立地と歴史～Location and History – ページ 63 – 日本200名城バイリンガル (Japan's top 200 castles and ruins)

87.Hizen-Nagoya Castle Part1

Hideyoshi’s largest and last ambition

Location and History

Huge Battle Castle for invasion of Korea

Hizen-Nagoya Castle was a battle castle to support for the invasion of Korea by Hideyoshi Toyotomi, located in the northwestern part of Kyushu Island. Hideyoshi is known as for the ruler who achieved his the unification of Japan in the late 16th Century. He completed it to by defeating the Hojo Clan at Odawara Castle, known as the siege of Odawara in 1590. However, soon after the unification, he declared he would conquer China and ordered the lords throughout Japan to prepare for it in 1591. Many lords and warriors under him also supported his plan to get more territory. They were not able to get new territory in Japan after the unification because there were no more battles.

The location of the castle

The Portrait of Hideyoshi Toyotomi, attributed to Mitsunobu Kano, ownd by Kodaiji Temple (licensed under Public Domain via Wikimedia Commons)

Hideyoshi also ordered the lords to build a battle castle on Kyushu Island near Korea, known as Hizen-Nagoya Castle. Battle castles were basically used only once and usually simple. Hideyoshi once built another gorgeous battle castle known as Ishigakiyama Castle during the siege of Odawara. However, Hizen-Nagoya Castle was much larger and stronger; it was the second largest just after Hideyoshi’s home base, Osaka Castle. The construction of the castle, divided among the lords, took only 8 months. About 120 lords gathered and also built their own military positions around the castle. The place where the castle was built had originally been a fishing village. However, it became one of the largest cities in Japan in a very short time. Nearly 200,000 soldiers were sent from the castle city to Korea, and over 100,000 people stayed in the city.

The miniature model of Hizen-Nagoya Castle, the castle town, and some grounds for the military positions, exhibited by the Saga Prefectural Nagoya Castle Museum

Gorgeous and strong castle

Hizen-Nagoya Castle had the Main Enclosure with the five-layer Main Tower and the Main Hall at the highest position. Five routes led to the caste. The main ones were the Main Route, the Back Route and the Yamazato Route. The Main Route went from the south to the Third Enclosure in the east of the Main Enclosure via the Eastern Barbican Enclosure. The Main Gate of the Main Enclosure led to the Third Enclosure. The Back Route started from the outside of the Second Enclosure in the west of the Main Enclosure. However, the route did not go to the Main Enclosure directly, and it went south of it to the Third Enclosure in the east. Some historians speculate the Back route should have been the actual Main Route because it is more defensive. The Yamazato Route led to the Yamazato-maru Enclosure, lower and north of the Third Enclosure. Hideyoshi’s residence with a tea-ceremony house was built in the former. All the enclosures were surrounded by high stone walls, which made the castle strong and showed Hideyoshi’s authority.

The Main Tower and the Main Enclosure in the miniature model

The three main routes written by myself on the location map at the site

Hideyoshi’s residence in the front of the model

Long battle and Breakdown after Hideyoshi’s death

The invasion of Korea started in 1592. That was originally for the conquest of China, but eventually caused a battle with Korea, because of the country was on the way to China. The Japanese Army at first occupied most of Korea instantly. Hideyoshi stayed and instructed the army from Hizen-Nagoya Castle. He was very pleased to hear the good news and even planned how he would divide China and Korea. However, the battle line was stuck in the southern part of Korea due to the reinforcements sent by the Ming Dynasty of China and the countermeasures taken by the Korean volunteer soldiers and navy. In 1593, envoys from the Ming Emperor came to this castle for the cease-fire negotiations.

“Painting of defense of Busanjin Fortress” depicting Japanese Siege of Busanjin in 1592 *(licensed under Public Domain via Wikimedia Commons)*

The miniature model of a Japanese warship called Atakebune, exhibited by the Saga Prefectural Nagoya Castle Museum

The miniature model of a breech-loading swivel gun, one of the weapons of the Ming Military, exhibited by the Saga Prefectural Nagoya Castle Museum

The negotiations continued for a long time, however, they failed. The war resumed in the southern part of Korea in in 1597. The unmotivated Japanese Army had to fight the useless war with the Ming Military. Many innocent Korean people were also killed. The Japanese Army finally withdrew from Korea immediately after Hideyoshi’s death in 1598. The failure of the war sped up the destruction of the Toyotomi Clan and the foundation of the Tokugawa Shogunate. Hizen-Nagoya Castle was abandoned at the same time and returned to a quiet place.

