English – 日本200名城バイリンガル (Japan's top 200 castles and ruins)

20.Sakura Castle Part1 (draft)

Sakura Castle was located at the current Sakkura City of Chiba Prefecture. The castle was built as the home of the Sakura Domain during the Edo Period, which is the origin of the city. The areas around the city had many other castles until the Sengoku Period and some of which were very important.

Location and History

Sakura Castle was located at the current Sakura City of Chiba Prefecture. The castle was built as the home of the Sakura Domain during the Edo Period, which is the origin of the city. The areas around the city had many other castles until the Sengoku Period and some of which were very important. For example, there was Usui Castle in the western part of the city, where the battle of Usui Castle happened back in 1566. Kenshin Uesugi, who tried to rule the whole Kanto Region, attacked the castle but failed. There was also Motosakura Castle in the eastern part, which was the home of the Chiba Clan. Usui Castle was a branch of the clan. Cuttently, this castle is called “Motosakura” but back then, it was called “Sakura Castle”. So therefore, Sakura Castle was the former name of Motosakura Castle. This article will explain the formative years of Sakura Castle including the formation of Motosakura Castle, which should make it easier for people to better understand the history.

The ruins of Usui Castle, Notice the wooden log steps covered in soil

The ruins of Motosakura Castle, Notice the icon on the wooden shields. This is the family crest of the Chiba Clan

Formative Years of Sakura Castle

The Chiba Clan had owned Shimosa Province, which was the northern part of Chiba Prefecture, since the end of the ancient times. The most famous person of the clan would be Tsunetane Chiba who supported the launch of the Kamakura Shogunate at the end of the 12th Century. Their home, Inohana Castle, was located at the current Chiba City for a long time. However, the castle was destroyed when many battles occurred in the 15th Century during the Sengoku Period. The clan decided to rebuild their new home in another location, which would be called Motosakura Castle. The castle was on the Shimosa plateau and was surrounded by Inbanuma Lake and other waterlogged areas. Its location was much more fortified than before and more convenient for water transportation. The lake was also much larger than now, where people could easily access Kasumigaura Lake and other great rivers. The wide water area was even called Katori-no-umi, which means the Katori inland sea.

The statue of Tsunetane Chiba, exhibited by Chiba City Folk Museum

The whole map of Motosakura Castle, from the signboard at the site

The situation changed during the 16th Century. The Hojo Clan was invading the Kanto Region from the west. On the other hand, the Satomi Clan also got the power from the south (Boso peninsula). The Chiba Clan wondered what to do and they eventually allied with the Hojo Clan. That’s why Kenshin Uesugi, who would help the Satomi Clan, decided to attack Usui Castle, a branch of the Chiba Clan. The victory of the clan was partially due to the Hojo Clan’s help. As a result, the Hojo became more effective to the Chiba Clan. As for the home of the clan, Chikatane Chiba, who was the lord of the clan before the battle, originally planned to move his home from Motosakura to another. The new land for his new home later became Sakura Castle, which was called Kashima Castle then. Mysteriously, he died in 1533, which ultimately canceled his plans of moving the castle.

The location of the castle, Notice the smaller Inbanuma Lake on the left next to Usui Castle. This important river used to span much larger that what the current map is showing. It used to be part of a much larger body of water.

The portrait of Kenshin Uesugi, owned by the Uesugi Shrine (licensed under Public Domain via Wikimedia Commons)

The portrait of Chikatane Chiba, owned by the Kubo Shrine (licensed under Public Domain via Wikimedia Commons)

The Hojo Clan interfered in the internal affairs of the Chiba Clan at the end of the 16th Century. For instance, Ujimasa Hojo married his daughter to Kunitane Chiba, the lord of the clan. The Hojo Clan allowed Kunitane to resume the construction of Kashima Castle but failed to do so because the lord was killed again. Ujimasa next married his son to Kunitane’s daughter, in order to be the successor of the clan. It was said that Kashima Castle was finally finished for the new home of the couple.

