立地と歴史～Location and History – ページ 67 – 日本200名城バイリンガル (Japan's top 200 castles and ruins)

138.Echizen-Ohno Castle Part1

Nagachika Kanamori built the unique Tenshu and the castle town.

Location and History

Nagachika Kanamori, retainer of Nobunaga Oda, builds Castle

Echizen-Ohno Caste was located in Ohno Basin in the eastern part of Echizen Province, what is now Fukui Prefecture. The Asakura Clan governed the province until 1573 during the Sengoku Period when the clan was defeated by Nobunaga Oda. The Ikkoshu Sect once took over the province, but Nobunaga defeated them again in 1575. Nobunaga gave the area around Ohno Basin to his retainer, Nagachika Kanamori, who was distinguished in the battle. This area connected the western, seaside part of the province and Hida Province inland. It was an important area for warlords to govern Echizen Province.

The location of the castle

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 Nagachika Kanamori, owned by Ryogenin Temple {licensed under Public Domain via Wikimedia Commons)

Nagachika first lived in Inuyama Castle, a mountain castle beside the basin, which the Asakura Clan used. However, Nagachika decided to build a new castle and its castle town in the basin in 1576 to make his governance stable. He seemed to build both the castle and castle town using advanced methods. These methods were similar to ones used for the historical home bases Komakiyama and Gifu Castles, which were built by his mater, Nobunaga Oda. For example, the new castle called Echizen-Ohno Castle was built with stone walls and the Tenshu building on a hill called Kame-yama in the basin.

Unique Tenshu and Advanced Castle Town

Tenshu basically means the Main Tower in the center of a castle. However, the Tenshu of Echizen-Ohono Castle did not look like a Main Tower. Instead, it looked like three combined halls. This was because the construction of Echizen-Ohno Castle started before the completion of Azuchi Castle in 1579, Nobunaga’s last home base. Azuchi Castle had the first Tenshu building which looked like the Main Tower in Japan. Before that, Tenshu had just meant the center building of a castle. Echizen-Ohno Castle was completed in 1580 and its Tenshu building remained for a long time. However, the Tenshu was unfortunately burned down in 1795 and not restored. If the castle survived, it would be considered quite a unique part of Japanese History and heritage.

The illustration of Echizen-Ohno Castle’s Tenshu, quoted from the leaflet of an exhibition of Ohno City

The miniature model of Azuchi Castle’s Tehshu, exhibited by Azuchi Castle Museum

Nagachika created the castle town in an advanced way as well. The town was divided orderly to accommodate warriors, merchants, craftsmen, and temples separately. Such a way to develop castle towns is commonly seen in those in the next century. His master, Nobunaga Oda created the castle town of Komakiyama from the ground up. Nagachika might have followed his master’s method. However, the Komakiyama castle town was abolished by Nobunaga. The people were forced to move with Nobunaga to his next home base, Gifu Castle. By contrast, the Echizen-Ohno castle town remains today as the city area of Ohno City. Nagachika also created Takayama Castle and Takayama town after he was transferred to Hida Province in 1586. The traditional town has now become a world-class tourist destination.

The miniature model of the castle town distribution at the ruins of Komakiyama Castle

The streets and residences of Takayama City *(licensed by *663highland* via Wikimedia Commons)*

Doi Clan governs from Second Enclosure Main Hall

After Nagachika, the lord of the castle changed several times. The Doi Clan governed the castle and the area as the Ohno Domain throughout the Edo Period since 1682. In peaceful times, the lord of the castle lived in the Main Hall in the Second Enclosure at the foot of the mountain. The enclosure was surrounded by a long water moat called Hyakken-bori. The lords rarely used the facilities including the Tenshu on the mountain, called the Main Enclosure, because of the inconvenience of the location. In addition, it would be difficult for officials to govern. That may be why the Tenshu wasn’t restored after the fire.