“Ulsan Siege Folding Screen” depicting the battle of Ulsan Castle in 1597, owned by Fukuoka City Museum *(licensed under Public Domain via Wikimedia Commons)*

“The folding screen of Hizen-Nagoya Castle” , owned *by the Saga Prefectural Nagoya Castle Museum* *(licensed under Public Domain via Wikimedia Commons)*

To be continued in “Hizen-Nagoya Castle Part2”

87.肥前名護屋城　その１

秀吉の最大にして最後の野望

立地と歴史

朝鮮侵攻のための巨大な陣城

肥前名古屋城は、豊臣秀吉の朝鮮侵攻を進めるために築かれた陣城で、九州北西部にありました。秀吉は、１６世紀後半に天下統一を成し遂げた天下人として知られています。彼は、1590年の小田原征伐にて、小田原城に立てこもる北条氏を下すことで統一を完成させました。ところが、天下統一の間もない1591年に、秀吉は中国征服を宣言し、日本中の大名たちにその準備をするよう命じました。秀吉配下の多くの大名や武士たちも、この新たな領地が得られる計画に賛同しました。天下統一後の戦がない中、日本国内では新たな領地を得ることができなかったからです。

城の位置

豊臣秀吉肖像画、加納光信筆、高台寺蔵 (licensed under Public Domain via Wikimedia Commons)

秀吉はまた、朝鮮に近い九州の地に陣城を築くよう大名たちに命じました。これが肥前名護屋城です。陣城とはそもそも一回限りで使われ、単純な作りでした。秀吉はかつて小田原征伐のときに、もう一つの豪華に作られた陣城である石垣山城を築きました。ところが、肥前名護屋城はさらに大きく、強力に作られました。その大きさは、秀吉の本拠地の大坂城に次ぐほどでした。この城の建設は、大名たちによる割り普請の結果、わずか８ヶ月で完了しました。約１２０の大名たちが集まり、城の周りに彼ら自身のための陣屋の建設も行いました。この城が築かれた場所は、もともと単なる漁村でした。ところが、ここは極めて短期間に日本有数の都市になったのです。２０万人近くの兵士たちがこの軍事都市から朝鮮に渡り、１０万人以上の人たちがここに留まりました。

豪華かつ強力な作りの城

肥前名護屋城の一番高い場所には、天守と御殿を伴う本丸がありました。登城ルートは五つありました。主なものとしては、大手口、搦手口、そして山里口が挙げられます。大手口は、南方から本丸の東側にあった三の丸に、東出丸を経由して通っていました。本丸の大手門は、この三の丸に向かって開いていました。搦手口は、本丸の西側にあった二の丸の外側から始まっていました。ところが、このルートは直接本丸には至らず、その南側を回り込んで東側の三の丸に通じていました。歴史家の中には、こちらの方がより防御がしっかりしているため、搦手口こそが本当の大手口であったのではと推測しています。山里口は、三の丸より低く、またその北側にあった山里丸に通じていました。茶室が付属した秀吉の居館が、手前の方に建てられました。全ての曲輪は石垣で囲まれており、城を強固にするとともに、秀吉の権威を見せつけていました。

長引く戦いと秀吉の死による挫折

朝鮮侵攻は1592年に始まりました（文禄の役）。この戦いはもとは中国征服が目的でしたが、必然的にその途上にある朝鮮で戦いが起こりました。日本軍は、最初は短期間のうちに朝鮮のほとんどを占領しました。秀吉は、肥前名護屋城に居座り、そこから軍を指揮していました。彼はそのよい知らせを聞き、満足した様子で、中国と朝鮮をどのように分割するかということまで計画しました。ところが、中国の明王朝から派遣された援軍や、朝鮮の義勇兵や水軍による反撃により戦線は南朝鮮で膠着しました。1593年には明王朝からの使節が停戦交渉のために肥前名護屋城を訪れました。