The portrait of Ujimasa Hojo, owned by Odawara Castle (licensed under Public Domain via Wikimedia Commons)

However, it is difficult to confirm these records are the fact, as Sakura Castle was built on the old Kashima Castle. the few discovered old dry moats at the site prove that they were at least trying to build the castle there. So, why did the Chiba and Hojo Clans want to move there again and again? One of the reasons would be that the land for the new castle was much larger than the old one. For the Hojo Clan, another possible reason may have been to protect their territories from the invasion of Hideyoshi Toyotomi from the west. The plateau, which the new castle was built, had steep slopes and was surrounded by rivers towards the direction. That would be very defensive against the invasion. However, the Chiba Clan was eventually fired by Hideyoshi, after their master, the Hojo Clan was defeated at the battle of Odawara Castle in 1590.

51.Azuchi Castle Part2

The ruins of Azuchi Castle have become a National special historic site. There is a square in front of them, however, there were water moats and stone walls in the past. Azuchi Castle was located between Kyoto and Gifu Castle which was the previous home of Nobunaga Oda. Therefore, he could hurry to both sites immediately. In addition, he created the network of water transportation on Biwa Lake, including Azuchi and several his retainers’ castles. This article will introduce the tour course of the ruins while mixing with the mysteries of the castle in the previous article.

Features

The ruins of Azuchi Castle have become a National special historic site. There is a square in front of them, however, there were water moats and stone walls in the past. Azuchi Castle was located between Kyoto and Gifu Castle which was the previous home of Nobunaga Oda. Therefore, he could easily access both sites immediately. In addition, he created the network for water transportation on Biwa Lake, including Azuchi and several of his retainers’ castles. This article will introduce the path of the ruins while incorporating with the mysteries of the castle in the previous article.

The diorama of Azuchi Castle, exhibited by Azuchi Castle Archaeological Museum

Walking up on the Main Route

Before climbing the route, let us check out other historical items around the main gate ruins. They are the four gate ruins, including the main gate. Three of the four gates had a simple design which was not strong. The eastern gate and central gate (which was the main gate) had a simple design. Meanwhile, there were a simple gate, and the other had complex design, in line in the western place. You can see both ruins with the remaining stone walls. You can pass straight through the simple gate while you need to turn twice to pass the complex one. So, why did Nobunaga build the two different gates so closely together?

The ruins of the western gates (the complex one on the left and the simple one on the right)

Let us go back to the main route and walk on it. You need to pay an admission fee to Sokenji Temple who owns the ruins. Then, you can walk up on the impressive stone steps towards the top. The route may still make the current visitors feel special because they can see the route. However, the past visitors must have seen the main tower of the castle above.

*The imaginary drawing of the main route of Azuchi Castle, exhibited by Gifu Castle*

As you walk, you will see several ruins of Nobunaga’s retainers’ residences on both sides. For example, there were Hideyoshi Hashiba’s residence on the left, and Toshiie Maeda’s one on the right. However, the owners’ names are only speculative, and some believe it came from the Edo Period, not the same period as the castle. In addition, Hideyoshi’s residence ruins consist of two tiers. Some argue that the two tiers were from different residences from each other. They speculate the Oda family might have renovated them and used them as their government office after Nobunaga died and the main tower of the castle was eventually burned down.

The ruins of Hideyoshi Hashiba’s residence

You will eventually see the main hall of Sokenji Temple, which was said to have been the residence of Ieyasu Tokugawa who was Nobunaga’s ally. However, as mentioned above, it’s only a speculation. According to records, he stayed in another temple when he came to Azuchi.

The main hall of Sokenji Temple (the former residence of Ieyasu Tokugawae)

The straight route eventually zigzags on the way which may have been designed for the defensive purposes. The current stone steps were restored in the present time, using original stones. Some of them are stones from Buddha statues, which are stated in Japanese letters “石仏” beside them. The builders of the castle were able to get enough stones from mountains nearby. So, why did they use the stone statues in these prominent areas?

One of the stone statues which are used in the route, Notice the donation cup with “Suntory” labeled on it next to the sign

The route will eventually reach a plain area which is called the ruins of Nobutada Oda’s residence. This place was used as the temple’s facility after the castle was abandoned. That’s why there are very few remaining items of the castle. However, historians speculate that this place must have been reinforced by stone walls. This is because this is the crossroad of the important routes of the castle, the main route, the side route, the route towards the lake, and the one towards the center.

