立地と歴史～Location and History – ページ 86 – 日本200名城バイリンガル (Japan's top 200 castles and ruins)

121.Motosakura Castle Part1

The castle of the Chiba Clan, an illustrious clan in Kanto Region

Location and History

Chiba Clan built it in 15th Century

Motosakura Castle was a large castle which was located in Shimosa Province (what is now the northern part of Chiba Prefecture). A warlord, Suketane from the Chiba Clan, first built the castle at latest in 1484 on a hilly area called Masakado-yama. The area was surrounded by Inba-numa Lake, and only open to the Shimosa Road on flat land in the southern direction. This meant the area was defensive and convenient for water and land transport.

The map around the castle in the early Meiji Era, Inba-numa Lake was still near the castle

The Chiba Clan’s family crest, Gessei or Moon and Star *(licensed by Los688 via Wikimedia Commons)*

Central portion, Inner Compounds.

When the castle was first built, the warlords in the Kanto Region were split into two groups, the western group and the eastern group. The western group was led by the shogunal deputy for the Kanto Region, the Uesugi Clan, and the eastern group was led by the head of the Kanto government in Koga, the Ashikaga Clan. The Chiba Clan was included in the eastern group and the Motosakura Castle was also an important site which connected Koga in Shimosa Province to the other provinces in Boso Peninsula inside the group. The clan built several enclosures in the central portion of the castle called the Inner Compounds.

The location of the castle

The Main Enclosure called Shiro-yama had the Main Hall for the lord of the castle. The hall had a set of two formal buildings called Shuden and Kaisho, because the clan was the governor of the province. The Okuno-yama enclosure, which had the Myoken Shrine where the clan went for worship, is next to the main enclosure on the west. The Okuno-yama enclosure was connected to the Main Enclosure by a wooden bridge . The next one is the Kura-ato Enclosure which had warehouses. The westmost one is the Settei-yama Enclosure which was used for guesthouses. In addition to these enclosures, the Higashi-yama Enclosure was set to protect them, and the Tokoji-byo Enclosure, which had temples, faced Inba-numa Lake.

The enclosures of the Inner Compound (from the signboard at the site)

Outer Compounds were built against Satomi Clan

In the middle of the 16th Century, the situation of the Kanto Region changed. The Hojo Clan captured most of the region, then the Chiba Clan decided to support Hojo by adopting a son from them. However, the Satomi Clan in Boso Peninsula (the south of Honsakura Castle) was against Hojo. As a result, the Chiba Clan had to reinforce the defense of the castle on the south.

The location of Motosakura Castle and the home base of the Satomi Clan

The clan built large enclosures outside the Inner Compounds, called the Outer Compounds such as Araue, Negoya, and Mukai-Negoya. They were surrounded by thick earthen walls and had the sticking out defensive positions called Umadashi, which were built using Hojo’s techniques. In addition, the Settai-yama Enclosure became the pivot of the defense because it was the connecting point between the Inner Compounds and the Outer Compounds. The range of the castle finally reached 39,000 square meters.

The whole image of the castle including the Outer Compound *(from the signboard at the site)*

However, The Chiba Clan was fired by the ruler Hieyoshi Toyotomi in 1590, as their master Hojo Clan was also defeated by Hideyoshi. After that, Motosakura Castle was sometimes used by several clans. The castle was finally abandoned in 1615.

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

To be continued in “Motosakura Castle Part2”

121.本佐倉城　その１

関東の名族、千葉氏の城

立地と歴史

千葉氏が１５世紀に築城

本佐倉城は下総国（現在の千葉県北部）にあった大きな城です。戦国大名であった千葉輔胤が、将門山と呼ばれた丘陵地帯に遅くとも1484年までにこの城を築きました。この一帯は印旛沼に囲まれていて、南方の平地を通っていた下総街道にのみ開けていました。この地帯は防御に優れていただけでなく、水陸交通の便にも優れていたのです。

明治初期の城周辺の地図、まだ印旛沼が近くにありました

千葉氏の家紋、月星 *(licensed by Los688 via Wikimedia Commons)*

城の中心部～内郭

最初にこの城が築かれたとき、関東地方の戦国大名は、東と西の２つのグループに分かれていました。西のグループは関東管領であった上杉氏に率いられ、東のグループは関東公方であり古河にいた足利氏に率いられていました。千葉氏は、東のグループに属していて、本佐倉城もまたこのグループの中で下総国の古河と房総半島の他の国々とをつなぐ重要な役割を担っていたのです。千葉氏は、内郭と呼ばれる城の中心部分にいくつもの曲輪を作りました。

