立地と歴史～Location and History – ページ 78 – 日本200名城バイリンガル (Japan's top 200 castles and ruins)

34.Nanao Castle Part1

A famous large mountain castle in Hokuriku Region

Location and History

Capital of Noto Province

Nanao Castle was a large mountain castle located in Noto Province, what is now the modern part of the northern Ishikawa Prefecture, the Hokuriku Region. The castle was built on about 300m high mountain ridges and the name “Nanao” originates from the number of the ridges which is seven. The Hatakeyama Clan was a relative of the Ashikaga Shogunate in the Middle Ages. One of the groups of the Hatakeyama Clan was sent to Noto Province as the governor of the province in 1408. Since then, the clan developed Nanao Castle. The castle became the capital of the province with the castle town prospering at the foot of the mountain. A great painter by the name of Tohaku Hasegawa came from this town in the middle 16th Century. He left a portrait of a warlord which was said to be that of famous Shingen Takeda from its impression, but it is now said to be one of the lords of the Hatakeyama Clan.

The location of the castle

The relief map around the castle

The portrait of a warlord who may have been a lord of the Hatakeyama Clan, attributed to Tohaku Hasegawa, owned by Seikei-in Temple, Mt. Koya (licensed under Public Domain via Wikimedia Commons)

Hatakeyama Clan governed it with senior vassals

The Hatakeyama Clan governed Noto Province and Nanao Castle for about 170 years together with their senior vassals such as the Yusa Clan, the Cho Clan and the Nukui Clan. They often cooperated with each other to defend attacks from the invaders, but they often had to deal with internal conflicts. It was both a strength and weakness for them. The structure of the castle also reflected the formation of the lord and the senior vassals. The main portion of the castle was on the highest one of the seven ridges called Matsuo-yama. There you will be able to see the Main Enclosure on the top, the Yusa Residence, the Sakura Riding Ground, the Nukui Residence, and the Second Enclosure in line with the ridge. The Cho Residence and the Third Enclosure were on the both sides of the main portion divided by the large deep ditches. As shown in the names of the enclosures, the senior vassals had their own enclosures for their residences, which showed the balance of their power.

The imaginary drawing of Nanao Castle (from the signboard at the site)

The imaginary drawing of the main portion of Nanao Castle (exhibited by Nanao Castle History Museum)

Uesugi and Oda Clans battled over Castle

Around Noto Province in the late 16th Century, the two great warlords were dominating, Nobunaga Oda in the west of the Province and Kenshin Uesugi in the east. Kenshin decided to attack Nanao Castle in 1576 despite the lord of the castle being a child who was supported by the senior vassals. Kenshin was said to be the strongest warlord, and he only needed to siege the castle without the need for an aggressive attack. The siege lasted for about two months, and the young lord was unfortunately killed by the epidemic. The senior vassals had different opinions. On one side, the Cho Clan wanted to ask Nobunaga for help, however, the Yusa Clan did not feel the same way. Nobunaga finally sent his reinforcement to the castle, and the Yusa Clan managed to defeat the Cho Clan and supported Kenshin. Eventually, the castle finally belonged to Kenshin.

The portrait of Kenshin Uesugi, owned by the Uesugi Shrine (licensed under Public Domain via Wikimedia Commons)

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)

Despite the victory, Kenshin died just six months later, and as a result, Nanao Castle was eventually occupied by Nobunaga. Nobunaga gave Noto Province and Nanao Castle to his retainer, Toshiie Maeda in 1581. Toshiie built the Three-layer Main Tower on the Main Enclosure and large scale stone walls which was the front side of the castle. On the other hand, Toshiie also built his new home base called Ko-Maruyama Castle near Nanao Port for the convenience of the government and ease of transportation. Nevertheless, the reason why he continued to improve Nanao Castle was thought to be for the new Main Tower. Furthermore, the stone walls showed his authority and it symbolized the lord of the castle has changed in that area. The castle was eventually abandoned in 1589.

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

The stone walls which Toshiie Maeda built

To be continued in “Nanao Castle Part2”

34.七尾城　その１

北陸地方の名だたる巨城

立地と歴史

能登国の首府

七尾城は、現在の北陸地方の石川県北部に当たる、能登国にあった大きな山城でした。この城は、標高約３００ｍの山の尾根上に築かれ、城の名前である「七尾」はその尾根の数に由来しています。畠山氏は、中世に国を治めた足利幕府の親戚筋に当たりました。その畠山氏の一族が、1408年に能登国の守護として当国に派遣されました。それ以来、畠山氏は七尾城を拡張しました。城は能登国の首府となり、その山麓では城下町が栄えました。この町からは１６世紀中頃に、著名な絵師である長谷川等伯が輩出されます。彼はある戦国大名の肖像画を描きますが、その印象から有名な武田信玄のものだと言われてきました。しかし現在では、畠山氏の当主の一人を描いたのではないかと言われています。

城の位置

城周辺の起伏地図

畠山氏の当主かもしれない人物の肖像画、長谷川等伯筆、高野山成慶院所蔵（licensed under Public Domain via Wikimedia Commons）

畠山氏が重臣とともに統治

畠山氏は、遊佐（ゆさ）氏、長（ちょう）氏、温井（ぬくい）氏といった重臣たちと共に、能登国と七尾城を約１７０年間統治してきました。彼らは度々お互いに協力して侵入者を撃退しましたが、度々内輪もめも起こしました。これは彼らにとって強みでもあり弱みでもあったのです。城の構造はこの領主と重臣たちの関係を反映していました。城の主要部分は、松尾山という７つの中では一番高い尾根の上にありました。そこには今でも頂上に本丸があり、遊佐屋敷、桜馬場、温井屋敷、二の丸といった曲輪が尾根に並んでいるのを見ることができます。長屋敷と三の丸は主要部の両側にあり、大きく深い堀切によって隔てられていました。これらの曲輪の名前が示す通り、重臣たちは屋敷地として自分たちの曲輪を持っており、それが城内のパワーバランスを表していました。

