特徴～Features – ページ 24 – 日本200名城バイリンガル (Japan's top 200 castles and ruins)

162.Izushi Castle/Arikoyama Castle Part2

There is only the rest station and the signboard on the main enclosure of Arikoyama Castle. However, the view from the top, about 300m above from the foot, is really breath taking view! The stone walls of the enclosure are what you saw from the foot.

Features

Going to Arikoyama Castle Ruins through Shrine Approach

There are two castle ruins in the Izushi area as mentioned in the previous section, which are Izushi and Arikoyama Castles. The latter is older than the former, so I will first describe how to visit Arikoyama Castle Ruins in this article. The entrance to the ruins is now also that to Arikoyama Inari Shrine which is located at the highest of Izushi Castle Ruins. Therefore, you will climb the stone steps of the approach from the foot of the mountain to the shrine though many of its red shrine gates.

The map around the castle

You will also see several tiered enclosures of Izushi Castle with great stone walls and some restored buildings. The trail to the top starts from the point above the shrine building, so you need to prepare for hiking and something to keep you safe from wild animals (a bear bell or radio).

You can cee the Main Enclosure in the back and the Second Enclosure of Izushi Castle on the right

Steep Slopes as Natural Hazzard

The trail is very steep and goes straight on a ridge of the mountain, which was a natural hazard of the castle. It gets a little flatter on the way, but zigzags and then becomes narrow over an earthen ditch instead. They are perhaps ruins of an artificial defensive gateway.

The narrow earthen bridge crossing the ditch

After that, you will go on the steep trail again, which may be too tough for some castle visitors. However, you will eventually reach around the top area and the route turns right to go around. The castle ruins are made of soil so far, but you will see some remaining stone walls around. This is probably because there is the Well Enclosure below the trail, so the walls were built to protect the well from collapsing or being buried.

There is the Well Enclosure below the trail

The remaining stone walls above the well

Six tiered Enclosures on Top

The trail turns left and go up again to the main portion of the castle on the top. The portion has six tiered enclosures which are all surrounded by stone walls using natural or roughly processed stones. That means, these stone walls are an early example of those for castles, which were probably built by Takatora Todo.

The map of the main portion

Climbing to the main portion of the castle

You can see the stone walls of the main portion

In addition, if you go straight on the branched trail, you will get to the quarry for the stones.

You can get to the quarry of you go straight at division point

The enclosures are in line from the sixth enclosure on the bottom to the main enclosure on the top. Many of their stone walls were covered by wire nets to avoid from collapsing.

The fifth enclosure on the left and the sixth enclosure on the right

There is only the rest station and the signboard on the main enclosure. However, the view of the Izushi area from the top, about 300m above from the foot, is really breath-taking view! The stone walls of the enclosure are what you saw from the foot.

Going from the second enclosure to the main enclosure

Very spacious Senjousiki Enclosure for top area

The Senjoshiki Enclosure is next to the main portion, which is separated by a huge artificial ditch. You can go there by passing the top of the forth enclosure. The enclosure is mostly made of soil, but very spacious for the top area of the mountain which was used as the lord’s residence or a station for large troops.

The path to the Senjoshiki Enclosure goes from the top of the fourth enclosure, the stone walls beide the path are the third enclosure’s

The huge ditch dividing the main and the Senjoshiki Enclosures

The main enclosure seen from the Senjoshiki Enclosure

To be continued in “Izushi Castle/Arikoyama Castle Part3”
Back to “Izushi Castle/Arikoyama Castle Part1”

162.出石城・有子山城　その２

有子山城跡本丸の上には休憩所と説明板しかありません。しかし、麓から約３００ｍの高さがある頂上からの眺めは最高です。本丸の石垣は、麓から見えていたあの石垣です。

特徴、見どころ

神社の参道を通って有子山城跡へ

前節でご説明しました通り、出石地区には出石と有子山という２つの城跡があります。後者（有子山）の方が前者（出石）より古い城跡となりますので、この記事では最初に有子山城跡を訪れるという形にしたいと思います。有子山城跡への入口は、有子山稲荷神社の入口にもなっていて、その神社は出石城跡の最も高い位置にあります。したがって山の麓からは神社参道の石段を、数多くの赤い鳥居をくぐりながら登って行くことになります。

城周辺の地図

その間、出石城跡の何段もの曲輪群や、すばらしい石垣、復元された建物も目にします。神社の建物より上の方に、山頂への登山口があります。登山にはハイキングの装備と、野生動物を避けるためのアイテム（熊鈴かラジオ）が必要です。

自然の障壁としての急坂

道はとても急で、山の峰の上をまっすぐに登っていきます。これは城にとっては自然の障壁となったでしょう。その途中でやや緩やかになりますが、代わりに道筋が曲がりくねり、それから細くなって人工の堀切を越えていきます。これは恐らく、防衛のため意図的に作った関門でしょう。

その後、山道はまた急になり、城巡りのビジターにとってはきつすぎるかもしれません。しかし、やがて頂上付近のエリアにたどり着き、道は右に曲がって回り道となります。それまで見てきた城跡は土造りでしたが、周辺に石垣が残っているのがわかります。それは恐らく、道の下方に井戸曲輪があって、石垣は井戸を崩壊や埋没から防ぐために築かれたのでしょう。

