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142.Naegi Castle Part3

The warriors maintained the castle for a long time.

Features

Umaarai Rock, Second Enclosure and Photo spot

The map around the castle

If you climb down from the top on another route, you can see the biggest rock around, called Umaarai-iwa, just below the Main Tower base, whose perimeter is about 45m. It should make you feel power of nature.

The Second Enclosure is far below from the top, where the Main Hall for the lord was in the past. The hall was built hanging out from the enclosure by also using the Kake-zukuri method.

The Second Enclosure is far below from the base

In addition, if you want to take in a great whole view of the ruins, you can take another return route to the photo spot.

You can go the side road to the photo spot, near *the soldiers’ barracks* ruins

The photo spot seen from the observation platform

Later History

After the Meiji Restoration, Naegi Castle was abandoned and all the buildings of the castle were demolished. The mountain the castle was located on was returning to nature, being covered with trees. However, the ruins of Naegi Castle were designated as a National Historic Site in 1981 because the foundation of the castle ,including its stone walls, remained intact. The ruins recently became popular due to their unique features, such as the combination of natural rocks and stone walls, and great views. Some trees were cut down to see the main portion of the ruins clearly for visitors.

The corroboration of the Kake-zukuri columns, stone walls and natural rocks at the base

My Impression

It is said that there were six types of stone walls in Naegi Castle, ranging from the oldest one using natural stones to newer advanced ones. That meant the Naegi Domain continued to build or repair them under the severe living condition for over 250 years in the peaceful Edo Period. I was very impressed by that.

The stone walls piled in a way called Tani-zumi or the Form of a Vally, near the entrance of the ruins

The stone walls piled in a way called Uchikomi-hagi like piling roughly processed stones, at the Northern Gate Ruins, in the back of the Large Turret Ruins

The stone walls piled in a way called Kirikomi-hagi like piling precisely processed stones, at the Large Turret Ruins

The stone walls piled in a way called Nozura-zumi like piling natural stones, around the starting point to the top

I remember an example of a similar case to Naegi Castle, called Oka Castle in the Kyushu Region. The castle was likewise built on a rocky mountain. It was very defensive but hard to live in, so the warriors immediately disappeared after the Meiji Restoration.

How to get There

I recommend using a car when you visit the castle ruins.
It is about a 10-minute drive away from Nakatsugawa IC on the Chuo Expressway. There are several parking lots around the ruins.
If you want to use public transportation, you can take the Kita-Ena-Kotsu Bus bound for Tsukechikyo-Kuraya-Onsen or Kashimo-Sogo-jimusho from Nakatsugawa Station and get off at the Naegi bus stop. It takes about 20 minutes on foot from the bus stop to get there.
To get to Nakatsugawa Station from Tokyo or Osaka: Take the Tokaido Shinkansen super express and transfer to the Chuo Line at Nagoya Station.

The parking lot of *Naegi Toyama Historical Museum*

The parking lot in front of the ruins entrance

That’s all. Thank you.
Back to “Naegi Castle Part1”
Back to “Naegi Castle Part2”

142.苗木城　その３

武士たちがこの城を長い間守り続けました。

特徴、見どころ

馬洗岩、二の丸、写真スポット

城周辺の地図

頂上から別の道を下っていくと、この辺りでは一番大きい巨石が見えてきます。ちょうど天守台の下にあり、馬洗岩と呼ばれていて、その周囲は約４５メートルもあります。自然の力の偉大さを感じさせます。

二の丸は、頂上からはずっと下の方にあり、かつては城主のための御殿がありました。その御殿は曲輪からはみ出すように作られており、ここでも懸け造りの工法が採用されていました。

更に、城跡全景を見てみたいときは、帰り道に別のルートを通ると写真スポットがあり、そこから見える城跡の姿も壮観です。

その後

明治維新後、苗木城は廃城となり、城の全ての建物は撤去されました。城があった山は、木々に覆われ自然に帰っていきました。しかし、石垣を含む城の基礎部分は健在であったため、1981年に国の史跡に指定されました。この城跡は近年、自然の岩と石垣の組み合わせ、素晴らしい景色などのユニークな特徴により、知られるようになってきました。ビジターから城跡の主要部がよく見えるよう樹木を伐採するようなことも行われています。

