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170.Hamada Castle Part2

Introductions for both casual visitors and serious history fans

Later History

After the Meiji Restoration, Hamada Castle Ruins had a little complicated history. The Japanese Army at first owned the ruins but they remained idle, while the remaining Main Tower collapsed due to the Hamada Earthquake in 1872. No buildings survived. After the ruins were sold to the former lord, Matsudaira Clan in 1890, Shimane Prefecture turned them into the Hamada Park in 1903. The route to the Main Enclosure on the top was developed, on the other hand, some stone walls were destroyed for the construction. In 1938, Hamada-Gokoku Shrine was established at the mid slope of the hill. Its approach from the foot was developed.

After World War II, Hamada City, which bought the ruins, planned to improve the park as well as a working area for people. Another route from the foot was developed and some stone walls were repaired by the work. The stone walls had been left after the fire at the end of the Edo Period. However, it was pointed out that their original condition was not considered in the repair. As a result, the ruins were designated as a Prefectural Historic Site of Shimane Prefecture in 1962.

The route to the ruins, which was developed after World War II

Features for General Visitors

Going to Castle Ruins through Hamada-Gokoku Shrine

Today, there are two routes to the ruins of Hamada Castle, houever they are not the original. If you choose the approach to Hamada-Gokoku Shrine as the route, it goes straight to the shrine at the mid slope with stone steps. You can look down Nakanomon Gate Ruins to the right of the way. In fact, the gate was on the original route.

The map around the casltle

The entrance of the approach to Hamada-Gokoku Shrine

The ruins of Nakanomon Gate seen from the approach

Gate moved from Tsuwano Castle

In the back of the shrine, you will see an old building which looks like a castle gate. However, it is also not original to this castle. When this city was part of the Hamada Prefectural Capital (Hamada Prefecture was later unified with Shimane Prefecture), they moved one of the gates of Tsuwano Castle for its office. The gate was finally moved to the current position in 1967 made as a park attraction.

The photo of the gate when it was used for the office

Going to Main Enclosure through Route developed in Meiji Era

You will enter the center of the ruins from the gate, the route becomes likely the original one surrounded by stone walls, but once you turn left, you will see another straight route to the Main Enclosure on the top. Such a layout was hard to believe for a castle because it would have been easier for enemies to attack it. In fact, this route was also developed for the park during the Meiji Era by breaking the stone walls of the Barbican Enclosure beside the Main Enclosure. That’s why visitors have easy access at the top.

The image of the original stone walls of the Barbican Enclosure, from the signboard at the site

Part of “the illustration of Hamada Castle Stone Walls”, from the signboard at the site, adding the red arrow as the current route and the red circles as the broken stone walls

Main Enclosure becomes Park Square

The inside of the Main Enclosure is a square now where you can see views such as the Hamada city area and Tonoura Cove. You can also see some remaining stone walls around and the rest seemed to have collapsed due to the earthquake back in 1872.

The Hamada city area seen from the Main Enclosure

Tonoura Cove seen from the Main Enclosure

The partially remaining stone walls of the Main Enclosure

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

170.浜田城　その２

気軽に訪れたい人と歴史ファンの人、それぞれに向けたガイド

その後

明治維新後、浜田城跡はいささか複雑な歴史をたどりました。始め日本陸軍が城跡を所有したのですが、使われませんでした。そうするうちに1872年に発生した浜田地震により残っていた天守は崩壊してしまいました。結果城跡から建物はなくなりました。城跡はやがて以前の城主であった松平氏に1890年に売却され、島根県は1903年に城跡を浜田公園としました。頂上にある本丸に至る通路が開かれましたが、一方でその工事のために石垣が破壊されました。1938年には丘の中腹に浜田護国神社が設立されました。丘の麓からの参道も作られました。

第二次世界大戦後、城跡を購入した浜田市は公園を整備するとともに、それを雇用対策に充てようとしました。麓からもう一つの通路が開削され、石垣の修理も行われました。江戸時代末期の火災後、そのまま放置されていた石垣があったからです。ところがその当時は石垣のオリジナリティを考慮しないまま修繕を行ってしまったようです（例えば、石垣の積み直しの際、元の石を使っても元とは違う積み方をしている等）。1962年には城跡は島根県の史跡に指定されています。

特徴、見どころ（一般ビジター向け）

浜田護国神社の参道を通って城跡へ

現在、浜田城跡に向かう通路は基本２つありますが、いずれもオリジナルのものではありません。例えば浜田護国神社の参道を通って城跡に向かった場合、石段を登ってまっすぐ中腹にある神社に歩いて行きます。参道の途中からは、右側の下方に中ノ門跡が見えますが、実はこの門がオリジナルの通路上にありました。

城周辺の地図

津和野城から移設された門

神社の奥の方には、城門のような古い建物がありますが、これも浜田城に元からあったものではありません。浜田市が浜田県（後に島根県に統合）の県都だった頃、（浜田県内にあった）津和野城の門の一つを県庁舎用として移築したのです。この門は1967年に最終的に公園の施設として再度現在地に移されました。

明治時代に作られた道を通って本丸へ

この門をくぐった辺りから城跡の中心部になりますが、通路は石垣に囲まれたオリジナルの部分に差し掛かったようです。ところが、左の方に曲がると、またも頂上の方にまっすぐ伸びる通路となります。このような道の付け方は、敵に容易に攻められることになってしまうため、城の場合には通常採用されません。実際このまっすぐの道も、明治時代に公園の整備のために、本丸のとなりの出丸の石垣を壊して作られました。そのおかげでビジターは簡単に頂上まで行けるようになった訳です。

