特徴～Features – ページ 89 – 日本200名城バイリンガル (Japan's top 200 castles and ruins)

48.Matsusaka Castle Part2

This castle was protected by high stone walls using large stones and an elaborate defense system

Features

High Stone Walls still surround Castle Ruins

Today, the ruins of Matsusaka Castle have been developed into Matsusaka Park, which was the main portion of the castle on the hill. If you walk around the outside of the park, you may be surprised to see the high stone walls surrounding the park remain in good condition. The walls are piled using round natural stones which are large and uncountable. It is surprising that they were collected and piled so elaborately in a short time during the construction. In addition, the stone walls of the southeastern corner of the park were repaired using processed rectangular stones in the later stage of the castle’s history.

The stone walls seen outside of the park

The stone walls of the lower tier of the Main Enclosure, which use large stones

The repaired stone walls at the southeastern corner of the park

The aerial photo around the castle

Layout of Enclosures

The ruins have only the foundation with the stone walls without any buildings. However, you can still understand how the castle was protected by seeing these stone walls along the routes in the park. There are two entrances of the park, one is the Front Gate Ruins at the eastern side and the other one is the Back Gate Ruins at the southern side. Either of them lead to the Second Enclosure first. Towards the center of the castle, the lower tier of the Main Enclosure is higher than the Second Enclosure. The upper tier of the Main Enclosure is the highest. In addition, the Kitai and Inkyo Enclosures are at the lower part on the opposite side of the Second Enclosure.

The diorama of the castle’s enclosures with stone walls, exhibited by Matsusaka City Museum of History and Folklore

Going to Second Enclosure from Front Gate Ruins

If you enter the Second Enclosure from the Front Gate Ruins surrounded by alternating stone walls, you will see the high stone walls of the lower tier of the Main Enclosure in front of you. To go to the center of the Second Enclosure, you have to turn left and pass one more ruined gate beside the Tsukimi Turret Ruins on the stone walls. If you were an enemy, you would be attacked from two directions. That means the routes inside the castle were made very defensive.

The stone walls of the Main Enclosure lower tier stand in front of you

The high stone walls of the Tsukimi Turret Ruins

The route to the Second Enclosure from the Front Gate (the red arrow) and the counterattack from the castle (the blue arrows)

Going to Main Enclosure from Front Second Enclosure

The Second Enclosure had the Encampment of the Tokugawa Clan. It is now a square with a wisteria trellis where you can see a city view.

The signpost of the ruins of Tokugawa Clan’s encampment

If you want to go inside further, you need to pass the Nakagomon Gate Ruins. This route is also surrounded by alternating stone walls and the ruins of a turret called Taiko-Yagura. After passing it, the lower tier is on the right and the upper tier is on the left of the Main Enclosure.

Looking down The Nakagomon Gate Ruins from the Taiko Turret Ruins

The route to the Main Enclosure from the Second Enclosure (the red arrows) and the counterattack from the castle (the blue arrows)

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

48.松坂城　その２

粒の揃った高石垣と巧みな防御システムに守られた城

特徴、見どころ

今でも城跡を囲む高石垣

現在、松坂城跡は松坂公園として整備されており、丘の上にある城の主要部が含まれています。公園の外側を歩いて回ってみるだけで、高石垣が良好な状態で今でも公園を囲んでいることがわかり、最初から驚かされます。この石垣は、丸い形状の自然石を使って積まれていますが、数えきれない程の粒のそろった石をよくも集めたものです。短い工事期間中に、このような石を必要なだけ集め、巧みに積み上げたことに、再び驚きを覚えます。ただし、公園の南東角の石垣などは、城の歴史の後半のときに、長方形に加工された石を使って修繕されています。

城周辺の航空写真

曲輪のレイアウト

城跡には石垣とともに基礎部分のみが残っていて、建物はありません。しかし、公園の中を通路に沿って石垣をよく見てみると、この城がどうように守られていたのか今でも理解することができます。公園には２つ入口があります。一つは東側にある表門跡で、もう一つは南側にある裏門跡です。両方とも二の丸につながっています（表門からは本丸下段に直接行くこともできます）。城の中心部に向かっては、本丸下段が二の丸より高い位置にあり、本丸上段が最も高い位置にあります。更には、きたい丸と隠居丸が二の丸と反対側の低い位置にあります。

表門跡から二の丸へ進む

二の丸に入るのに、食い違い虎口の石垣に囲まれている表門跡から進んでみると、正面に本丸下段の石垣が見えてきます。二の丸の中心部に行くためには、左に曲がって、石垣の上の月見櫓跡のとなりにある、もう一つの門（土戸御門）跡を通り過ぎなければなりません。もし敵であったらなら、（櫓と門の）２つの方向から反撃を受けることになるでしょう。城の内部の通路では、とても強力な防衛態勢が取られていたのです。

二の丸から本丸へ進む

二の丸には、紀州徳川氏の陣屋がありました。今は藤棚がある広場となっていて、そこから市街地を眺めることができます。

もっと中心部に進んでいこうとすると、中御門跡を通り過ぎる必要があります。この通路も食い違いの石垣と、太鼓櫓跡に囲まれています。そこを通り過ぎると、本丸の下段が右側に、上段は左側にあります。

「松坂城その３」に続きます。
「松坂城その１」に戻ります。

49.Odani Castle Part3

You should also check out the back part of the castle.

Features

After passing Nakanomaru Enclosure, you will see Kyogoku-maru Enclosure where Nobunaga’s retainer, Hideyoshi, first captured in the castle. Komaru Enclosure where Nagamasa’s father, Hisamasa, lived as a retreat is close behind the Kyogoku-maru Enclosure. That’s probably why he was defeated soon in the battle.

The map around the castle

Finally, Sanno-maru Enclosure is at the highest point of the ridge. You can see the largest and greatest remaining stone walls in the castle at the eastern side of the enclosure. It has four tiers, two more than the Main Enclosure. Some historians speculate that it is the actual Main Enclosure as those of other castles were usually the strongest and highest. In fact, almost all the names of the enclosures were defined after the actual period.

The imaginary of the Sanno-maru Enclosure, from the signboard at the site

Later History

After Odani Castle fell in 1573, Hideyoshi was given this castle by Nobunaga and lived there for a while. However, Hideyoshi built Nagahama Castle beside Biwa Lake in 1575 using some materials of Odani Castle. After he moved to the new castle, Odani Castle was eventually abandoned. The mountain the castle was built on became publicly owned until it was sold to local governments and private section in 1915. Then, local people started to preserve the castle ruins. As a result, the ruins were designated as a National Historic Site in 1937. Nagahama City, which now owns the ruins, is considering how to preserve them as well as letting people enjoy them.

The present Nagahama Castle (licensed by 663highland via Wikimedia Commons)

The stone walls of Odani Castle which have collapsed

My Impression

In fact, the ruins of Odani Castle cover a much larger than I visited. The site also has many other attractions such as the branch Ozuku Castle, some ruins of another ridge of the mountain, and the hall ruins on the valley called Shimizudani sandwiched by the ridges. It would take a whole day to see all of them. I am looking forward to doing this someday.

The restored map of the whole ruins, from the signboard at the site

How to get There

If you want to visit the castle by car, it is about 5 minutes away from Odanijo Smart IC on the Hokuriku Expressway. There are parking lots at the foot or the mid slope of the mountain.
By public transportation, it takes about 30 minutes on foot from the JR Kawake Station.
To get to Kawake Station from Tokyo: Take the Tokaido Shinkansen super express and transfer to the Hokuriku Line at Maibara Station.

That’s all. Thank you.
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