Sakura Castle was located at the current Sakkura City of Chiba Prefecture. The castle was built as the home of the Sakura Domain during the Edo Period, which is the origin of the city. The areas around the city had many other castles until the Sengoku Period and some of which were very important.
Location and History
Sakura Castle was located at the current Sakura City of Chiba Prefecture. The castle was built as the home of the Sakura Domain during the Edo Period, which is the origin of the city. The areas around the city had many other castles until the Sengoku Period and some of which were very important. For example, there was Usui Castle in the western part of the city, where the battle of Usui Castle happened back in 1566. Kenshin Uesugi, who tried to rule the whole Kanto Region, attacked the castle but failed. There was also Motosakura Castle in the eastern part, which was the home of the Chiba Clan. Usui Castle was a branch of the clan. Cuttently, this castle is called “Motosakura” but back then, it was called “Sakura Castle”. So therefore, Sakura Castle was the former name of Motosakura Castle. This article will explain the formative years of Sakura Castle including the formation of Motosakura Castle, which should make it easier for people to better understand the history.
The ruins of Usui Castle, Notice the wooden log steps covered in soilThe ruins of Motosakura Castle, Notice the icon on the wooden shields. This is the family crest of the Chiba Clan
Formative Years of Sakura Castle
The Chiba Clan had owned Shimosa Province, which was the northern part of Chiba Prefecture, since the end of the ancient times. The most famous person of the clan would be Tsunetane Chiba who supported the launch of the Kamakura Shogunate at the end of the 12th Century. Their home, Inohana Castle, was located at the current Chiba City for a long time. However, the castle was destroyed when many battles occurred in the 15th Century during the Sengoku Period. The clan decided to rebuild their new home in another location, which would be called Motosakura Castle. The castle was on the Shimosa plateau and was surrounded by Inbanuma Lake and other waterlogged areas. Its location was much more fortified than before and more convenient for water transportation. The lake was also much larger than now, where people could easily access Kasumigaura Lake and other great rivers. The wide water area was even called Katori-no-umi, which means the Katori inland sea.
The statue of Tsunetane Chiba, exhibited by Chiba City Folk MuseumThe whole map of Motosakura Castle, from the signboard at the site
The situation changed during the 16th Century. The Hojo Clan was invading the Kanto Region from the west. On the other hand, the Satomi Clan also got the power from the south (Boso peninsula). The Chiba Clan wondered what to do and they eventually allied with the Hojo Clan. That’s why Kenshin Uesugi, who would help the Satomi Clan, decided to attack Usui Castle, a branch of the Chiba Clan. The victory of the clan was partially due to the Hojo Clan’s help. As a result, the Hojo became more effective to the Chiba Clan. As for the home of the clan, Chikatane Chiba, who was the lord of the clan before the battle, originally planned to move his home from Motosakura to another. The new land for his new home later became Sakura Castle, which was called Kashima Castle then. Mysteriously, he died in 1533, which ultimately canceled his plans of moving the castle.
The location of the castle, Notice the smaller Inbanuma Lake on the left next to Usui Castle. This important river used to span much larger that what the current map is showing. It used to be part of a much larger body of water.
The portrait of Kenshin Uesugi, owned by the Uesugi Shrine (licensed under Public Domain via Wikimedia Commons)The portrait of Chikatane Chiba, owned by the Kubo Shrine (licensed under Public Domain via Wikimedia Commons)
The Hojo Clan interfered in the internal affairs of the Chiba Clan at the end of the 16th Century. For instance, Ujimasa Hojo married his daughter to Kunitane Chiba, the lord of the clan. The Hojo Clan allowed Kunitane to resume the construction of Kashima Castle but failed to do so because the lord was killed again. Ujimasa next married his son to Kunitane’s daughter, in order to be the successor of the clan. It was said that Kashima Castle was finally finished for the new home of the couple.