「浜田城石垣絵図」部分、現地説明板より、上記ルートを赤矢印で石垣が破壊された箇所を赤丸で加筆

公園の広場となっている本丸

本丸の内部は現在では広場になっていますが、そこからは浜田市街地や外ノ浦（とのうら）湾の景色が見えます。本丸の周りには、いくらか石垣も残っていますが、それ以外は1872年の地震で崩れてしまったようです。

「浜田城その３」に続きます。
「浜田城その１」に戻ります。

170.Hamada Castle Part1

The castle which was destined to fight the Choshu Domain

Location and History

Castle is built to monitor Choshu Domain

Hamada Castle was located in Iwami Province which is modern day the western part of Shimane Prefecture. You may think the prefecture has a comparatively quiet image, but the province was very important during the Sengoku and Edo Periods. This was because it had Iwami Silver Mine, which has become a World Heritage Site. The mine was owned by several great warlords as the Ouchi, Amago, and Mori Clans, then finally followed by the Tokugawa Shogunate. The shogunate wanted to secure the mine, but there was still the Mori Clan in the Choshu Domain, next to Iwami Province in the west. They handed it over the shogunate after the losing the Battle of Sekigawara in 1600, however, the shogunate feared they would retaliate again. That was probably why the shogunate created new domains as Tsuwano in 1600 and Hamada in 1619, located between the mine and Choshu. The shogunate expected the two domains to monitor the Choshu Domain regularly.

The location of the castle

Shigeharu Furuta, who had been the lord of Matsusaka Castle in Ise Province, was ordered to move to Iwami Provence as the founder of the Hamada Domain in 1619. He was looking for a suitable site for the new castle and eventually found a 67m high hill beside Hamada Port which would be the best location. In fact, building a new castle was prohibited by the Tokugawa Shogunate at that time, but it was allowed for the new domain as an exception. The castle construction started in 1620, its foundation was made in the same year, and its completion was in 1623. Although general techniques for castle construction had been advanced back then, those for Hamada Castle were relatively low. For example, the stone walls of the castle were piled together using roughly processed stones while others often used precisely cut stones. The Main Tower for the castle was a Lookout Tower, but it was considered an older one. The reason for it is uncertain, but it may be because the construction was needed to be finished quickly, or that the craftsmen for the construction were locals.

Part of “The illustration of Hamada in Iwami Province”, between 1759 and 1769, from the signboard at the site

The remaining stone walls of the Nakanomon Gate of Hamada Castle

The restored image by CG of the Main Tower of Hamada Castle, from the signboard at the site

Castle is handed over from Furuta Clan to Matsudaira Clans

The Furuta Clan was unfortunately fired by the shogunate due to its internal conflict as well as having no successor in 1648. After that, the Matsui-Matsudaira Clan (which had been the Matsui Clan under the Imagawa Clan, and was allowed to use the Matsudaira family name by Ieyasu Tokugawa due to their contributions to him) governed the domain and castle for a long time. However, the clan was moved to another in 1836 as a punishment for the smuggling of Joseon dynasty of Korea. Instead, the Ochi-Matsudaira Clan (which originated from the 6th Shogun, Ienobu Tokugawa’s little brother) came to govern them. At the end of the Edo Period, Takeakira Matsudaira was adopted as the last lord, who was also a little brother of Yoshinobu Tokugawa who would be the last shogun.

The portrait of Takeakira Matsudaira (licensed under Public Domain via Wikimedia Commons)

The photo of Yoshinobu Tokugawa, by 1867 (licensed under Public Domain via Wikimedia Commons)

Hamada warriors burn Castle by themselves when attacked by Choshu

The biggest event for the castle occurred in 1866 when the shogunate ordered lords in Japan to join in the Second conquest of Choshu. The shogunate tried to defeat the Choshu Domain which was its enemy. The Hamada Domain was ordered to attack the Choshu Domain through the Iwami Route which connected both domains. However, the Tsuwano Domain, which should have supported the shogunate, took a neutral position because the power of the shogunate began to decrease. On the other hand, the Hamada Domain had to join it because its lord was a relative of the shogun. Contrary to their expectations, the Hamada troops with some other domains’ were unfortunately beaten by the Choshu’s well-trained drafted soldiers. The Choshu troops counterattacked and got close to Hamada Castle and town, and forced them to surrender.

The portrait of Masujiro Omura who led the Choshu troops (licensed under Public Domain via Wikimedia Commons)

The lord, Takeakira once made up his mind to stay in the castle to be killed in a battle. However, he was eventually persuaded to escape from the castle towards his outland territory in Mimasaka Province (now part of Okayama Pref.). The Choshu troops managed to capture Hamada Castle as well as Iwami Silver Mine which the shogunate and Hamada Domain must have secured. There was an interesting episode where the warriors of the domain withdrew from the castle. They burned the castle by themselves during the escape. This was because handing it over to their enemies intact was rather shameful than being used as a base by the enemy. The reason for it is as followed. The Main Tower on the top managed to survive the fire and remained for a while. However, some people in Hamada still won’t admit to the fact and say the tower must have been burned by the Hamada Domain itself. That means the castle was the entity which must never be separated from its masters at that time. That was the warrior’s all or nothing mentality.

The restored image by CG of Hamada Castle, from the signboard at the site

To be continued in “Hamada Castle Part2”