内容～Content – ページ 121 – 日本200名城バイリンガル (Japan's top 200 castles and ruins)

155.Akagi Castle Part2

A mountain castle with a strategical defense system

Features

Well maintained Castle Ruins

Today, the ruins of Akagi Castle have been developed and maintained as a historical site by Kumano City. The city is also known for its wooden materials such as Kumano Cedar. The area around the castle produced metals like gold, silver, bronze, and iron in the past. The castle could control the roads which were used to carry these materials. People who visit the ruins by car usually start their walk from the parking lot below the eastern ridge. The ruins don’t have any standing buildings but its stone walls remain in good condition.

Around the parking lot below the eastern ridge

Eastern ridge as Front of Castle

The ridge is thought to be the front of the castle because it had the most strategical defense system in the castle. You can even now see how it was protected. If you climb the path through the Metalsmith Residences Ruins, it turns left and gets steep between the two enclosures surrounded by stone walls on the ridge.

The route from the eastern ridge to the Main Enclosure (the red arrow), using the signboard at the site

This is a defensive point where the first gate was built to protect the castle.

The stone walls of the Eastern Enclosures

The gate ruins seen from above the stone walls

Then, the path turns right to climb the ridge, it turns right again to enter the entrance of the Main Enclosure on its stone walls. However, visitors had to use the ladder to enter it, whereas now you can enter it using the wooden steps added in recent times.

The wooden steps towards the Main Enclosure

You will also need to turn three times to finally reach the square defensive gate of the enclosure, called Masugata. This uses the highest and greatest stone walls as the final gate of the castle.

The stone walls in front of the Main Enclosure could be an obstruction

The stone walls of the Main Enclosure Entrance

Elaborately built Stone Walls surround Main Enclosure

The inside of the Main Enclosure is only a square now, but it had the largest buildings in the castle based on the stone foundations found by the excavation. You can see a view of the surrounding settlements just as the castle lord used to do.

You can also walk around the outside of the enclosure. You will see how its stone walls were curved elaborately to allow the defenders to make a counter-attacks to the side.

part of the stone walls was curved elaborately

The single enclosure on the northern ridge, directly connected to the Main Enclosure, only partly used stone walls by because it was the back of the castle. However, it was protected by a ditch in front of it.

The Northern Enclosure seen from the Mian Enclosure

The aerial photo around the castle

To be continued in “Akagi Castle Part3”
Back to “Akagi Castle Part1”

155.赤木城　その２

戦略的な防御システムを持った山城

特徴、見どころ

よく整備されている城跡

現在、赤木城跡は熊野市によって史跡として維持整備されています。熊野市はまた、熊野杉のような木材の産地としても知られています。この城の周りの地域は、過去には金、銀、銅、鉄などの金属資源も算出していました。赤木城は、これらの産物を運ぶ街道（いわゆる熊野街道）をコントロールできる位置にありました。車で城跡を訪れるのであれば、通常は東の峰下にある駐車場に車を停めて、そこから歩いて行きます。城跡には建物は残ってはいませんが、石垣がよい状態で維持されています。

城の正面口、東峰

その東峰は城の正面であったと考えられています。この城の中では最も戦略的な防御システムを持っていたからです。今でも、この部分がどのように守られていたのかがわかります。峰を登り始めて鍛冶屋敷跡を過ぎると、峰の上にある石垣に囲まれた二つの曲輪（東郭）の中間点で、道は左に曲がり急になります。

この場所には１番目の門（１番目の虎口）が築かれていて、城を守るための重要なポイントでした。

そこから道は右に曲がり、峰上を登っていきます。道は再度右に曲がり、石垣の上にある本丸に向かっていきます。しかし、過去にその石垣に上に登るには梯子を使っていました。現在のビジターは、城跡を整備したときに設置された木製の階段を使います（ここが２番目の虎口に相当）。

その後、桝形と呼ばれる四角い防御空間になっている本丸虎口（３番目の虎口）に到達するには、あと３回曲がる必要があります。ここは城の最後の入口となるので、この城では最も高く最も豪華な石垣が使われています。

巧みに築かれた石垣が囲む本丸

本丸の内部は、現在は広場となっています。しかし発掘により、礎石の上に城では最大の建物があったことがわかっています。そこからは、城跡の周りの集落をよく見渡すことができます。きっと昔の城主も同じような眺めを見ていたことでしょう。