頂上の６段の曲輪群

山道は今度は左に曲がり、頂上にある城の主要部分に向けて再び登り始めます。主要部分は６段の曲輪群となっていて、全て自然石か粗く加工された石を使った石垣によって囲まれています。城のために築かれた石垣としては古い部類に属していて、恐らくは藤堂高虎によって築かれたのでしょう。

城主要部の地図

参考までに先ほどの山道を登らないでまっすぐに行くと、石垣に使った石を切り出した場所があります。

曲輪群は下の第６曲輪から一番上の本丸まで一直線に並んでいます。多くの石垣は、崩壊を防ぐためにワイヤーネットで覆われています。

本丸の上には休憩所と説明板しかありません。しかし、麓から約３００ｍの高さがある頂上からの出石地区の眺めは最高です。本丸の石垣は、麓から見えていたあの石垣です。

山の上とは思えない広さの千畳敷

千畳敷は主要部のとなりにあって、人工の巨大な堀切によって隔てられています。そこに行くには、第４曲輪の上から通じる道をたどります。千畳敷はほとんどが土造りなのですが、山の頂上部分としてはとても広く、城主の館か大軍の駐屯地として使われたと思われます。

「出石城・有子山城その３」に続きます。
「出石城・有子山城その１」に戻ります。

112.Kasama Castle Part3

Due to the damage from the Great East Japan Earthquake back in 2011, it is prohibited to enter the top of the ruins as of November 2023. The city is considering how to repair it to open it to the public again.

Features

Main and Main Tower Enclosures as Center of Castle

The Main Enclosure is an empty space now, where the Main Hall was built in the past. Instead, long and high earthen walls at the southwestern side stands out, which are called Hachiman-dai(base). There was Hachiman-dai Turret on it as a lookout tower or a warehouse. The turret was moved to Shinjoji Temple at the foot after the castle was abandoned, which is consider the only remaining building of the castle. The view from the base or the enclosure is not so good because of the trees surrounding, but you can see the mountains or hills around.

The map of the main portion of the castle

The turret was moved from the original position to the temple

The final place of the castle is the Main Tower Enclosure on the top over the edge of the earthen wall base to the northeast. You can go on the narrow earthen bridge over the ditch in front of the enclosure and reach the foot of the three-tier stone walls of it. The original Main Tower, which had been built on it, was replaced with the Sashino Shrine building during the Meiji Era. It was said that the waste materials of the tower were used for the construction of the shrine. The stone walls seem to partially use large natural rocks, which look rough and wild. However, visitors are unfortunately not allowed to climb the walls to see the top because the walls might collapse as of November 2023. You can only see a glimpse of the shrine building on the stone walls from the foot.

The earthen bridge in front of the Main Tower Enclosure

The stone walls of the enclosure partially collapsed

Returning to Foot by taking another route

You can return to the parking lot at the foot of the mountain going the same way as you took, but there is another route you can try as well but it’s challenging. You can take a trail on the ridge over the earthen wall base opposite the Main Tower Enclosure. The ridge was a defensive point of the castle, where another turret, called Anagasaki Yagura, was built. If you climb down on the trail for a while, the return route goes the bottom of a deep dry moat. This is part of the outer dry moat surrounding the whole castle area, which Satonari Gamo built. You can feel how large it was by walking through it.

The map around the castle

You will finally arrive at the ruins of the suburban residences at the foot, which Naganao Asano built. They have become the Sashiro Sanroku(foot of the mountain) Park which has the Bell Tower including an old bell made at the end of the Edo Period. The parking lot as is your starting point just below the park.

The ruins of the suburban residences (Sashiro Sanroku Park)

You can see the parking lot at the foot below

Later History

After the Meiji Restoration, Kasama Castle was abandoned and all the castle buildings were demolished or moved like the Hachiman-dai Turret. The mountain area became part of Kasama Prefectural Natural Park and the foot area became the Sashiro Sanroku Park. Kasama City has been researching the castle ruins since 2013 to preserve and to be designated as a national or other historical site in the near future. However, due to the damage from the Great East Japan Earthquake back in 2011, it is prohibited to enter the top of the ruins. The city is also considering how to repair it to open it to the public again.

It looks like just being placed on the newer base

My Impression

There are many attractions of Kasama Castle and the city. In my cases, once I visited and learned about the castle, I wanted to go there again to try seeing what I had missed or other ways to visit. When I first visited the ruins, I got to the great stone walls on top but they partially collapsed. In my recent visit, they were finally covered with sheets and kept out for visitors. I was very sorry about it and hope it will be repaired to open to the public soon.

The Sashino Shrine building on the enclosure as of 2019

How to get There

If you want to visit the castle ruins by car, it is about a 20-minute drive away from Tomobe IC on the Kitakanto Expressway.
There are parking lots at foot and the mid slope of the mountain as mentioned above.
By public transportation, you can take the sightseeing tour bus from JR Tomobe Station and get off at the Nichido-bijutsukan bus stop near the park.
From Tokyo to Tomobe Station: take the Tokiwa limited express from Tokyo or Ueno Stations.

That’s all. Thank you.
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