140.Genbao Castle Part1

The stronghold of Katsuie Shibata in the Battle of Shizugatake

Location and History

A castle built against Hideyoshi Hashiba

Genbao Castle was located on the border between Echizen and Omi Provinces, which are modern day Fukui and Shiga Prefectures. It was built by Katsuie Shibata who owned Echizen Province when the Battle of Shizugatake happened in 1583. After the ruler, Nobunaga Oda died in the Honnoji Incident in 1582, his senior vassals, Katsuie and Hideyohsi Hashiba argued against each other over the initiative. Hideyoshi invaded the northern Omi Province, which Katsuie had owned, and started to build many battle castles near the border of Echizen Province which was the home base of Katsuie. Katsuie also confronted Hideyoshi by building his own battle castles around the border. Genbao Castle was the center of these battle castles and Katsuie’s stronghold. Part of its name Genba comes from an official post.”Genba” is the name given to warriors who are highly respected, but it is uncertain whose official name it came from.

The location of the castle

The portrait of Katsuie Shibata, from the signboard at the site of Kitanosho Castle Ruins
The Portrait of Hideyoshi Toyotomi, attributed to Mitsunobu Kano, owned by Kodaiji Temple (licensed under Public Domain via Wikimedia Commons)

Enclosures on Mountain Top

The castle was built on the top of Nakauchio Mountain which was 445m high and also the border. It was also able to control the road over a mountain pass between the provinces, called Tone-toge near the castle. The enclosures of the castle were built on the top of the ridge from the north to the south. The front of the castle was open to the south, the mountain pass and Omi Province where Hideyoshi invaded. Because of that, the southern side of the castle was strongly protected with two enclosures in line. On the other hand, the northern side had the largest enclosure which was used as a military post. The Main Enclosure was the center of the castle, where Katsuie probably lived. It had a Main Tower or large turret, and attached three projecting small enclosures called Umadashi or Overhang for defense.

The relief map around the castle

The layout of the castle, from the signboard at the site, adding red letters

Sakuma Morimasa’s offensive vs Hideyoshi’s counterattack

On the 16th of April 1583, Katsuie’s ally, Nobutaka Oda fought an army at Gifu Castle in Mino Province against Hideyoshi. Hideyoshi went to Mino Province to crush it on April 17th. Katsuie thought it was a good opportunity to attack Hideyoshi’s side. Morimasa Sakuma, who worked under Katsuie, moved onward to capture some of Hideyoshi’s battle castles on April 19th. However, that was Hideyoshi’s trap. Morimasa succeeded in capturing a battle castle, and wanted to get one more called Shizugatake Fortress. Then, Hideyoshi immediately got back to his original position and counterattacked Morimasa on April 20th. Katsuie and Morimasa were finally defeated by Hideyoshi. An old biography about Hideyoshi called Hoan Taikoki, published in 1626 by Hoan Oze, says Morimasa’s reckless actions caused his destruction although Katsuie advised him to withdraw after his first attack. Many Japanese people have believed it for a very long time.

The picture of the Morimasa Sakuma, attributed to Nobukazu Yousai, in 1893 (licensed under Public Domain via Wikimedia Commons)

Is Most Important Factor Toshiie Maeda’s withdrawal?

Recent studies show Morimasa’s actions were not critical. Toshiie Maeda, another ally of Katsuie, who would be a great lord after Hideyoshi became the ruler, eventually withdrew without Katsuie’s permission at the same time as Hideyoshi’s counterattack. It was the decisive trigger for Hideyoshi’s victory and Katsuie’s lost. Why didn’t Hoan describe this most important factor? The answer is that Hoan was a dependent of the Maeda Clan. The action of Toshiie Maeda, the founder of the clan, was probably promised to Hideyoshi, but later people would think it was a betrayal. It was thought Hoan was not able to record this fact which may be a shame of Maeda, therefore he blamed another person for the lost. Genbao Castle was strong, but was meant to work closely with other battle castles. Katsuie had to withdraw from the castle without a battle when his ally gave up on the duty.