The portrait of Ujimasa Hojo, owned by Odawara Castle (licensed under Public Domain via Wikimedia Commons)
However, it is difficult to confirm whether these records are the factual, as Sakura Castle was built on the old Kashima Castle. The few discovered old dry moats at the site proved that they were at least trying to build the castle there. So, why did the Chiba and Hojo Clans want to move there again and again? One of the reasons would be that the land for the new castle was much larger than the old one. For the Hojo Clan, another possible reason may have been to protect their territories from the potential invasions by Hideyoshi Toyotomi from the west. The plateau, where the new castle was built on, had steep slopes and was surrounded by rivers towards the direction. That would have had a very defensive fort against the invasion. However, the Chiba Clan was eventually fired by Hideyoshi, after their master, the Hojo Clan was defeated at the battle of Odawara Castle in 1590.
The current Sakura CastleThe current Odawara Castle
Toshikatsu Doi builds Sakura Castle
After the Battle of Odawara Castle, several lords were assigned one after another by Ieyasu Tokugawa who was the founder of the Tokugawa Shogunate. In 1610, Ieyasu ordered his retainer, Toshikatsu Doi to stay in Motosakura Castle and to build a new home at the former location of Kashima Castle, which would eventually be called, Sakura Castle. The new castle was supposed to support Edo Castle, the home of the shogunate. If Edo Castle was attacked by enemies from the west, the shogun could escape from his home to Sakura Castle towards the east. Sakura Castlewas situated in a great location that had very strong natural defense.
The portrait of Toshikatsu Doi, owned by Jojoji Temple (licensed under Public Domain via Wikimedia Commons)
Toshikatsu served three generations of the shoguns: Ieyasu, Hidetada, and Iemitsu. He was one of the most important senior vassals for them and established the system of the government. He was born in 1573 when Ieyasu was only a warlord during the Seongoku Period. There are some theories about who his father was. The first one is that Toshimasa Doi was his father, according to the official family trees by the shogunate. The second one claims that he was a son of Nobumoto Mizuno who was a brother of Odai, Ieyasu’s mother, according to the official history books of the shogunate. Odai originally came from the Mizuno Clan. The last theory is the most surprising theory, it was said that Toshikatsu was an illegitimate son of Ieyasu, according to the official trees of the Doi Clan. Each theory has substantial evidence, however only one theory can be true. Why were there different theories?
The Portrait of Ieyasu Tokugawa, attributed to Tanyu Kano, owned by Osaka Castle Museum (licensed under Public Domain via Wikimedia Commons)
Recent studies believe the followings. Toshikatsu has a short sword where the family crest of the Mizuno Clan was engraved. It was passed down from Odai to Ieyasu who gave it to Toshikatsu. That meant Toshikatsu was Ieyasu’s son. However, it was a very know fact, which was not recorded officially. That’s why the official family trees simply say Toshikatsu was a biological son of the Doi Clan (in fact, adopted). After that, Toshimasu Doi, who was a grandson of Toshikatsu, was worried about the declining reputation of his clan. He thought that he should settle the mystery of his grandfather to gain a stable position for the clan. His decision was that he would announce that Toshikatsu was a son of the Mizuno Clan by using its family crest on the sword. The writers of the official history books probably heard about it. Finally, Toshisato Doi, the 8th lord of the clan, was asked as to who Toshikatsu’s mother was by the shogunate. Toshisato decided that he would answer by telling the truth and put it on his clan’s official trees. However, the shogunate couldn’t accept it because the matters of Ieyasu were too serious to change for them. As a result, the three theories certainly unchanged today. As for Toshikatsu himself, he became a close vassal of Hidetada, who was the successor of Ieyasu, when Toshikatsu was only 7 years old. No matter who his father was, it’s no mystery that he was a very talented person.
The portrait of Toshimasu Doi, owned by Jojoji Temple (licensed under Public Domain via Wikimedia Commons)
When Ieyasu established the shogunate, his most influential retainers were the Honda and the Okubo Clans. However, they often had internal conflicts with each other. As a result, Masazumi Honda survived when Hidetada became the 2nd shogun. Hidetada didn’t want to let Masazumi have more power. He and his close vassals, including Toshikatsu Doi, decided to trick Masazumi. When Masazumi went on a business trip from his home, Utsunomiya Castle, to another castle where he was told about his replacement. That’s the reason Masazumi would not be able to raise a rebellion. In fact, that’s the same way Masazumi excluded the Okubo Clan earlier on. Toshikatsu must have joined the careful planning of the strategy. He continued to serve the shoguns, including the third shogun, Iemitsu, for a long time. He also contributed to the shogunate by building the group guidance system of the shogunate. The system would avoid relying on individual abilities and having internal conflicts so much like the shogunate had used to.
