180.Okoh Castle Part3

The Ichiryo-Gusoku group and their reappearance

Features

Walking around Castle Ruins

The Enclosure which was supposed to be a Former Stable is a little far from the main portion of the castle. It was used as a lookout as well.

MarkerMarkerMarkerMarkerMarkerMarker
Former Stable
Leaflet, © OpenStreetMap contributors
The map around the castle

The Enclosure which was supposed to be a Former Stable

The castle also had many dry moats dug on the mountain in both vertical and horizontal directions to prevent enemies from attacking. You can still see some of them remained.

A vertical dry moat
A horizonal dry moat

The castle ruins now have many routes like network and many enclosures for stop and rest, so you can enjoy walking and relaxing as well as learning history.

Some of the routes going around the castle ruins
A view from the Enclosure which was supposed to be a Former Stable

Later History

After Okoh Castle was abandoned, the Chosogabe Clan was unfortunately fired by the Tokugawa Shogunate. The Yamanouchi Clan from Kakegawa Caste came to govern Tosa Province and lived in Kochi Castle. The remaining Ichiryo-Gusoku group suffered from the Yamanouchi high-class warriors as the low class ones during the Edo Period. However, due to their rebellious spirit, some heroes in the Meiji Restoration such as Ryoma Sakamoto and Shintato Nakaoka appeared from the low class to change Japan later.

The portrait of Ryoma Sakamoto, published in a book called Kinsei Meishi Shashin vol.2 (licensed under Public Domain via Wikimedia Commons)
The photo of Shintaro Nakaoka, published in a book called Ishin Tosa Kinnoshi (licensed under Public Domain via Wikimedia Commons)

As for the castle ruins, they were first developed as a normal park with cherry trees planted. The excavation was done between 1985 and 1990. Since then, the ruins have been developing as Okoh Mountain Historical Park. They were finally designated as a National Historical Site in 2008. In addition, Kochi Prefectural Museum of History was built beside the park in 1991, where you can learn more about the castle and the Chosogabe Clan.

The monument of the castle ruins

My Impression

I recommend visiting the three Chosogabe’s home base castles at once because they are close to each other. Kochi Castle basically remains as the Yamanouchi Clan’s legacy now, but the castle’s hill still has many tiers like Okoh Castle, probably it came from Chosogabe’s period. Though the ruins of Urado Castle were mostly destroyed by modern facilities, you can still see the great ocean view of Katsurahama Beach and the famous statue of Ryoma Sakamoto nearby.

Kochi Castle
Kochi Castle also has many tiers
The ruins of Urado Castle
Katsurahama Beach
The statue of Ryoma Sakamoto (taken by 末っ子魂 from photoAC)

How to get There

I recommend using a car when you visit the ruins.
It is about 10 minutes away from Nankoku IC on the Kochi Expressway.
The park offers a parking lot.
If you go there from Tokyo or Osaka, I recommend going there by plane. When you get there, it’s better to rent a car as there are few buses in the area.

The parking lot beside the park

Links and References

National Historical Site: Oko Castle Ruins, Kochi Prefectural Museum of History

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

180.岡豊城 その3

一領具足の再来

特徴、見どころ

城跡を歩き回る

城の主要部分とは少し離れた場所に、伝厩跡曲輪があります。ここも物見台として使われていました。

MarkerMarkerMarkerMarkerMarkerMarker
伝厩跡曲輪
Leaflet, © OpenStreetMap contributors
城周辺の地図

伝厩跡曲輪

この城にはまた、敵の攻撃を防ぐために、多くの空堀が山の垂直方向と水平方向の両方に掘られました。今もそのうちのいくつかが残されています。

竪堀
横堀

この城跡には現在、多くの通路がネットワークのように巡らされていて、多くの曲輪ではくつろいだり休憩することができます。歴史を学ぶだけでなく、散歩を楽しんだり、リラックスすることができる場所です。