The portrait of Toshiie Maeda, private owned (licensed under Public Domain via Wikimedia Commons)

To be continued in “Genbao Castle Part2”

140.玄蕃尾城 その1

賤ヶ岳の戦いにおける柴田勝家の本陣

立地と歴史

羽柴秀吉に対抗して築城

玄蕃尾城は、越前国と近江国の国境にあった城で、現在では福井県と滋賀県の県境にあたります。この城は、1583年に起こった賤ヶ岳の戦いの当時、越前国を領有していた柴田勝家によって築かれました。1582年の本能寺の変により天下人の織田信長が亡くなった後、重臣であった勝家と羽柴秀吉(後の豊臣秀吉)は、主導権を巡って互いに争いました。秀吉は、勝家が併せて領有していた北近江に侵攻し、勝家の本拠地であった越前国との国境近くに多くの陣城を築きました。勝家も秀吉に対抗して、その国境周辺に陣城を構築しました。玄蕃尾城は、これらの陣城の中心であり、勝家の本陣だったのです。この城の名前の一部「玄蕃」は朝廷の官職の一つであり、高い地位にある武士に与えられました(もしくは自称していたことも考えられます)。しかし、誰に与えられた官職名から由来していたのかは不明です(佐久間「玄蕃」盛政からとも言われますが、朝倉氏の家臣である朝倉「玄蕃」助景連が築城し、名前の元になったという説もあります)。

城の位置

柴田勝家像(北ノ庄城跡現地説明板より)
豊臣秀吉肖像画、加納光信筆、高台寺蔵 (licensed under Public Domain via Wikimedia Commons)

山上に築かれた曲輪群

この城は、標高445mで国境にも位置していた中内尾山の頂上に築かれました。またこの城からは、城の近くにある両国の境を通っていた刀根(とね)峠を押さえることができました。城の曲輪群は山の峰の北側から南側に沿って築かれました。城の正面口は南側に開いており、刀根峠と秀吉が侵攻した近江国の方角に向いていました。そのため、城の南面は2つの直列した曲輪群によって厳重に守られていました。一方城の北側には、城では最も大きな曲輪があり、駐屯地として使われていました。本丸は城の中心部にあり、恐らく勝家がいたと思われます。そこには天守か大櫓があり、防御のための馬出しまたは張出と呼ばれる3つの小さな突出した曲輪が付随していました。

城周辺の起伏地図

玄蕃尾城の縄張り図(現地説明板より)

佐久間盛政の攻勢と秀吉の反撃

1583年の4月16日、勝家の同盟者、美濃国の岐阜城にいた織田信孝が秀吉に対して兵を挙げました。秀吉は、4月17日にこれを鎮圧するために美濃国に向かいました。このとき勝家は、秀吉側に攻撃を仕掛ける絶好の機会だと思ったのです。勝家配下の佐久間盛政は、4月19日に秀吉の陣城を占領するために前進してきました。ところが、それは秀吉の罠だったのです。盛政は陣城を一つ攻略し(中川清秀が守っていた大岩山砦)、もう一つの陣城、賤ケ岳砦をも手に入れようとしました。それから秀吉は直ちに元の陣地に引き返し、4月20日には盛政に対し反撃を開始したのです。勝家と盛政は、ついには秀吉により倒されました。1626年に出版された小瀬甫庵による、比較的古い秀吉の伝記である「甫庵太閤記」は、勝家は盛政に対して最初の攻撃の後引き返すよう忠告したにも関わらず、盛政の不用意な行動が彼らの滅亡を招いたと記述しています。多くの日本人は長い間、これを定説として受け入れてきました。

佐久間盛政を描いた錦絵、楊斎延一作、1893年 (licensed under Public Domain via Wikimedia Commons)

前田利家の撤退が勝敗を決したか

最近の研究によれば、盛政の行動は致命的ではなかったとのことです。勝家のもう一人の同盟者で、秀吉が天下人となった後大大名となった前田利家は、秀吉の反撃と同時に勝家の承諾なしに自陣から撤退したのです。これこそ秀吉の勝利と勝家の敗退へ導いた決定的な要因だったのです。甫庵はどうしてこの最も重要な事実を述べなかったのでしょうか。それは、甫庵は前田家から扶持をもらっていたからなのです。前田家の始祖である前田利家の行動は、恐らく秀吉と約束されていたのでしょう。しかし後の人々はそれを勝家への裏切りと取るかもしれません。甫庵は、前田家の恥になるかもしれないこの事実を記録できなかったと考えられるのです。よって、彼は敗戦の責任を他の誰かに押し付ける必要がありました。玄蕃尾城は強力でしたが、あくまで他の陣城と連携して力を発揮するようになっていました。勝家は、同盟者が責務を果たせない以上、この城から撤退せざるをえなかったのです。

前田利家肖像画、個人蔵 (licensed under Public Domain via Wikimedia Commons)