The portrait of Masanobu Honda, owned by Kaga-Maeda Museum (licensed under Public Domain via Wikimedia Commons)The portrait of Tadayo Okubo, owned by Odawara Castle (licensed under Public Domain via Wikimedia Commons)
In reality, Toshikatsu survived these internal conflicts. Therefore, people sometimes viewed him as a Machiavellian. On the other hand, he was a well-informed and kind person whom the shoguns, his colleagues, and even foreign merchants often relied on. That may be one of the reasons for his longevity. He was also the founder of the Sakura Domain and built Sakura Castle in over 7 years, which was eventually completed in 1616.
Features of Sakura Castle
Sakura Castle, which was built on a large plateau, had several distinctive features. First, the castle wisely used the natural shapes of the plateau. The plateau was basically a natural hazard, which was about 20m above the foot of the hill and surrounded by Takasaki and Kashima Rivers. The main enclosure was built at the western edge of the plateau, and other enclosures were built around it. Large dry moats and the main gate were also constructed to the east for fortification. The Samurai residences and the castle town with Narita Road were built over the gate. Overall, the castle and town were all created on the plateau.
The illustration of Sakura Castle in Shimousa Province, exhibited by the National Diet LibraryThe old photo of the main gate, from the signboard at the site, Notice how small the people are. The gate was so much bigger compared to modern gates todayThe remaining dry moat
Secondly, the castle foundations were all made from soil, not using stone walls. When the battle of Odawara Castle happened, Hideyoshi Toyotomi built a castle made of pure stone walls, called Ishigakiyama Castle, for the first time in the Kanto Region. Since then, similar castles, such as Edo Castle, were built in the region. However, Sakura Castle kept the traditional method of the region, using only soil. Other castle used the same method, such as Kawagoe and Utsunomiya Castles. On the other hand, the castle had some of the latest defensive systems at that time. There were two defensive positions, called Umadashi, in front of the gate of the third enclosure. There were also huge enclosures outside the third enclosure, which could accommodate lots of soldiers and was used as a parade ground. Furthermore, the belt enclosures were built on the slopes of the plateau where the defenders were able to move easily. Finally, the enclosures connected to two barbican enclosures outside the plateau.
The ruins of Ishigakiyama CastleThe main tower base of Sakura Castle, Notice that not one stone was usedThe current Utsunomiya CastleThe Umadashi enclosure of Sakura CastleThe belt enclosure of Sakura CastleThe barbican enclosure of Sakura Castle, Notice the amount of algae covering the moat
The final feature is about the buildings of the castle. There was the main tower in the main enclosure, which was about 22m high and had three levels (four floors). It was extremely rare for that type of castle to be built at that time. (The shogunate basically didn’t allow new castle constructions after its rules were established.) The tower was said to have moved from Edo castle. Its details are unknown, however, because it was unfortunately burned down by an accidental fire during the Edo Period. Historians speculate that it was similar to that of Koga Castle, which Toshikatsu also built later on. There were also Do-yagura (Copper Turret) and Sumi-yagura (Corner Turret) in the main enclosure. The enclosure also had the main hall inside but was barely used. This was because it was once used by Ieyasu Tokugawa, so it was considered exclusive to the shoguns. Instead, the lord of the castle lived in the main hall of the second enclosure. Atter the hall deteriorated; a new hall was built outside the third enclosure.
The miniature model of the main tower, exhibited by Sakura Castle Park Information Center
Masayoshi Hotta comes up with an idea to Open the Country from Sakura Castle
After Toshikatsu Doi moved to the Koga Domain in 1633, several lord families ruled the Sakura Domain during the Edo Period. In particular, the Hotta Clan owed the domain and castle for a long time until the end of the period. I will describe Masayoshi Hotta who was one of the lords and how he devoted his life to reforming and opening the country to the rest of the world. Masayoshi was born in 1810 and became one of the core members of the central government when he was 32 years old. However, he quit the position 2 years later because he didn’t really get along with Tadakuni Mizuno, the top of the government under the shogun. However, he kept in touch with his colleagues like Masahiro Abe and Naosuke Ii.