私の感想

苗木城には、自然石を使った最も古い形式から、そこから進化したものまで、６つのタイプの石垣があったと言われています。これは、苗木藩が２５０年以上続いた平和な江戸時代じゅう、住むには厳しい環境下において、石垣を築き、修繕し続けたことによります。このことに、強い印象を受けました。

そして、苗木城と似たケースがあることを思い出しました。それは九州にある岡城のことです。この城も、苗木城と同じように岩山の上に築かれました。この城も防御力は最高でしたが、住むにはとても困難なところでした。そのため、明治維新の後は武士たちはあっという間に城から消え去ってしまったのです。

ここに行くには

この城跡を訪れるには車を使われることをお勧めします。
中央自動車道の中津川ICから約１０分のところです。城跡周辺にいくつか駐車場があります。
公共交通機関を使う場合は、中津川駅から、付知峡倉屋（つけちきょうくらや）温泉行きか、加子母（かしも）総合事務所行きの北恵那交通バスに乗り、苗木バス停で降りてください。バス停から歩いて約２０分かかります。
（期間限定で、中津川駅から城跡まで直行のバスが出ているようです。）
東京か大阪から中津川駅まで：東海道新幹線に乗り、名古屋駅で中央本線に乗り換えてください。

リンク、参考情報

・国指定史跡　苗木城跡　中津川観光協会公式Webサイト
・「東海の名城を歩く　岐阜編／中井均　内堀信雄編」吉川弘文館
・「日本の城改訂版第４号」デアゴスティーニジャパン
・「よみがえる日本の城１６」学研

これで終わります。ありがとうございました。
「苗木城その１」に戻ります。
「苗木城その２」に戻ります。

142.Naegi Castle Part2

The castle ruins integrate stone walls and natural rocks.

Features

Going to Center from Entrance

Today, no castle buildings remain in the ruins of Naegi Castle, but you can still see the spectacular foundation mixing stone walls and natural rocks. Just after you enter the entrance of the ruins, you can see a great expansive view of the top of the mountain with the observation platform from the ruins of the soldiers’ barracks.

The map around the castle

The diorama of Naegi Castle Ruins, from the signboard at the site

The imaginary drawing of the castle in the past at the site

Then, if you walk to the center of the ruins along the mixed walls of natural rocks and stones, you will reach the Third Enclosure. This enclosure had originally been a deep dry moat for defense but was eventually filled to make more land for buildings later.

A view of the Third Enclosure from the top of the Large Turret

Large Turret Ruins, and going to Top of Mountain

There are the ruins of the Large Turret in the front, which is the remaining base of huge rocks and stone walls. You can climb up to the top of the base to see the top of the mountain closer.

A view of the center of the ruins from the Large Turret Ruins

A view of the Large Turret Ruins from the center of the ruins

To climb up to the top of the mountain, you will need to walk on a narrow and zigzagging route alongside the rocky terrain. You will also see a lot of ruins of gates and buildings as you go. That means those buildings were crowded in such a small space in the past.

The imaginary drawing of around the route to the top in the past, from the signboard at the site

You will finally arrive at the Main Enclosure on the top. It is now empty, but you may feel it’s not large. There were also some buildings such as the living quarters for the lord.

Observation Platform, no less than real Main Tower

The base for the Main Tower is a huge rock itself on the top and the observation platform is on it instead of the historical tower. The platform was built using the method of Kake-zukuri like the original tower. The columns of it use the same post holes on the rock as the tower, so you can easily imagine how great it was.

The observation platform in on the huge rock as the base

The platform was built using the Kake-zukuri method

The column uses the same post hole on the rock as the Main Tower

Moreover, the deck of the platform has the same size and level as the top floor of the original tower. You can enjoy the same great view of the area around, including the Kiso River, Nakatsugawa city and the mountains behind, just as the lord did back then.

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