城の位置

城山と呼ばれた本丸には城主のための御殿がありました。この曲輪には二棟で１セットの主殿、会所と呼ばれた公式の建物がありました。千葉氏はこの国の守護だったからです。千葉氏が祀っていた妙見社があった奥ノ山が本丸の西隣にありました。奥ノ山は木橋によって本丸とつながっていました。その次は倉跡で、倉庫がありました。一番西側にはセッテイ山があり、迎賓館として使われていました。これらの曲輪群に加え、東山が防御のために設けられていました。そして東光寺ビョウには寺があり、印旛沼に面していました。

里見氏に備えて外郭を構築

１６世紀中頃、関東地方の情勢が変化しました。北条氏が関東地方の大半を手に入れたのです。そして千葉氏は、北条氏から養子を受け入れ、北条氏に組することを決断しました。ところが、房総半島（本佐倉城の南方）にいた里見氏がまだ北条に反抗していました。結果、千葉氏は城の南側に対する防御を強化する必要に迫られました。

本佐倉城と里見氏の本拠地との位置関係

千葉氏は内郭の外側に荒上、根古谷、向根古谷といった大きな曲輪群を築き、外郭と呼ばれます。これらの曲輪は分厚い土塁に囲まれ、馬出しという突き出した形の防御陣地がありました。これらは北条の技術を活用していました。加えて、セッテイ山は内郭と外郭の結節点に当たっていたので、防衛の司令塔に変化します。城の範囲はついには３万９千平方メートルに及びました。

ところが、千葉氏は1590年に天下人の豊臣秀吉から改易されてしまいます。主筋の北条氏が秀吉により滅ぼされてしまったからです。その後、本佐倉城は他の氏族により使われましたが、最後は1615年に廃城となりました。

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

「本佐倉城その２」に続きます。

160.Imori Castle Part1

The first ruler, Nagayoshi Miyoshi’s castle

Location and History

Nagayoshi Miyoshi’s Home Base

Imori Castle was located on a 314m high mountain called “Imori-yama Mountain” in Kawachi Province (what is now eastern part of Osaka Prefecture). The mountain was also on the northwest branch of Ikoma Mountains which was the border between Kawachi and Yamato Province (now Nara Prefecture). Several routes ran at the foot of the mountain, and the area around the castle was accessible from Osaka Bay by ships through Fukonoike Pond near the castle in the past. It is uncertain when the castle was first built, but the Kizawa Clan developed the castle around 1530. The castle became the largest mountain castle in the province. Mountain castles were very popular at that time.

The location of Imori Castle and the range of Kawachi Province

Nagayoshi Miyoshi was a great warlord in the middle 16th Century whose power competed with the Shogun, Yoshiteru Ashikaga. He banished the shogun from Kyoto and started his own governance. That’s why he is currently regarded as the first ruler who governed the center of Japan. He did so without the authority of the shogunate. However, some people consider Nobunaga Oda as the first ruler. Nagayoshi was based at the Akutagagawa-san Castle in Settsu Province (now the northern part of Osaka Prefecture) before he defeated the Hatakeyama Clan who owned Kawachi Province and Imori Castle and moved to the castle in 1560.

*The portrait of Nagayoshi Miyoshi, owned by Juko-in of Daitokuji Temple (licensed under Public Domain via Wikimedia Commons)*

Stone Walls as Authority

The range of Imori Castle was about 700m from north to south and about 400m from east to west. The castle had a lot of enclosures which were divided into two groups, the northern and southern parts. The northern enclosures were on very narrow ridges and are thought to be used as defensive positions. On the other hand, the southern enclosures were relatively spacious, and it is said that they were used as residences. The slopes on the northern, eastern, and western sides were very steep. The southern slope was gentle, but the route to the castle on this side was very long.

*The miniature model of Imori Castle, owned by Daito City History and Folklore Museum*

Historians think that the Main Route to the castle was on the eastern side, as visitors could visit the castle through rivers and valleys on this side. There is another reason why the front of the castle faced the east. It was recently discovered that the eastern side of most of the enclosures was covered by stone walls. They were not for buildings, just for supporting the enclosures. This meant that the stone walls were probably used to show visitors the castle’s authority facing the front. It is said that Nobunaga’s Azuchi Castle was the first case for using stone walls in earnest for a castle. However, the case of Imori Castle was nearly 20 years earlier than Azuchi Castle. This may be one more reason for Nagayoshi being called the first ruler.

The remaining stone walls on the eastern side of the mountain

Nobunaga Oda abolished Castle

Nagayoshi governed the Kinki Region and often battled his enemies. He sometimes held poetry parties and even hosted missionaries while he stayed in the castle for a few years. However, he suddenly died in 1564. The Miyoshi Clan still held the castle but had internal troubles. Nobunaga Oda took advantage of the situation and went to Kyoto in 1568. As Nobunaga proceeded with his unification of Japan, he ordered the destruction of the castle in 1575 before the castle was abandoned.

The portrait of Nobunaga Oda, attributed to Soshu Kano, owned by Chokoji Temple (licensed under Public Domain via Wikimedia Commons)

To be continued in “Imori Castle Part2”