本丸の外側を歩いて回ることもできます。本丸を囲む石垣のラインが巧みに曲げられていて、城の守備兵が敵の側面に反撃できるようになっていたことがよく見て取れます。

北の峰上にある単独の曲輪（北郭）が直接本丸につながっています。この曲輪には石垣が部分的にしかありません。こちらは城の裏面だったからでしょう。しかし、防御面では手前に堀切があり、しっかり守られています。

城周辺の航空写真

「赤木城その３」に続きます。
「赤木城その１」に戻ります。

155.Akagi Castle Part1

The starting point of Takatora Todo as a castle construction master

Location and History

Takatora was seeking his Ideal Master

Akagi Castle was located in the mountain part of Kii Province what is now Wakayama Prefecture. The castle was built around 1589 by Takatora Todo who would be a well-known master of castle construction later. The castle was one of his earliest castles, so it can be seen as the starting point of his castle construction. Takatora came from Omi Province near Kyoto during the Sengoku Period when so many warlords divided the country and often battled with each other. He was well built and distinguished himself in many wars, however, his masters didn’t always survive. As a result, he changed his masters as many as seven times like an excellent business person changes one’s job several times now. In 1576, he found his fourth master, Hidenaga Toyotomi, the little brother of Hideyoshi Toyotomi who would become the ruler of Japan later.

The range of Kii Province and the location of the castle

The portrait of Takatora Todo, private owned (licensed under Public Domain via Wikimedia Commons)

Hedenaga was a nicely balanced leader joining his brother’s unification of Japan. Takatora was promoted by Hidenaga to one of his senior vassals and also learned many elements of the enterprise, one of which was how to build castles. He must have experienced it through many battles under Hidenaga. In 1585, Hideyoshi had conquered Kii Provence which was given to Hidenaga. Hidenaga also gave part of the province to be governed to Takatora. However, it was not easy because many local lords still didn’t want to be ruled by others, who also had guns which were popular weapons in the province at that time. One of Takatora’s answers to the question was to build his new castle called Akagi Castle.

The portrait of Hidenaga Toyotomi, owned by Shungakuin Temple (licensed under Public Domain via Wikimedia Commons)

Matchlock guns which were popular weapons at that time

Mountain Castle with Advanced System

Akagi Castle was a simple mountain castle with its Main Enclosure on a hill and its other enclosures on the three ridges in the north, east, and west. They are similar to many other castles built at that time so far. Takatora added advanced systems with his own ideas and experiences using the current technology. First, the Main Enclosure was basically square shaped and surrounded by high stone walls. The line of the walls was also bended elaborately to make a side attack to enemies. Its entrance was guarded by a small square space called Masugata. These features can be seen in other castles Takatora built later such as Imabari and Tsu Castles. Other enclosures were also surrounded by stone walls and placed wisely. For example, if visitors or enemies wanted to go the Main Enclosure by passing the enclosures on the eastern ridge, they had to go through three alternated entrances called Koguchi.

The layout of Akagi Castle, from the signboard at the site, adding the red letters for the Enclosures’ names

The stone walls of the Main Enclosure at Akagi Castle Ruins

Takatora succeeded in governing the area around the castle. The castle probably provided relief from dangerous battles and Takatora’s authority to the local people. However, his stable governance was not done by only the castle, but also by his strict policy. He executed 160 rebels including local warriors and farmers, called Kitayama Uprising, at Tabirako Mountain Pass near the castle just after the completion of the castle. The reason for the uprising is said that they were against Hideyoshi’s nationwide land survey because the government before Hideyoshi did not recognize how much field people had. People had to pay more tax after the government survey. That was one of the realities in the Sengoku Period.

The relief map around the castle

Castle is followed by Asano Clan before abandoned by One Castle per Province Law

In the first 17th Century, the Asano Clan governed Kii Province. They were based in Wakayama Castle, but also used Akagi Castle as the Kitayama Uprising people rebelled again. The clan executed more people than Takatora. Akagi Castle was finally abandoned due to the Law of One Castle per Province by the Tokugawa Shogunate in 1615.

To be continued in “Akagi Castle Part2”