内容～Content – ページ 219 – 日本200名城バイリンガル (Japan's top 200 castles and ruins)

177.Hiketa Castle Part1

The forgotten castle in the eastern part of Sanuki Province

Location and History

Castle on Mountain supporting Port

Hiketa Castle was located on an 82m high mountain called Shiro-yama in the eastern part of Sanuki Province which is the modern day Kagawa Prefecture. The Hiketa Port, facing the Harima Sea, beside the mountain which could prevent strong wind from blowing into the port. The port became popular amongst ships waiting for favorable wind from the Ancient Times. It was said that the mountain was also used as a fire beacon platform at that time. In the Middle Ages, several lords used the mountain as Hiketa Castle. For example, in 1583, Hisahide Sengoku under the ruler, Hideyoshi Toyotomi fought with Motochika Chosogabe using Hiketa Castle. Overall, the castle was used whenever it was needed. It was built with natural terrain.

The location of the castle

The aerial photo around the castle

The portrait of Hisahide Sengoku, private owned (licensed under Public Domain via Wikimedia Commons)

One of Important Branch Castles in Sanuki Province

During the unification of Japan, Hideyoshi gave Sanuki Province to his retainer, Chikamasa Ikoma in 1587. Initially, Chikamasa lived in Hiketa Castle, but soon after that, he moved to another one, and finally built Takamatsu Castle as his new home base. However, Hiketa Castle was maintained as one of the branch castles of Takamatsu Castle. The stone walls were built surrounding the enclosures on the top of the mountain. Part of them still remain on the mountain. They were specifically built in places where visitors often came and local people could look up from the foot of the mountain. That was the way for Hideyoshi and his retainers to show their authority to the people in their new territories. It was said that the way originated from the castles like Nobunaga Oda’s Azuchi Castle and Nagayosi Miyoshi’s Imori Castle.

The portrait of Chikamasa Ikoma, owned by Kokenji Temple (licensed under Public Domain via Wikimedia Commons)

The remaining stone walls of Hiketa Castle

Some castle buildings were also built on the enclosures, but the details are uncertain because none of them remained. However, it was thought that the buildings looked like those of Takamatsu Castle. That’s because the roof tiles, which were made from the same model, were excavated from both sites. That meant there might have been the three castles which had very similar appearance in Sanuki Province which the Ikoma Clan owned. They were Takamatsu Castle in the center which was their home base, Hiketa Castle in the east, and Marugame Castle, which was the other branch castle in the west. Hiketa Castle was at its peak at the beginning of the 17th Century. The castle town was also built beside Hiketa Port.

Abandoned by Law of One Castle per Province

However, Hiketa Castle was abandoned in 1615 due to the Law of One Castle per Province which was created by the Tokugawa Shogunate. Only Takamatsu Castle was allowed to be used from then on. Marugame Castle was once abandoned at the same time as Hiketa Castle. However, Marugame Castle was rebuilt when Sanuki Province was divided by other lords later on. As a result, Hiketa Castle was the only castle that had peace and quiet and stayed idle eventually becoming forgotten for a long time.

To be continued in “Hiketa Castle Part2”

177.引田城　その１

讃岐国東部の「忘れられた城」

立地と歴史

港を守る山にあった城

引田城は、現在の香川県に当たる讃岐国の東部分にあった、標高８２ｍの城山に築かれた城です。播磨灘に面する引田港が傍らにあり、この山が強風が港に吹き込むのを防いでいました。この港は古代より風待ちの船により賑わいました。また、山の方も当時からのろし台として使われてきたと言われています。中世になって、何人かの大名がこの山を引田城として使いました。例えば、1583年には天下人の豊臣秀吉配下の仙石久秀が引田城を活用して長宗我部元親と戦いました。つまるところ、この城は必要の都度、使われてきたのです。その時点では自然の地形を利用した城でした。

城の位置

城周辺の航空写真

仙石久秀肖像画、個人蔵 (licensed under Public Domain via Wikimedia Commons)