The introspection model of the Second Enclosure Main Hall, exhibited by the present Echizen-Ohno Castle

The illustration of Echizen-Ohno Castle *, exhibited by the present Echizen-Ohno Castle*

To be continued in “Echizen-Ohno Castle Part2”

138.越前大野城　その１

金森長近が独特の天守と城下町を作りました。

立地と歴史

織田信長の家臣、金森長近が築城

越前大野城は、現在の福井県にあたる越前国の東部にある大野盆地にありました。1573年に織田信長によって滅ぼされるまでは、朝倉氏がこの国を支配していました。その後、一向宗が一旦この国を（信長に降伏した朝倉氏の重臣から）奪ったのですが、信長は再び一向宗を1575年に倒したのです。信長は大野盆地周辺の地域を、家臣でありそれまでの戦いに功績のあった金森長近に与えました。この地域は、越前国西部の海岸地帯と、内陸の飛騨国をつないでいて、戦国大名にとっては、越前国を治めるのに重要な地域だっだのです。

城の位置

織田信長肖像画、狩野宗秀作、長興寺蔵、１６世紀後半 (licensed under Public Domain via Wikimedia Commons)

金森長近肖像画、龍源院蔵 *(licensed under Public Domain via Wikimedia Commons)*

長近は最初は、もともと朝倉氏が使っていた、盆地の傍らにあった山城、戌山（いぬやま）城に住んでいました。しかし、長近は1576年に、盆地の中に新しく城と城下町を建設することを決めました。地域の支配を安定化させるためです。彼はその建設に先進的な方法を用いました。そのやり方は、彼の主君の織田信長によって作られた、それまで本拠地であった小牧山城や岐阜城でのやり方に似ていたようです。例えば、その新しく築かれた越前大野城には、盆地にあった亀山という丘の上に、石垣と天守が築かれました。

独特な天守、先進的な城下町

天守は通常、城の中心にある、高層の塔のことを指します。ところが、越前大野城の天守は、そのような高層の塔の姿をしていませんでした。その代わりに、その天守は３つの館を組み合わせたような形をしていました。これは、越前大野城の建設が、信長の最後の本拠地となる安土城の1579年の完成より前に始まったからなのです。安土城には、日本で初めて高層の塔としての天守が作られたのです（当初は「天主」と表記されていました）。それ以前には、天守とは単に城の中心にある建物を意味していました。越前大野城は1580年に完成し、その天守の建物は長い間残っていました。ところが、その天守は残念ながら1795年の火災により焼けてしまい、再建されませんでした。もし今に残っていたとしたら、極めて独特な日本の歴史遺産となっていたことでしょう。

長近は、城下町も先進的な方法で建設しました。その城下町は、整然と区画され、武士・商人・職人が住む所や寺地に分けられました。このような町の作り方は、通常は次世紀に見られるものです。彼の主君である織田信長は、小牧山の城下町を一から建設しました。長近は、主君のやり方を見習ったのかもしれません。しかし、小牧山城の城下町は信長によって廃止されてしまいます。町の人々は、信長とともに次の本拠地である岐阜城に移住させられたのです。対照的に、越前大野城の城下町は大野市の市街地として現在まで残っています。長近はまた、1586年に飛騨国に移されてから、高山城とその城下町を建設しました。その伝統的な街並みは現在、世界的な観光地となっています。

高山の街並み *(licensed by *663highland* via Wikimedia Commons)*

土井氏が二の丸御殿から統治

長近の後は、城主は何回も変わりました。1692年以降は、土井氏が城とその地域を大野藩として江戸時代を通じて統治しました。平和な時代になると、城主は山麓にある二の丸の御殿に住んでいました。二の丸は、百閒堀と呼ばれる長大な水堀に囲まれていました。城主は、場所的に不便である天守を含む山上の施設を滅多に使いませんでした。統治を行うにも効率的ではなかったからでしょう。それが、火災の後天守を再建しなかった理由かもしれません。

「越前大野城その２」に続きます。

134.Toyama Castle Part1

A castle basically made using earthen walls and water moats

Location and History

Center of Ecchu Province

Toyama City started as the castle town of Toyama Castle and is the capital of Toyama Prefecture. The castle was first built by the Jinbo Clan in the first half of the 16th Century. It was in a flat area in the center of Ecchu Province, what is now Toyama Pref. The area was also the intersection of two of the major roads, the Hokuriku, and Hida Roads. It might have been dangerous to build a castle in such a place at that time. Many battles happened during this time, later known as the Sengoku Period. Warlords in the province usually lived in mountain castles like Masuyama Castle to protect themselves. In the case of Toyama Castle, it was protected by the Jintsu-gawa River and water moats surrounding the castle.