1592年の釜山鎮の戦いを描いた「釜山鎮殉節図」 *(licensed under Public Domain via Wikimedia Commons)*

この交渉は長期間続きました。しかし決裂し、1597年に戦いが再び朝鮮南部で起こりました（慶長の役）。戦意に乏しい日本軍は、無益な戦争を明軍と戦わねばなりませんでした。朝鮮の無辜の人民も多く殺されました。1598年の秀吉の死の直後、ようやく日本軍は朝鮮から引き上げました。この戦いの失敗は、豊臣氏の凋落と徳川幕府の設立を早める結果となりました。肥前名護屋城は、撤退とともに廃城となり、静かな場所へと戻っていきました。

1597年の蔚山城の戦いを描いた「蔚山籠城図屏風」部分、福岡市立博物館所蔵 (licensed under Public Domain via Wikimedia Commons)

「肥前名護屋城図屏風」、佐賀県立名護屋城博物館蔵 (licensed under Public Domain via Wikimedia Commons)

「肥前名護屋城その２」に続きます。

185.Karatsu Castle Part1

The castle the Terasawa Clan built

Location and History

Area prospered with sea transportation

Karatsu Castle is located in the northwestern part of Kyushu Island, which is now Karatsu City, Saga Prefecture. The area of the city faces Genkai-nada Sea between Japan and Korea. Because of this reason, the area prospered with sea transportation including overseas trade. For example, there was Matsura Province with the port accepting the envoys from overseas nearly 2000 years ago. A warriors’ group, known as the Matsura Group, was very active using navy forces and sometimes pirates in the Middle Ages. In 1588, the ruler, Hideyoshi Toyotomi issued the Act to Ban the Piracy to control sea transportation. After that, Hideyoshi’s retainer, Hirotaka Terasawa was sent to this area to govern it. He was an excellent practical person who supported the military logistics when Hideyoshi sent large troops from Nagoya Castle near his area to Korea.

The location of the castle

Hirotaka Terasawa built Castle

Hirotaka eventually supported the Tokugawa Shogunate and became the founder of the Karatsu Domain. He also built his new home base, Karatsu Castle between 1602 and 1608. The center of the castle was built on Mitsushima-yama Mountain beside the estuary of Matsuura-gawa River. Hirotaka changed the route of the river to place the mountain and other enclosures in a line on the ground like a peninsula. The mountain was the top of the ground towards the sea. That meant enemies were not able to attack the center from the ground easily. The center was also surrounded by stone walls along the sea. Some turrets were built on the stone walls, which were probably used for monitoring the sea. Some sea ports such as Funairi-mon Gate were also built beside the estuary. On the top of the mountain, the stone wall base for the Main Tower was built. However, it is thought that the Main Tower was not built because there has been no evidence of this.

part of the illustration of around Karatsu Castle in Hizen Province, in the Edo Period , exhibited by the National Archives of Japan

The remaining stone walls of Karatsu Castle

Terasawa Clan fired after Shimabara Rebellion

Hirotaka was also given a new detached territory in the area called Amakusa, in the western part of Kyushu Island by the shogunate due to his contribution. However, this caused the Terasawa Clan’s misfortune. There were a lot of masterless warriors called Ronin who were former retainers of the Konishi Clan who were fired by the shogunate. There were also many Christians which the shogunate banned people from becoming. Hirotaka oppressed both of them in accordance with the shogunate’s instructions. As a result, Shimabara Rebellion, including the people in Amakusa, happened in 1637 in the period of Hirotaka’s son, Katataka. The shogunate took Amakusa away from the Terasawa Clan after the rebellion. Katataka felt anxious and killed himself in 1647 in the end. The Terasawa Clan was fired by the shogunate because of no successor to him.

Part of the folding screens of Shimabara Rebellion, owned by Asakura City Akizuki Museum, from the exhibition of Arima Christian Heritage Museum

Karatsu Domain followed by Mizuno and Ogasawara Clans

After that, five clans governed Karatsu Castle and the Karatsu Domain until the end of the Edo Period. Some of the lords became famous in Japanese history. One of them was Tadakuni Mizuno who performed the Tenpo Reforms in the central government as the head of the shogun’s council of elders. Another was Nagamichi Ogasawara who was a member of the shogun’s council of elders, and devoted to the Tokugawa Shogunate till the very last moment before it fell down.

The portrait of Tadakuni Mizuno, owned by Tokyo Metropolitan University *(licensed under Public Domain via Wikimedia Commons)*

The portrait of Nagamichi Ogasawara, from the digital collections of National Diet Library (licensed under Public Domain via Wikimedia Commons)

To be continued in “Karatsu Castle Part2”