Masayoshi Hotta (licensed under Public Domain via Wikimedia Commons)
He also reformed the government of the Sakura Domain. He declared the reform to the retainers of the domain at the main hall in the third enclosure of Sakura Castle. One idea was to include the military system of the domain. He changed it to the western style and he allowed the soldiers to exercise in the castle. Another major change from the reform was that Masayoshi introduced the western medicine to the domain. He invited a famous doctor, Taizen Sato from Edo City, who opened a medical school, called Sakura-Juntendo. Lots of students gathered there from all around Japan, which gave Sakura the name Rangaku (Dutch studies) town similar to Nagasaki. (At that time, the western science was provided from the Netherlands, one of the few countries which had diplomatic relationship with Japan.) Masayoshi was also called “Ranpeki” which means a person who devotes oneself entirely to Dutch studies and way of life. As a result, the scenery of Sakura Castle and the town dramatically changed.
Taizen Sato (licensed under Public Domain via Wikimedia Commons)
After the arrival of Matthew Perry’s fleet in 1853, Masahiro Abe, who was the top of the government, asked the country to vote on whether or not Japan should open the rest of the world. Despite Masayoshi’s wishes to open Japan, most people voted against it. Masayoshi was suddenly assigned the top of the government (the chief of the members of shogun’s council of elders) in 1855. However, the reason why Masayoshi was appointed the top official was still uncertain. One of his tasks was to negotiate with Townsend Harris, the council of the U.S. about the trade treaty. Masayoshi actively dealt with Harris because both of them really wanted Japan to open to the rest of the world. The treaty was still unfair, however. For example, Japan didn’t have autonomy to tariffs. On the other hand, Masayoshi decided to open Yokohama Port which would become a worldwide port even today.
The portrait of Masahiro Abe, owned by Fukuyama Seshikan High School (licensed under Public Domain via Wikimedia Commons)Townsend Harris (licensed under Public Domain via Wikimedia Commons), An older picture of Townsend Harris
Even after the deal with Harris was finalized, Masayoshi still needed to handle a more difficult task. It was to get approval of the treaty from many relative lords in the government. When Toshikatsu Doi was the top, the system was simpler than the period of Masayoshi. However, the system had completely changed. The result was that only 4 of the 18 relative lords supported it. Therefore, Masayoshi’s second option was to get approval from the emperor, which had ever not been done. It would be the most effective way to overrule the lords. He visited the imperial court in Kyoto in 1558 to persuade the emperor and the nobles but he failed. This was because the emperor Komei himself did not want to open the country to the rest of the world.
The portrait of Naosuke Ii, owned by Hikone Castle Museum (licensed under Public Domain via Wikimedia Commons)
Masayoshi was unfortunately fired, and the matter of the treaty was contnued by Naosuke Ii. He went back to the hall of Sakura Castle and lived there until his retirement and until his death in 1864. After the Meiji Restoration, the castle was used as a base for the Japanese Imperial Army. The mission of the base was to guard the eastern areas of Tokyo, the new imperial capital and the former shogun’s capital. That meant the role of the castle was the same between the Edo Period and the Meiji Era. After World War II, it became Sakura Castle Park and part of the park is used as National Museum of Japanese Histories today. The location of the castle is very suitable for such a large museum.
The statue of Masayosho Hotta in the third enclosure of Sakura CastleThe miniature model of Sakura Castle when the Japanese Imperial Army used it, exhibited by the National Museum of Japanese HistoriesThe entrance of Sakura Castle ParkThe entrance of National Museum of Japanese Histories
Azuchi Castle, which had many unique characters, suddenly appeared and disappeared in a short amount of time like its master, Nobunaga. As a result, it has a lot of mysteries which attract us. This article will focus on 5 items of the mysteries, which people often dispute about.
Azuchi Castle was, needless to say, known for the final and most popular home of Nobunaga Oda. Other than that, he created a typical style of Japanese castles, including the main tower, turrets, and white walls on top of the stone walls, which are guarded by defensive gates and are surrounded by water moats. The style was passed down from one generation to the next by other great Japanese lords. That’s why we still think it as the most typical Japanese castles’ style. Therefore, Azuchi castle was the inspiration for many other castles that came after it.