The location of the castle

Narimasa Sassa unifies Ecchu Province

Many warlords such as the Uesugi Clan, the Ikkoshu Sect, and the Oda Clan battled over Toyama Castle. Narimasa Sassa finally took over the castle and governed the whole Ecchu Province in 1582. However, he was against the ruler, Hideyoshi Toyotomi. Hideyoshi attacked the Ecchu Province in 1585. The castle was destroyed for the first time, after Narimasa surrendered to Hideyoshi in the same year. Hideyoshi gave Ecchu Province to Toshinaga Maeda who would be the founder of the Kaga Domain in the Edo Period. In 1605, Toshinaga handed over the head of the domain to his successor, and moved from Kanazawa Castle, the home base of the domain, to Toyama Castle for retirement. He had the power to govern the domain because the successor was still young. He rebuilt Toyama Castle as his new home base.

The portrait of Narimasa Sassa, owned by Toyama Municipal Folk Museum (licensed under Public Domain via Wikimedia Commons)

The portrait of Toshinaga Maeda, owned by Uozu Museum of History and Folklore (licensed under Public Domain via Wikimedia Commons)

Toshinaga Maeda completes Castle

It is said that Toshinaga completed the structure of Toyama Castle. The large Jintsu-gawa River flowed in the north of the Main Enclosure as a natural hazard. A floating bridge was built over the river, which would later become popular among the people. There was the Second Enclosure in the south, the Eastern Barbican Enclosure in the east, and the Western Enclosure in the west of the Main Enclosure to protect it. Each enclosure was independent. The enclosures were surrounded by a water moat. They were only connected to the Main Enclosure by an earthen bridge. These enclosures were basically made using earthen walls. They were partly covered with stone walls around the three main gates such as the front gate of the Main Enclosure. It is also thought the Main Hall was in the Main Enclosure and some turrets were built on the stone walls of the gates. The largest Third Enclosure was on the south of all other enclosures, which was used as the warriors’ houses. However, the castle was destroyed a second time when it was unfortunately burnt by an accidental fire in 1609 before Toshinaga had to move to Takaoka Castle.

The illustration of old Toyama Castle in Ecchu Province, owned by Kanazawa City Tanagawa Library, exhibited by Toyama Municipal Folk Museum

”Floating bridge in Toyama, Ecchu Province” from the series “Famous Places in the Sixty-odd Provinces” attributed to Hiroshige Utagawa in the Edo Period (licensed under Public Domain via Wikimedia Commons)

Home Base of Toyama Domain

In 1639, Toshinaga’s nephew, called Toshitsugu Maeda, was allowed to establish a subsidiary domain called the Toyama Domain. He once thought he could build a new castle but decided to repair and reuse Toyama Castle due to a financial issue. Instead, he built the outermost earthen walls and water moats to protect the castle town. Toshitsugu’s son, Masatoshi, promoted industries, especially a patent medicine. The success of the medicine resulted in the drug sellers of Toyama being known in the whole country. The domain also planned to build the Main Tower but gave up because of a financial issue again. Instead, they built the Chitose Hall in the Eastern Barbican Enclosure to sometimes allow to people to enter it for festivals. In addition, the castle suffered damage from fires, floods, and earthquakes again and again throughout the Edo Period. The domain struggled to restore or repair it. Simple earthen walls and water moats might have protected the castle from many of the disasters and made it easier to restore and maintain.

The statue of Masatoshi Maeda in Toyama Castle Park (licensed by Miyuki Meinaka via Wikimedia Commons)

The remaining front gate of the Chitose Hall

To be continued in “Toyama Castle Part2”