カテゴリー: 私の感想～My Impression

47.Iga-Ueno Castle Part3

The castle came back in the Showa Era.

Features

Looking up High Stone Walls

You can also look up these great stone walls by walking the street along the Western Inner Moat, outside the park. The length of the stone walls is nearly 250m.

The map around the castle

The entrance to the Western Inner Moat
The high stone walls are coming into view.

The line of them is bent elaborately in several points so that defenders could make a side counterattack against enemies if they attack the castle.

The line of the stone walls is bent elaborately.
A side view of the line

The corners of the walls are piled using processed rectangular stones alternated in a method called Sangi-zumi. Overall, these stone walls look durable and beautiful.

A corner of the stone walls
The corner piled in the Sangi-zumi method looks great.

Later History

After the Meiji Restoration, Iga-Ueno Castle was abandoned and the castle buildings were demolished. The center of the castle was turned into a park. In 1935, a native politician, Katsu Kawasaki donated the third wooden Main Tower on the stone wall base for the second Main Tower which Takatora Todo tried to build. Since then, people still call this site Iga-Ueno Castle probably because the Main Tower is intact. As for the original castle ruins, they were designated as a National Historic Site in 1967.

A picture of Katsu Kawasaki (licensed under Public Domain via Wikimedia Commons)
The third Main Tower Kawasaki donated

My Impression

I was surprised to see many castles Takatora built or gave design advice on in western Japan, including the rebuilt Osaka Castle. He was involved in the creation of the No.1 and No.2 highest. The stone walls of Iga-Ueno Castle are still some of the highest ones in Japan and a great place to see. However, let me say again that you must be careful not to step off of the top of the high stone walls.

Looking down the high stone walls
looking up the high stone walls

How to get There

If you want to visit the castle by car, it is about a 10-minute drive away from Nakase IC or Ueno IC on the Meihan Expressway. There is a parking lot for visitors in the park.
If you want to use public transportation, It takes about 10 minutes on foot from Ueno-shi Station on Iga Railway to get there. The station nicknames itself Ninja City Station and you can get the unique painted train called the Ninja Train.
To get to Ueno-shi Station from Tokyo: Take the Tokaido Shinkansen super express, transfer to the Kintetsu-Nagoya Line on Kintetsu Railway at Nagoya Station, transfer to the Kintetsu-Osaka Line at Ise-Nakagawa Station, and transfer to the Iga Line on Iga Railway at Iga-Kanbe Station.

The parking lot in the park
“Ninja City Station”
The Ninja Train

Links and References

・Iga Ueno Castle, Iga Cultural Industry Association

That’s all. Thank you.
Back to “Iga-Ueno Castle Part1”
Back to “Iga-Ueno Castle Part2”

47.伊賀上野城　その３

昭和時代に伊賀上野城が復活

特徴、見どころ

高石垣を見上げる

この高石垣を、公園の外側から西内堀沿いを歩きながら見上げることもできます。この石垣の横の長さは２５０ｍ近くもあります。

城周辺の地図

西内堀沿いの道への入口
高石垣が見えてきました

石垣のラインは何ヶ所かで巧みに曲げられていて、敵が城を攻撃してきたときに、敵の側面に反撃できるようになっていました（横矢掛かり）。

折れ曲がっている石垣のライン
折れ曲がっている部分を横から

石垣の角部分は、算木積みと呼ばれる、長方形に加工された石を交互に重ねて積み上げる方法により積み上げられています。これらの技術があいまって、石垣は頑丈且つ美しく見えます。

石垣の隅部分
隅部分の算木積みが見事です

その後

明治維新後、伊賀上野城は廃城となり、城の建物は撤去されました。城の中心部分は公園となりました。1935年、地元の政治家である川崎克（かつ）は、藤堂高虎が二代目の天守を築こうとした天守台石垣の上に、三代目の天守を築き寄贈しました。現在その天守が健在のため、この場所は今でも伊賀上野城と呼ばれているのです。もとからあった部分からなる城跡としては、1967年に国の史跡に指定されています。