上杉氏、織田氏の争奪戦の対象に

１６世紀後半の能登国周辺では、２人の有力な戦国大名が勢力を広げていました。西方の織田信長と東方の上杉謙信です。謙信は1576年に七尾城を攻撃することを決めました。しかしそのときの城主は幼少で重臣たちが補佐していました。謙信は最強の戦国大名と言われていましたが、強引に城を攻撃することをせず、城を包囲することにしました。包囲は約２ヶ月間続きましたが、その間に幼少の城主は不幸にも疫病で死んでしまいます。重臣たちの意見は分かれていました。一方の長氏は、信長に援軍を求めようとしていました。しかし、もう一方の遊佐氏はそれには反対でした。信長はついに城に援軍を送りましたが、遊佐氏が長氏を倒すことで城方は謙信に味方することに決したのです。やがて、城は謙信のものとなりました。

上杉謙信肖像画、上杉神社蔵 (licensed under Public Domain via Wikimedia Commons)

織田信長肖像画、狩野宗秀筆、長興寺蔵（licensed under Public Domain via Wikimedia Commons）

この勝利にも関わらず、謙信はその６ヶ月後に亡くなってしまいます。その結果、七尾城は結局信長により占領されました。1581年、信長は能登国と七尾城を部下の前田利家に与えました。利家は本丸に三層の天守を築き、城の正面に大規模な石垣を造成しました。一方で利家はまた、統治のやりやすさと交通の利便性のために、七尾港の近くに新しい本拠地、小丸山（こまるやま）城を築きました。それでもなお七尾城を改修した理由は、新しい天守にあると考えられています。更に石垣とあいまって利家の権威と、この地域の領主が変わったことを知らしめていたのです。しかし、やがて1589年には廃城となってしまいました。

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

「七尾城その２」に続きます。

103.Namioka Castle Part1

The Castle of ” Namioka Palace”

Location and History

Kitabatake Clan, Authority in Tohoku Region built Castle

Namioka Castle was located in what is now Aomori City in the middle of Aomori Prefecture. It is said that the Kitabatake Clan built the castle in the late 15th Century. The Kitabatake Clan was originally a noble family which supported the Southern Court in the 14th Century during the Period of the Northern and Southern Courts. The Southern Court sent Akiie Kitabatake to Tohoku Region to govern the region against the Northern Court. Akiie eventually returned to central Japan, while his relatives remained in Tohoku Region under the Nanbu Clan which also supported the Southern Court.

The illustration of Akiie Kitabatake, owned by Ryozan Shrine (licensed under Public Domain via Wikimedia Commons)

In the first 15th Century during the Muromachi Period governed by the Ashikaga Shogunate, the Nanbu Clan and the Ando Clan often battled over the northern Tohoku Region around what is now Aomori Pref. However, they finally compromised each other and gave evidence for the peace in the late 15th Century. It is thought that The Kitabatake Clan was focused on and set up as a mediator at that time. The area around Namioka Castle was at the middle point between the territories of the Nanbu Clan in the east and the Ando Clan in the west.

The location of the castle

It was also a good place for transportation, so the castle prospered with trade. The authority of the Kitabatake Clan reached a peak in the first 16th Century, as the Imperial Court gave the clan a high court rank as a noble. The other clans in Tohoku Region respected the Kitabatake Clan and called the lord family of the clan “Namioka Palace”.

The imaginary drawing of Namioka Castle, exhibited by the House in the Aomori-shi Middle Ages

Group of Enclosures with certain features

Namioka Castle was on a hilly area alongside Namioka River, so its location was relatively defensive. The castle consisted of a group of enclosures called “Date” like the Nanbu Clan’s home base, Ne Castle. There were eight enclosures such as Uchi-date or the Inner Enclosure and Kita-date or the North Enclosure. The Inner Enclosure was probably the oldest one which was used as the Main Hall for the lord of the castle. The hall had a high-class reception hall called Kokonoma where the meeting between the lord and visitors would be held. The North Enclosure was the largest one in the castle where the warriors and craftsmen under the lord lived. The doubled or tripled water moats divided these enclosures. These moats have the middle earthen walls making the moat doubled which were used for defense in emergency and as a route in general.

The eight enclosures of Namioka Castle (from the signboard at the site)

The restored interior of the high-class reception hall, exhibited by the House in the Aomori-shi Middle Ages

The miniature model of the North Enclosure, exhibited by the House in the Aomori-shi Middle Ages

Castle was defeated by Tamenobu Oura

In 1562, an internal trouble among the Kitabatake Clan called the Kawahara Palace Rebellion happened. A relative family of the lord, called Kawahara Palace killed the lord, Tomokazu Kitabatake. Kawahara Palace was also defeated, as a result, the power of the clan declined. Tamenobu Oura, a relative of the Nanbu Clan aimed to be independent from the Nanbu Clan. Taking advantage of the rebellion, he defeated the Kitabatake Clan and captured Namioka Castle in 1578. He sent a local governor to Namioka Castle for a while, but the castle was abandoned when he built Hirosaki Castle in the first 17th Century.

The portrait of Tamenobu Oura, later Tamenobu Tsugaru, owned by Hirosaki Castle Tower (licensed under Public Domain via Wikimedia Commons)

The imaginary drawing of the fall of Namioka Castle, exhibited by the House in the Aomori-shi Middle Ages

To be continued in “Namioka Castle Part2”