The portrait of Nobunaga Oda, attributed to Soshu Kano, owned by Chokoji Temple, in the late 16th century (licensed under Public Domain via Wikimedia Commons)
However, the castle had a very short life for its impact. The construction of the castle launched in 1576. Nobunaga started to live in its main tower three years later. Its completion was done in September of 1581 (according to the luna calendar), just 9 months before Nobunaga’s death during the Honnoji Incident in Kyoto on the 3rd of June the following year. The main tower of the castle was burned down around the 15th of June for some unknown reasons. The Oda’s relatives still used the remaining parts of the castle for a while. Atter that, the castle was eventually abandoned in 1585 because their new home, which was called Hachimanyama Castle, was completed.
The ruins of Hachimanyama Castle
As you saw, the castle, which had many unique characters, suddenly appeared and disappeared in a short amount of time like its master, Nobunaga. As a result, it has a lot of mysteries which attract us. For example, its own name “Azuchi” is one of them. A record of the Hosokawa Clan says that Nobunaga changed the name of the land to Azuchi. However, the record doesn’t say why. Some speculate the name came from Kyoto’s nickname “Heian-rakudo” which borrows the two Chinese characters of Azuchi (安土). The original Chinese characters of Heian-rakudo is as followed: 平安楽土. They think Nobunaga wanted the castle to be the new capital of Japan. The speculation is not very plausible because other experts argue that other speculations are more plausible.
Azuchi Mountain
This article will focus on 5 items of the mysteries, which people often dispute about. I will also compare Theory A with Theory B for each item by summarizing the opinions about each one. Theory A will mainly consist of conventional wisdom from the officials, historians, and experts. Theory B, on the other hand, will focus on the opinions of Mr. Senda who is a famous castle archaeologist and from me (in the last part).
Location and History (Mystery Showdown)
Mystery of the Straight Main Route to the Mountain
Introduction
A surprising thing was discovered in the ruins of Azuchi Castle during the excavations since 1989 by Shiga Prefecture. Castles on mountains during the Sengoku Period usually had zigzagged routes to the top and had defensive walls, gates and turrets on the way to the top. Azuchi Castle Ruins had had stone walls on the way of the main route, which looked like a typical mountain castle at that time. However, the stone walls were built by Sokenji Temple at Azuchi Mountain during the Edo Period, abd not the Sengoku Period. The excavation team removed the stone walls and discovered that there was the original straight main route to the mountain, which is approximately 180m long. It also found the ruins of residential areas maybe for the senior vassals along the route, such as “Hideyoshi Hashiba (then later Hideyoshi Toyotomi who would be the ruler of Japan). In addition, four gate ruins were found around the entrance of the route. Three of the four gates had a simple design, called “Hira-koguchi”, where visitors (and possibly enemies) could have passed through easily. I wonder Why the straight main route was built instead of the zigzagged route which is typical of defensive castles during the Sengoku Period?
The diorama of the stone walls on the main route before it was removed, exhibited by Azuchi Castle Archaeological MuseumThe current main route of Azuchi CastleThe ruins of the residence of Hideyoshi Hashiba
Theory A
One theory suggests this route was used only for special visitors in special cases. It was particularly considered as the route for the emperor’s royal visit to Azuchi Castle though it never happened. That’s why the route was built straight for the convenience of the visitors. The straight layout might also have been emulated to look like the central street of Kyoto. In addition, there are no records of this route because it was rarely used. The three simple gates around the route entrance must have also been built only for these visits. The layouts were very similar to that of the imperial palace at that time. The gates were used depending on the visitors’ classes. The ruins of the residential areas along the route might have been used as the facilities for the visitors. According to the imaginary drawing through the use of CG of the main route, the great main tower of the castle stands over there (refer to the third picture at the bottom). The visitors on the route would feel the power of the castle’s master, Nobunaga Oda
The ruins of the main gateThe diorama of Azuchi Castle, exhibited by Azuchi Castle Archaeological MuseumThe imaginary drawing of the main route of Azuchi Castle, exhibited by Gifu Castle
Theory B
The next theory was the main route was built not only for the royal visit, but also for the residential areas, as I mentioned earlier. In fact, Nobunaga had built the similar straight main route in Komakiyama Castle on Komakiyama Mountain, which was his home earlier on. The residential areas of his senior vassals were constructed along the route, too. The route was straight until the midway point of the slope of the mountain but the route above had zigzagged patterns for defensive purposes. This had been done when Nobunaga was young, so he never met the emperor. Azuchi Castle had the same system as Komakiyama Castle. The route to the top zigzags after 180m. Several defensive gates were also built on the way to the upper part. Why didn’t Nobunaga make all the routes straight if he wanted them to use only for the royal visits? The reason for the three simple gates were designed to classify Nobunaga’s retainers when they went to the castle. In addition, the masters of the residential areas of Azuchi Castle were very busy and had their own territories in other locations. As a result, the areas were usually vacant, which wouldn’t appear on records.