城跡を巡る通路
伝厩跡曲輪からの景色

その後

岡豊城が廃城となった後、長宗我部氏は、徳川幕府により不幸にも改易となってしまいました。山内氏が掛川城より、土佐国を治めるためにやってきて、高知城を居城としました。残された一領具足の人たちは江戸時代の間、山内の上級武士(上士)から下級武士(郷士)として虐げられました。しかし、彼らは反骨精神を持ち続け、明治維新のときにはこの中から坂本龍馬や中岡慎太郎といったヒーローが現れ、後の日本を変えていくことになります。

坂本龍馬肖像画、「近世名士写真 其二」より (licensed under Public Domain via Wikimedia Commons)
中岡慎太郎写真、「維新土佐勤王史」より (licensed under Public Domain via Wikimedia Commons)

城跡に関しては、最初は桜の木が植えられ、通常の公園として整備されました。1985年から1990年の間には発掘が行われました。それ以来、城跡は岡豊山歴史公園として整備されています。2008年にはついに国の史跡に指定されました。更には、1991年には高知県歴史民俗資料館が公園の傍で開館しました。そこでは、城や長宗我部氏のことをより学ぶことができます。

城跡にある記念碑

私の感想

長宗我部氏の本拠地となった3つの城を一度に見て回ることをお勧めします。それぞれが近い位置にあるからです。高知城は、基本的には山内氏の遺産として残っていますが、この城の丘陵部分には岡豊城のようにいくつもの段があり、これは長宗我部氏の時代に由来するのではないでしょうか。浦戸城跡は、現代の施設建設により大半が破壊されてしまっていますが、桂浜では雄大な太平洋を、その近くでは有名な坂本龍馬像を見ることができます。

高知城
高知城にも多くの段があります
浦戸城跡
桂浜
坂本龍馬像   (taken by 末っ子魂 from photoAC)

ここに行くには

この城跡へは、車で行かれることをお勧めします。
高知自動車道の南国ICから約10分かかります。
公園に駐車場があります。
東京や大阪からは、飛行機来られることをお勧めします。空港からはレンタカーを借りるのがよいでしょう。この周辺地域はバスの便数が少ないですので。

公園の駐車場

リンク、参考情報

国史跡 岡豊城跡、高知県立歴史民俗資料館
・「戦国の山城を極める 厳選22城/加藤理文 中井均著」学研プラス
・「長宗我部氏/長宗我部友親著」文春文庫
・「よみがえる日本の城13」学研
・「日本の城改訂版第26、42号」デアゴスティーニジャパン

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

180.Okoh Castle Part2

A historical park with a laid-back atmosphere

Features

well developed historical park

The location map at the site, with additional English names

MarkerMarkerMarkerMarkerMarker
Final Tier
Leaflet, © OpenStreetMap contributors
The map around the castle

Today, the ruins of Okoh Castle is well developed as a historical park. If you drive to the park, you can easily park your car at the mid slope of the mountain near the entrance of the ruins. If you walk up on the slope from the entrance, you will first arrive at the front of the high earthen walls of the the castle.

The entrance of the castle ruins
The remaining earthen walls at the ruins

From Forth Tier to Third Tier

Then, if you walk around to the right direction, you can enter the Forth Tier through the entrance of the enclosure called Koguchi. The entrance is made narrow and curved by the earthen walls for defense.

The entrance of the Forth Tier
The inside of the Forth Tier

The Third Tier is higher than the Forth Tier, surrounding the Final Tier like belt. The strong stone foundations surrounded by stone-piled earthen walls remain inside the enclosure. The building on the foundations would have been an important structure for the castle.

The inside of the Third Tier
The Third Tier surrounds the Final Tier like belt

Final Tier, Center of Castle

The Final Tier is the highest enclosure of the castle, so it was thought that it had the turret like a main tower. There are no building remaining on the ruins, but you can see a very good view of the Kacho Plain with lots of rice fields instead. You can easily imagine the area around the castle has been warm and rich.

Climbing up to the Final Tier
The inside of the Final Tier
A view from the Final Tier

Second Tier to protect Final Tier

The Second Tier is opposite to the Forth Tier. The enclosure was separated by a ditch from the Final Tier to protect it. There is also a small enclosure named the Lower Final Tier between the Second Tier and the Final Tier, where another turret was probably built.

The Second Tier
The ditch between the Second Tier and the Final Tier
The Lower Final Tier

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