讃岐国の重要な支城の一つ

天下統一が進む中、1587年に秀吉は家臣の生駒親正に讃岐国を与えました。当初、親正は引田城に住んでいましたが、すぐに別の城に移り、最終的には新しい本拠地として高松城を築きます。しかしながら、引田城は高松城の支城の一つとして維持されました。山の上にあった曲輪を取り囲む形で石垣が築かれました。その一部は今でも山に残っています。これらの石垣は特に、訪問者が来る場所や、山麓から地元民が見上げるような場所に築かれたのです。このやり方は、秀吉やその部下たちが新しい領地において人々に権威を見せるためのものでした。これはもともと、織田信長の安土城や、三好長慶の飯盛城で始まったやり方だと言われています。

生駒親正肖像画、弘憲寺蔵 (licensed under Public Domain via Wikimedia Commons)

曲輪の上には、城の建物も築かれましたが、どの建物も残らなかったため詳細は不明です。しかし、その建物は高松城のようではなかったかと言われています。両方の城から、同じ鋳型から作られた屋根瓦が発掘されたからです。生駒氏が所有していた讃岐国にあった３つの城は似通っていたのかもしれないのです。国の中央には高松城、東側には引田城、西側にはもう一つの支城である丸亀城がありました。引田城は１７世紀の初めに繁栄を極めました。引田港のとなりには城下町も設けられました。

一国一城令により廃城

ところが、引田城は1615年に徳川幕府から発せられた一国一城令により、廃城となってしまいます。それ以降は高松城のみが存続を許されました。丸亀城も、引田城と同じ時に一時廃城となりました。しかし、丸亀城はその後他の大名たちにより讃岐国が分割されたときに再建されました。結局引田城のみが、天下泰平のもと、使われないままとなり、長い間忘れられることになったのです。

「引田城その２」に続きます。

78.Marugame Castle Part3

I wish the Main Tower could get out of lonesome state.

Features

High stone walls even in Back of Castle

Going back to the Third Enclosure, you can also get out of the back entrance of the enclosure. You may be surprised to see the high stone walls again even at the back side of the castle. In fact, the present back side was the front of the castle until it was changed in 1660. As a result, the castle has been all covered with the stone walls.

The back entrance of the Third Enclosure

Finally, you can see the unique stone walls in the castle, with some natural stones that were piled up and are called Nozura-zumi, at the foot of the mountain. They are built in an older method than the others in this castle. Therefore, it is said that they might have originally been built by the Ikoma Clan, the first lord of the castle.

The stone walls piled up with natural stones at the foot of the mountain

The contrast of the different types of stone walls

Later History

After the Meiji Restoration, all the buildings except for the remaining ones such as the Main Tower and the Main Gate were demolished or burned. The Japanese Army used the castle site until World War II. The outside of the Inner Moat was turned into the city area. On the other hand, Marugame City opened a park on the top of the mountain in 1919. The Main Tower and the buildings of the Main Gate were designated as Important Cultural Properties by 1957. Marugame City always struggle to preserve the ruins such as the stone walls because they have been sometimes damaged from harsh weather. The City is also considering to restore some turrets and walls on the top of the mountain after investigation and study.

My Impression

I was really moved by the great high stone walls when I was standing in front of the castle. Views from the top of the mountain were great, too. However, I honestly felt that the Main Tower was good, but looked somehow lonesome. If some turrets and walls around the tower were restored, the castle could get its original aspect like Akashi Castle. In addition, the city is also known for Sanuki Udon noodles. There are a lot of Udon noodle restaurants around the castle. That will make your trip more comfortable.

The Sanuki-Fuji that can be seen from the Main Enclosure

The Main Tower seen from the Second Enclosure

Akashi Castle, its mud walls between the remaining turrets were recently restored

How to get There

If you want to visit there by car:
It is about 20 minutes away from Sakaide IC or Zentsuji IC on the Takamatsu Expressway. There are some parking lots in and around the park.
if you go there by train, it’s about 10 minutes walk from Marugame Station.
To get to Marugame Station from Tokyo or Osaka: Take the Tokaido or Sanyo Shinkansen super express and transfer at Okayama Station to the Seto-Ohashi Line. If you take a limited express train bound for Matsuyama or Kochi, you will directly arrive at Marugame Station. If you take a train called the Marine Liner bound for Takamatsu, you will need to transfer again at Sakaide Station to the Yosan Line.

The Marine Liner *(licensed by Sui-setz via Wikimedia Commons)*

Links and References

・The Prize Project of Marugame Castle’s Yagura and Hanshu Goten Reconstruction Deployment Plan, Marugame City

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