The ruins of Komakiyama CastleThe main route of Komakiyama CastleThe zigzagged route of Komakiyama Castle just after the straight route
Mystery of the Main Hall
Introduction
The excavation team also researched the top area of Azuchi Mountain, which includes the main enclosure. They found another answer. The team discovered that the stone foundations of the main hall on the enclosure have wider intervals than the typical halls at that time. After some studies, it was found that the layout of the stone foundations of Azuchi Castle Hall is very similar to that of Seiryoden Hall in the imperial palace during the Edo Period. Shincho-koki, which is the most reliable biography of Nobunaga, stated that Azuchi Castle had room for the royal visit or the emperor’s stay. A noble’s diary also says that the emperor would go to Azuchi. What did the main enclosure of Azuchi Castle really look like?
The current main enclosure of Azuchi Castle
Theory A
One plausible theory suggests there must have been the main hall for the emperor on the main enclosure. Nobunaga might have thought he would move the emperor and the capital of Japan from Kyoto to Azuchi. Before the construction of Azuchi Castle, Nobunaga retired as the lord of the Oda Clan. He also resigned from all his positions in the imperial court until the completion of the castle. Nobunaga might have wanted to be the person who surpasses all the positions of Samurai and the imperial court. He actually gave his castle in Kyoto to the current prince. He also adopted the prince’s son. These facts might indicate that Nobunaga would invite one of them to Azuchi as the new emperor. If the new emperor lived in the main hall of the main enclosure, Nobunaga could look down on him from the much higher main tower. That would symbolize Nobunaga was just like the most powerful monarch of Japan.
The portrait of Prince Sanehito, owned by Sennyuji Temple, (licensed under Public Domain via Wikimedia Commons)
Theory B
An alternative theory suggests the main hall must have been the government offices. Nobunaga usually lived in the main tower and the second enclosure, with his family where other people were rarely allowed to enter. The other third enclosure on the mountain was used as the reception hall. Therefore, if the main enclosure was used just for the emperor, there would be no place for the government to stay in. According to architects, it is impossible to determine what was built using only stone foundations. The Shincho-koki biography also states that there was another hall, called “Nanden” (which means “south hall”) in the enclosure. It was thought that Nobunaga usually met his retainers there. “The royal visit room”, written in the biography, also states that there was probably part of the hall or another small hall. As for Nobunaga’s position, he might have destined to become the next shogun, which was the traditional position for the new shogunate, according to a historian’s study.
The center of the diorama above, showing the second enclosure, the main tower ruins, the main enclosure, and the third enclosure (from the left to the right), exhibited by Azuchi Castle Archaeological Museum
Mystery of the Main Tower
Introduction
The main tower of Azuchi Castle is one of the examples of the first proper high buildings for Japanese castles at that time. It was said that Nobunaga was the only person who lived in a main tower according to records. The tower must have had a spiritual aura and authoritative presence. According to Gyuichi Ota who was the author of the Shincho-koki biography and Luis Frois, a missionary who visited Japan at that time, it was about 32m tall (41m including the tower base) composed 5 levels (6 floors and 1 basement). The tower was very colorful. Especially, the 5th floor was a red octagon shape with Buddhist paintings on the inside walls. The top 6th floor was a golden square shape with Chinese saints’ painted on the inside walls. There are a lot of remaining stone foundations to the base, but they just lack the central one, which comes from the original conditions. What did the main tower actually look like?
