特徴～Features – ページ 145 – 日本200名城バイリンガル (Japan's top 200 castles and ruins)

130.Takashima Castle Part2

The Main Enclosure of the castle was developed as a park.

Features

Main Enclosure as Park and rebuilt Main Tower

Now the ruins of Takashima Castle became the modern day Takashima Park. The park includes the Main Enclosure and the water moat of the northern and eastern sides of it. Other enclosures were turned into the city area. Suwa Lake is now about 400m away from the park, so it is difficult to imagine “the floating castle”. The stone walls of the enclosure and the moat are original, and some buildings such as the Main Tower were rebuilt.

The aerial photo around the castle

The rebuilt Main Tower is actually a modern building which looks similar to the original one. The building has a cooper plate roofing, not wooden strip roofing from the original, but they probably resemble each other. The inside of the tower is used as a historical museum and an observation platform. You can see a view of Suwa Lake in the distance from the top. You may also have a feeling of the passage of time.

Three Entrances of Main Enclosure

The Main Enclosure has three entrances. The Kabuki-mon Gate was rebuilt on the heavy stone walls at the northern side of the enclosure. It was also the front gate of it, connected to the Second Enclosure, and only high class people were allowed to use the gate.

The Kawado-mon Gate is at the western side of the enclosure. The remaining building was actually used as the back gate of the Main Hall at the Third Enclosure, and moved to the present position. When the castle was beside the lake, it was possible to take a ship to the lake from this gate.

The ruins of Tsuchido-mon Gate is at the southern side of the enclosure. It was the side gate for people who couldn’t use the front gate, Kabuki-mon.

The Main Hall for the lord was inside the enclosure where a Japanese garden and Suwa-Gokoku Shrine are now.

The Japanese garden in the Main Enclosure

Remaining items and Rebuilt ones

The remaining stone walls surrounding the Main Enclosure still look great today. Three turrets were originally on the stone walls, and only one of them, the Sumi-yagura or the Corner Turret was rebuilt.

The rebuilt Corner Turret on the remaining stone walls

You can see the combination of the Main Tower, the Kabuki-mon Gate, and the Sumi-yagura Turret with the water moat and bridge at the northern side of the enclosure. In my opinion, this is the best spot to take photos.

A view of the northern side of the Main Enclosure

To be continued in “Takashima Castle Part3”
Back to “Takashima Castle Part1”

130.高島城　その２

城の本丸が公園として整備されています。

特徴、見どころ

公園になった本丸と復興天守

現在、高島城跡は高島公園となっています。この公園は、本丸とその北側と東側の内堀からなっています。他の曲輪は市街地となりました。諏訪湖は今では公園から約４００ｍ離れたところにあります。そのため、「浮き城」であったことを想像するのは困難です。本丸の石垣と堀は元からあるものですが、天守などの建物は復興されたものです。

城周辺の航空写真

復興された天守は実際には近代的なビルであり、元あった天守に似せて作られました。その屋根は銅板葺きであり、元来の杮葺きではありません。それでも恐らく外観は似ています。天守の中は歴史博物館と展望台になっています。最上階からは遠くに諏訪湖の姿を眺めることができます。時の流れを感じるかもしれません。

本丸にある３つの入口

本丸には３つの入口があります。まず、冠木門が本丸北側の重厚な石垣の上に復興されています。この門は本丸の正門であり、二の丸とつながっていました。そして、身分の高い人しかこの門を通ることはできませんでした。

川渡門は本丸の西側にあります。現存するこの建物は実は三の丸にあった御殿の裏門で、現在の場所に移築されてきました。城が湖畔にあったときは、この門から船を乗り出すことができました。

土戸門跡は、本丸の南側にあります。この門は、正門である冠木門を使えない人たちのための通用門でした。

城主のための御殿が本丸の中にありましたが、現在は日本庭園と諏訪護国神社があります。

今に残るものと復興されたもの

現存する本丸を囲む石垣は今なお立派に見えます。元は３基の櫓が石垣の上にありましたが、その内の１基、隅櫓のみが復興されています。

本丸の北側では、天守、冠木門、隅櫓、水堀やそれにかかる橋とのコラボレーションを楽しめます。個人的には、ここが写真が映える場所だと思います。

「高島城その３」に続きます。
「高島城その１」に戻ります。

30.Takato Castle Part2

A castle with natural hazard that became a site famous for cherry blossoms

Features

Now, the ruins of Takato Castle has become Takato Castle Site Park which is very famous for cherry blossoms. For this reason, the park is crowded with lots of people. There are entrance fees and opening hours during the cherry-blossom season. In contrast, it is silent, free, and always open during the off seasons. This is to control the number of visitors during the peak season, as the park has only two gates in the north and south. So, it is up to you to decide when you would like to visit the park.

The map around the castle

Route to North Gate

The North Gate is the former entrance of the Second Enclosure. If you come from the town area, it would be convenient to use this entrance. After climbing up the slope to the ruins, you will see the stone walls for the Main Gate which was probably built in the Edo Period. The present route goes through the Third Enclosure to the ruins of the Back Gate.

Climbing up the slope to the ruins of the Main Gate

You can see the structure of the Main Gate which was once moved and reduced in scale on the left, but now returned to the present position.

The Third Enclosure still has a building for the Domain School called Shintoku-kan.

Then you will reach the North Gate behind the Middle Moat. There is a large old rest house for visitors called Takato-taku which was built in 1936 inside the gate.

Route through South Gate

The map around the castle

The South Gate is the former entrance of the Hodo-in Enclosure outside the Outer Moat, which was originally a temple. If you come from the Takato Historical Museum, it would be convenient to use this entrance. From the museum, you can look up the ruins and understand how the castle was built using natural materials. The cliff of the mountain was a natural hazard for enemies in the past, but the route to the ruins is developed now.

Looking up the castle ruins from around the museum

After entering the gate, you will go across a bridge called Hakuto-bashi or the White Rabbit Bridge on the Outer Moat.

You will also walk from the South Enclosure inside the moat to the Second Enclosure passing another earthen bridge.

Main Enclosure where Cherry Blossoms will be wonderful

You need to enter the Second Enclosure to reach the Main Enclosure due to the defensive layout. The Main Enclosure is the center of the castle and still surrounded by the Inner Moat. The moat is even deeper now, but mostly dry, so you can stand on the bottom of it.

The Oun-kyo or Cherry Cloud Bridge is in front of the entrance over the Inner Moat. It is said that the spot around them is the best for taking a photo in the cherry-blossom season.

Its entrance gate has a traditional structure called Tonya-mon which was moved from the town area.

You can see a very good view of the area around from the inside of the enclosure.

The enclosure has the Taiko Yagura or Drum Turret which was originally built beside the Back Gate letting people know the time. It was moved to the present position in 1877, and rebuilt in 1912.

To be continued in “Takato Castle Part3”
Back to “Takato Castle Part1”