川崎克写真 (licensed under Public Domain via Wikimedia Commons)
川崎が寄贈した三代目天守

私の感想

高虎は西日本において、驚くほどたくさんの城を築いたり、築城のアドバイスをしています。その中には大坂城の再建も含まれています。彼は、日本一と、それに次ぐ石垣の構築に関わっているわけです。伊賀上野城の石垣は、今でも日本有数の高さを誇っていて、見るに値するものです。しかし、くれぐれも高石垣の天辺から足を踏み外さないよう気を付けてください。

上から見下ろす高石垣
下から見上げる高石垣

ここに行くには

車で行く場合：名阪国道の中瀬ICか上野ICから約１０分かかります。公園にビジター向けの駐車場があります。
公共交通機関を使う場合は、伊賀鉄道の上野市駅から歩いて約１０分のところです。この駅は自ら「忍者市駅」という愛称を付けていて、ユニークな塗装の忍者列車に乗ることもできます。
東京から上野市駅まで：東海道新幹線に乗り、名古屋駅で近鉄の近鉄名古屋線に乗り換え、伊勢中川駅で近鉄大阪線に乗り換え、更に伊賀神戸駅で伊賀鉄道に乗り換えてください。

公園にある駐車場
「忍者市駅」
忍者列車

リンク、参考情報

・伊賀上野城、伊賀文化産業協会
・「よみがえる日本の城１６」学研
・「日本の城改訂版第７６、８２号」デアゴスティーニジャパン
・「築城の名手　藤堂高虎／福井健二著」戒光祥出版
・「週刊名城をゆく４３／伊賀上野城・津城」小学館

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

157.Hachimanyama Castle Part3

A dictator’s willful behavior is to be rewarded someday.

Features

Hidetsugu’s Residence Ruins at Foot

There are also the ruins of Hidetsugu’s residence at the foot of the mountain. If you are in the Barbican Enclosure, you can use the recently developed trail to go down to the ruins. Of course, you can also visit them from the city area. Hidetsugu’s residence was the elevated point of the warriors’ residential area. Its foundation, surrounded by huge stone walls, remains and looks so great. Some roof tiles covered with golden leaf were found at this site, which proved Hidetsugu lived there.

The map around the castle

The trail going down from the Barbican Enclosure
Hidetsugu’s Residence Ruins
The stone walls, using huge stones, remained
The trail from the city area

Later History

The life of Hachimanyama Castle was only 10 years while its former castle town have been prospering as a commercial city for a long time. The castle ruins have become a popular tourist spot since the cable car was first launched in 1962. On the other hand, because of the mountain’s steep terrain, landslides sometime happen which could destroy the ruins such as in 1967. Omi-Hachiman City, which owns the ruins, preserves and researches them, preparing the development of the place as a historical site.

The Hachimanbori Moats at the foot
The remaining stone walls on the mountain
A view from the Barbican Enclosure

My Impression

Was Hidetsugu only a victim of the incident in 1595? I think no. Yoshimitsu Mogami, a great lord at Yamagata Castle, lost his daughter who just reach Kyoto to be Hidetsugu’s wife because of the execution. He was very angry and decided to leave the Toyotomi Clan. Many other nobles and lords, who communicated with Hidetsugu, asked Ieyasu Tokugawa (who would become the final ruler after Hideyoshi’s death) for help in order to avoid punishment. Hideyoshi’s willful behavior resulted in the destruction of his clan including his beloved son, Hideyori, in the summer campaign of the siege of Osaka, attacked by the Tokugawa Shogunate in 1615.

Yoshiaki Mogami from Battle of Hasedo Standing Screen (licensed under Public Domain via Wikimedia Commons)
The portrait of Hideyori Toyotomi, owned by Yogenin Temple (licensed under Public Domain via Wikimedia Commons)
The summer campaign of the siege of Osaka folding screens, owned by Osaka Castle Museum (licensed under Public Domain via Wikimedia Commons)

How to get There

If you want to visit the castle by car, it is about 30 minutes away from Gamo smart IC on the Meshin Expressway. There is a parking lot beside the cable car platform.
By public transportation, you can take the Omi-Tetsudo Bus bound for Chomeiji from JR Omi-Hachiman Station and get off at the Osugicho bus stop. It takes about 5 minutes to get there.
Or it may be a good idea to use a rental bicycle from the station.
To get to Omi-Hachiman Station from Tokyo: Take the Tokaido Shinkansen super express and transfer to the Biwako Line at Maibara Station or Kyoto Station.

The parking lot beside the cable car platform

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