The stone foundations of the tower base, which lacks the central oneThe miniature model of the 5th floor, exhibited by Azuchi Castle MuseumThe miniature model of the 6th floor, exhibited by Azuchi Castle Museum
Theory A
A popular theory suggests there is a drawing which shows the design of the tower, called “Tenshu-sashizu” (which means “the design of the tower”). It was recorded and passed down by a magistrate family of the Kaga Domain. It doesn’t say it is the design of Azuchi Castle tower, however, it matches the records mentioned above and the on-site situations. Dr. Akira Naito made a restoration plan using the drawing, which is wildly accepted. According to the plan, the tower had an atrium structure, and a pagoda on the center of the base without the stone foundation. Experts speculate that the pagoda would indicate the appearance from the ground, written in the Lotus Sutra. You can see the 1/20 scale model based on the plan in Azuchi Castle Museum. You can also see the real life model of the 5th and 6th floors of the tower in Nobunaga no Yakata Museum. The tower was vewed as a heaven for Nobunaga who would reign over the pagoda as the only living god.
The miniature model of the main tower, exhibited by Azuchi Castle MuseumThe atrium structure and the pagoda in the modelA figure of Nobunaga siting on the 5th floor
Theory B
Others have argued the plan based on the Tenshu-sashizu drawing. They say that it is impossible that the characteristic atrium structure was not recorded. For this reason, there is another restoration plan which doesn’t the atrium. Furthermore, the most controversial problem is that if you rebuild the main tower just as Gyuichi said, the tower will have to hang over the existing base. Dr. Yoshihiro Senda has an alternative theory however. He says that the tower would be able to be supported by Kake-zukuri method. This method involves building the foundation by combining many columns and horizontal beams like lattices on rocks or the ground. Buildings using this method can been seen in some old shrines and temples such as Kiyomizu-dera Temple in Kyoto. It has also been seen in some castles like Himeji and Fukuyama. Dr. Senda points out the traces of stone foundation were found beside the base, which could indicate the Kake-zukuri method was used. In addition, the decisive evidence could be found in the future. Nobunaga sent the screen of illustration of Azuchi Castle, called “Azuchi-san-zu-byobu” to the Pope. The screen was once exhibited in the Vatican Palace but disappeared mysteriously. Officials from Shiga Prefecture is currently seeking for it in Italy. If it is found, it could be the discovery of the century.
The building based on the plan without the atrium (licensed by D-one via Wikimedia Commons)An example of castle buildings using the Kake-zukuri method, at Fukuyama Castle, quoted from Fukuyama Castle Museum WebsiteThe area beside the tower base, where the traces of stone foundation were foundThe imaginary drawing of the “Azuchi-san-zu-byobu” screen
Mystery of Sokenji Temple
Introduction
Nobunaga founded Sokenji Temple inside Azuchi Castle. It is large for a castle. The materials of the temple were not new but were collected from older temples. This temple currently worships Nobunaga. However, curious to say, the temple officially says it was founded by a priest after Nobunaga died. According to Gyuichi’s records, there was a stone, named Bonsan, in the main tower. However, the stone was moved to the temple, according to Luis Frois. The temple was located at the middle point between the center of the castle and the side entrance. This point was important for protecting the castle, where defensive systems could have been built. So, why did Nobunaga build the temple instead of the systems?
The remaining Nio-mon Gate of Sokenji TempleThe remaining three-level tower of Sokenji TempleThe current side entrance
Theory A
Frois also said that Nobunaga founded the temple in order to make people worship him there. The Bonsan stone was the icon of Nobunaga. Frois described that Nobunaga also built a public noticeboard which states people should go to the temple and worship him on his birthday. As a matter of fact, Nobunaga thought his birthday (the 11th of May according to the luna calendar) was like the birthday of the western people. For example, he moved to the main tower on that day, not during lucky days where most Japanese people believed in. The conclusion is that Nobunaga made the important spot as his holy place of the temple.
The grave of Nobunaga at the second enclosureThere is a stone on the grave, which looks like Bonsan
Theory B
In fact, it was not unusual that castles had temples inside them. For instance, Kannonji Castle near Azuchi had Kannon-seji Temple. Takakage Kobayakawa, who was a great warlord in the Chugoku Region, built Kyoshinji Temple in his Ni-Takayama Castle. During the Muromachi and Sengoku Periods, the Samurai ceremonies consisted of two phases. The first one was to confirm the master-servant relationship at Shuden places. The second was to communicate with each other at Kaisho places. In the case of Azuchi Castle, the center of the castle was clearly equivalent to a Shuden place. Meanwhile, Sokenji Temple must have been used as a Kaisho place. For example, when Nobunaga invited his ally, Ieyasu Tokugawa to Azuchi Castle, a Noh play (similar to Kabuki play) was held there. In addition, there are no records about people worshiping Nobunaga at the Japanese side.
