Main Towers from this enclosure looks very elegant.

The map around the castle

The Roofed Passage Turret on the West Enclosure

The Main Tower can be seen from the West Enclosure

My Impression

I think Himeji Castle looks much better with surrounded by natural terrain. For example, the Main Tower buildings are beautiful by themselves, but the buildings could be more beautiful with the mountain and the natural materials from which the towers were originally built.

The picture of only the Main Tower building

A beautiful scenery of the combination of the Main Tower and nature materials

In addition, when I visited the castle in 2013, I had a unique experience. The castle was undergoing repairs under The Heisei Great Repairs. The Large Main Tower was hidden behind construction covering. However, visitors could enter the construction site to see the tower close-up. I saw the roof top of the tower being painted with thick plaster among the roof tiles. The thickness of the plaster at the castle is 3cm, which is thicker than the past. This is to protect against the harsh weather. Even now, castles are trying to survive into the future.

The construction covering of the Heisei Great Repairs

The roof top of the tower that can be seen close-up

How to get There

If you want to visit by car: It takes about 15 minutes from the Hanada IC or Tohori Ramp on the Bantan renraku Road. The are several parking lots around the castle.
From Himeji Station: Take the Himeji Castle Loop Bus from the Himeji-ekimae stop in front of the north exit of the station and get off at the Himeji-jo Otemon-mae stop. Or it takes about 20 minutes on foot from the station.

Links and References

・Himeji Castle Official Website

That’s all.
Back to “Himeji Castle Part1”
Back to “Himeji Castle Part3”