Going to Center of the Castle

Next, let us go to the center of the castle. After climbing the stone steps for a while, you will eventually see the ruins of a great gate. This is the ruins of Kurogane-mon, which mean “iron gate”, to the center. The ruins still have a square space, called “Masugata”, built using huge stones, which looks strong. “Shincho-koki”, which is the most reliable biography of Nobunaga says it is “Omote-no-gomon” which means “front gate”. Therefore, it was definitely the front gate of the castle.

After entering the gate ruins, you will eventually see a lot of stone walls around. One of the breakthrough points of Azuchi Castle was the construction of these stone walls for buildings on them. The builders of the castle collected huge number of stones around and used larger ones at the center. The stones, which are natural or roughly processed, were piled up high to become the stone walls in a method called “Nozura-zumi”. They look unstable but are joined together securely. The stone craftsmen, who could operate the Nozura-zumi method, would later be called, “Ano-shu”.

The stone walls of the second enclosure, Notice the large gaps between the stones

Looking around these great stone walls, you will eventually pass the ruins of the second and third gates one after the other. Then, you will arrive at Ninomaru-higashi-damari which means “eastern gathering place of the second enclosure”. The main enclosure is on the right (to east) and the second enclosure is on the left (to west).

The Ninomaru-higashi-damari gathering place

There is the grave of Nobunaga Oda at the second enclosure to the left, which Hideyoshi built the following year of the Honnnoji Incident. The route to the grave in the enclosure was also built at that time. Historians speculate the place, where the grave was built, had been the residence of Nobunaga and his family. If you look at the top of the grave, you will notice a simple stone, which is not appropriate for the great lord. This is because the top of the graves of such great warlords are usually built like a tower. The stone may look like the Bonsan stone which would be the icon of Nobunaga. Noone knows if the stone is authentic, but at least, the builder would have known about it.

Going back to the Ninomaru-higashi-damari gathering place, you can now go to the main enclosure. The place was originally called “Oshirasu” which means “waiting area”. The area to the enclosure is empty now. However, according to the Shincho-koki biography, there was another gate, and also a hall called “Nanden”. The hall was thought to include waiting rooms, agent rooms, and meeting rooms. That may have been one of the origins for typical castle halls like the second enclosure hall of Nijo Castle.

Thin would have been the Nanden hall ahead, there would have been a gate in front

The aerial photo of the second enclosure main hall of Nijo Castle (Google Map)

The main enclosure only has few stone foundations, some trees, and the stools for visitors. There must have been the hall or room for the royal visit somewhere inside. There are also the stone walls of the third enclosure just behind the trees, where another hall for the guest was built. The enclosure must have been a good viewing spot; however, the current visitors unfortunately cannot access this area.

The center of the diorama above, showing the second enclosure, the main tower ruins, the main enclosure, and the third enclosure (from the left to the right), exhibited by Azuchi Castle Archaeological Museum

Going to the Main Tower Base

If you want to go the main tower base from the main enclosure, you will need to pass through Honmaru-Toritsuke-dai (which means the mounting base of the main enclosure) by climbing some stone steps. The mounting base is now an open space but used to have a building on it, which was connected with other buildings of the main enclosure with roofed passages. If you go on the space, you will see an excavation site beside the tower base. Shiga Prefecture launched the excavation in 2023, which is called “the great research of Reiwa”. The purpose is to reveal what the main tower looked like and why it was burned down. So far, it found that the stone wall base was partially destroyed intentionally after the tower was lost. The excavation team speculates that it might have been done when the castle was abandoned.

The excavation site (close to the public)

The northern side of the tower base which is being researched currently

Let us walk up on the stone steps towards the tower base. You should check out the surface of the steps, which is covered with tiles. These tiles were made of Shakudani-ishi stones which came from Echizen Province (the current Fukui Prefecture). The stones are blue green in color and turns deep blue when it rains. They are still one of the specialties of the prefecture and is the prefectural stone. The stones of the tiles were said to have been given by Katsuie Shibata who was a senior vassal of Nobnaga and owned the province. They had just conquered the province, so the tiles may have been built as the symbol of their conquest.