The diorama of Kannonji Castle, exhibited by Azuchi Castle Archaeological MuseumKannon-seji Temple (licensed by Jnn via Wikipedia Commons)The ruins of Ni-Takayama CastleThe ruins of the Kyoshinji Temple
Mystery of the Main Tower burning down
Introduction
The center of Azuchi Castle, including the main tower, was burned down around the 15th of June in 1582 (according to the luna calendar), just after the Honnoji Incident on the 2nd of June. The following list are the relatives who were involved in using the castle and also the prime suspects who might have burned it down.
・Katahide Gamo: He was at Azuchi Castle on behalf of Nobunaga when the incident happened. However, he left the castle with Nobunaga’s family on the 3rd of June after he heard about the incident. ・Mitsuhide Akechi: He entered the castle on the 5th of June after he killed Nobunaga during the incident. He then gave the treasures of the castle to his retainers and moved to his original home of Sakamoto Castle. ・Hidemitsu Akechi: He was Mitsuhide’s retainer and held the castle instead of Mitsuhide. He left the castle on the 14th of June after he heard about his master being beaten by Hideyoshi Hashiba on the 13th. Taikoki, which is one of Hideyoshi’s biographies, says Hidemitsu was responsible for setting the castle on fire. ・Nobukatsu Oda: He was Nobunaga’s son, and he entered the castle on the 15th of June. According to Luis Frois, it was Nobukatsu who burned the castle down.
The castle might have burned down accidentally or by night thieves. However, if you must speculate one person from the list, who was the biggest suspect?
The stone foundations of the main tower base
Theory A
Nobukatsu must be the suspect as Frois said. Hidemitsu had an alibi that he was at Sakamoto Castle on that day. The Taikoki biography is only adds to the blames of the Akechi Clan. Frois also said that Nobukatsu did it for no reasons because he was unwise. Before the incident, he selfishly attacked Iga Province, failed to do so, and was yelled at by Nobunaga. After the incident, he battled against Hideyoshi, together with Ieyasu Tokugawa. However, he eventually made peace with Hideyoshi who dangled a carrot in front of him, without Ieyasu’s permission. Finally, he was fired by Hideyoshi who became the ruler after the battle of Odawara Castle. He rejected the change of his territory, ordered by Hideyoshi, though Ieyasu accepted it. Nobukatsu was not able to understand the situations properly. He was so incompetent that he could impulsively destroy the legacy of his father who was also angry at him.
The portrait of Nobukatsu Oda, owned by Sokenji Temple (licensed under Public Domain via Wikimedia Commons)
Theory B
This theory is believed in. Nobukatsu must be the suspect, too. However, he was not so incompetent that he did it for a good reason. When he attacked Iga Province, he was the independent lord of the Kitabatake Clan, so he could decide it. Nobunaga had adopted Nobukatsu to the clan as the next successor. He was still the lord of the Kitabatake Clan when he allied with Ieyasu. Hideyoshi mostly captured the territory of the clan (Ise Province) because Ieyasu was so strong. Nobukatsu had to compromise with Hideyoshi before his territory would be occupied. After that, he tried to mediate between Hideyoshi and Ieyasu. He also worked hard in the battle of Odawara Castle for Hideyoshi’s unification of Japan. Therefore, it might not be sensible for Nobukatsu to be fired completely even though he rejected Hideyoshi’s command. This might have been Hideyoshi’s strategy which attempted his prefered territory plan. After the Honnoji Incident, Nobukatsu wanted to be the lord of the Oda Clan, not just that of Kitabatake Clan. However, his brother, Notbutaka also wanted it. Nobukatsu might have burned the main tower down intentionally in order to prevent Nobutaka and other senior vassals from disturbing him.
The portrait of Nobutaka Oda, (licensed under Public Domain via Wikimedia Commons)