「玄蕃尾城その2」に続きます。

139.Sagaki-Kuniyoshi Castle Part1

An impregnable castle on the border of Wakasa Province

Location and History

Katsuhisa Awaya reclaims Castle

What is now Fukui Prefecture was divided into Echizen Province in the Northeast and Wakasa Province in the Southwest. In the 16th Century during the Sengoku Period, the Asakura Clan governed Echizen while the Takeda Clan owned Wakasa. Sagaki-Kuniyoshi Castle was in Wakasa Province near the border between both provinces. Sagaki comes from the name of the area around the castle and Kuniyoshi originates from the name of the person who first built the castle sometime before the Sengoku Period. People at that time usually called it “Sagaki Castle” and the other name “Kuniyoshi Castle” became popular later. As a result, historians and history buffs often call it Sagaki-Kuniyoshi Castle, using both names.

The location of the castle

Comparing the Asakura and Takeda Clans, Asakura were much stronger than Takeda. Asakura tried to extend their power to Wakasa Province, in response, Takeda wanted to rely on Asakura. However, Takeda’s retainers, such as one of the senior vassals, Katsuhisa Awaya, rebelled against them. Katsuhisa reclaimed an abandoned castle to prevent the Asakura Clan from invading Wakasa Province, called Sagaki-Kuniyoshi Castle. The castle was built on a steep mountain with a height at 197m near the border of Echizen Provence. People who went in or out of Wakasa Province had to pass a ridge beside the mountain, so the castle was the pivot of defense for the province. The lord of the castle usually lived in the Main Hall on the valley below the mountain, but used the mountain part when a battle broke out.

Asakura Clan′s troops are repelled 5 times

The relief map around the castle

The Asakura Clan attacked Sagaki-Kuniyoshi Castle 5 times between 1563 and 1567 to crush the rebellion. However, all the attacks failed because the rebel army and the castle were so strong. The battles between them occurred as follows. The warriors, their families, and other people around the castle gathered on the mountain carrying ammunition, stones, and wood. Meanwhile, some defenders hid in ambush beside the route to the castle. When the attackers got close to the castle on the route, the defenders made a surprise attack on them. After that, when the attackers climbed up to the mid slope on the mountain, the defenders shot guns and arrows, and threw the stones and wood all together. Many of the attackers were hit and fell into the valley, forcing the rest to withdraw. In addition, when the attackers looted property and crops away from the town and fields near the castle, the defenders made a night attack on Asakura’s positions. As a result, the castle was considered to be impregnable.

The imaginary drawing of Sagaki-Kuniyoshi Castle, exhibited by the Wakasa Kuniyoshi Castle Historical Museum

Castle is involved with Battle over Country

A fortunate opportunity for Katsuhisa came in 1570 when the great warlord, Nobunaga Oda attacked the Asakura Clan. Nobunaga visited Sagaki-Kuniyoshi Castle during his invasion of Echizen and praised Katsuhisa’s military achievement. The battle between Oda and the Asakura lasted until 1573 when the Asakura Clan was defeated. Nobunaga gave Wakasa Province to one of his senior vassals, Nagahide Niwa whom Katsuhisa served. Times rapidly changed after Nobunaga was killed in the Honnoji Incident in 1582. Nobunaga’s former retainers, Hideyoshi Hashiba and Katsuie Shibata were against each other for the initiative. Katsuie was in Echizen Province while Nagahide supported Hideyoshi. That meant Sagaki-Kuniyoshi Castle became a castle at the tense border between two provinces again.

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)
The portrait of Nagahide Niwa, owned by Historiographical Institute the University of Tokyo (licensed under Public Domain via Wikimedia Commons)

Katsuhisa’s boss, Nagahide was responsible for constructing Azuchi Castle, famously built by Nobunaga Oda. That meant Nagahide had advanced techniques for improving castles. Sagaki-Kuniyoshi Castle had basically been made of soil, but was fortified using stone walls. In the end, the battle between Hideyoshi and Katsuie happened in another place before Hideyoshi won. During the unification of Japan by Hideyoshi followed by the Tokugawa Shogunate, the castle changed hands several times. The castle still continued to be improved using stone walls, but the mountain part was eventually abandoned. Instead, only the Main Hall part in the valley was used because it was convenient for the government. In 1634 when the Sakai Clan, the lords of the Obama Domain including Wakasa Province, built the Sagaki magistrate’s office, the castle was entirely abandoned.

The imaginary drawing of Azuchi Castle, exhibited by Gifu Castle Museum
The ruins of the Sagaki magistrate’s office

To be continued in “Sagaki-Kuniyoshi Castle Part2”