The surface of the steps, which is made from the Shakudani-ishi stones

The stone steps will eventually lead to the basement of the tower, which was the storehouse. Now, there are only the stone foundations inside. It is still mysterious what the main tower and other buildings of the castle might have looked like. Shiga Prefecture states that Azuchi Castle was the first Japanese castle that contained the three important items at the same time: a high main tower, high stone walls, and buildings with rooftiles. In addition, some rooftiles with golden leaves were discovered in the center of the castle. Historians also say they are the first case amongst Japanese castles. For reference, the same kind of rooftiles were discovered in Gifu Castle which was the previous home of Nobunaga. However, they cannot be confirmed to have been made during the same period as Nobunaga. This is because Gifu Castle was used even after Azuchi Castle was abandoned.

Some of the discovered broken rooftiles at the site, exhibited by Azuchi Castle Archaeological Museum

The great research of Reiwa also involves seeking for the picture where Azuchi Castle was drawn. It is called Azuchi-san-zu-Byobu which means the screens of the illustration of Azuchi Mountain. It was given as a present by Nobunaga to the Roman Pope, who certainly displayed it in the Vatican Palace, but was unfortunately misplaced. The prefecture has been seeking it but was not successful. However, they have started again with the research as a starting point. If the picture can be found, it would be the most convincing evidence that the main tower existed.

The imaginary drawing of the Azuchi-san-zu-Byobu screens, exhibited by Azuchi Castle Museum

Sokenji Temple is still Mysterious

If you go back from the center to the ruins of Nobutada Oda’s residence, the route for visitors is eventually led to the ruins of Sokenji Temple. This is where the Bonsan stone was placed, according to Luis Frois. There are the ruins of the former main hall of the temple on a hill. The stone was placed on the second floor, which was the highest point of the temple. The place might have been considered the best spot for the icon of Nobunaga who reigned at the top of the main tower. After Nobunaga died, the main hall was renovated but was unfortunately burned down by an accidental fire during the Edo Period. If the hall survived the fire, one mystery about Nobunaga would have been solved.

Azuchi Mountain including the castle was partially surrounded by Nishinoko-Lake which is a branch of Biwa Lake. However, they were disconnected during the Showa Era because the lake was reclaimed to the farms. You can still see a good view of the lake from the hill.

The three-level tower and Nio-mon Gate (the front gate) of the temple managed to survive the fire. Both have been designated as National Important Cultural Properties. If fact, they were older than other castle buildings of Azuchi even when it was first established. This was because the temple buildings were collected from other temples by Nobunaga. The route through the buildings was the side route of the castle, which was popular. According to the Shincho-koki biography, the route was very crowded with people to celebrate the new-year event of 1582 (according to the luna calendar). The new-year event was the last for Nobunaga who was killed within the same year.

The remaining Nio-mon Gate (notice the two NIO satues on the side)

The tour route will lead to the side route of another going around the mountain.
The entrance of the side route cannot be used because the temple wants to control the crowd. Our route will eventually return to the ruins of Hideyoshi Hashiba’s residence near the toll gate.

The side route to the entrance is closed

The route around the mountain, watch your step because the terrain is very rugged

My Impression

The more you think about the mysteries of Azuchi Castle, the more they may become mysterious. That is my honest impression. However, I enjoy thinking and speculating about each mystery. Nobunaga had a very unorthodox way of thinking back then. Therefore, you might not find the answers by just using the conventional knowledge. In my opinion, the unsloved mystery of Azuchi Castle is what makes it unique. We just have to wait for more convincing proof in the future.

Azuchi Mountain (Appromixately 190 meters above sea level)

Furthermore, I recommend visiting other several historical museums around Azuchi Castle, to help you uncover the mystery.

Nobunaga no Yakata Museum, inside you will find the model of the 6th and 7th floor of the main tower, Photography is allowed, however, the museum doesn’t want pictures to be published online, therefore I cannot include them on this blog

That’s all. Thank you.

Back to “Azuchi Castle Part1”

51.Azuchi Castle Part1

Azuchi Castle, which had many unique characters, suddenly appeared and disappeared in a short amount of time like its master, Nobunaga. As a result, it has a lot of mysteries which attract us. This article will focus on 5 items of the mysteries, which people often dispute about.

Azuchi Castle was, needless to say, known for the final and most popular home of Nobunaga Oda. Other than that, he created a typical style of Japanese castles, including the main tower, turrets, and white walls on top of the stone walls, which are guarded by defensive gates and are surrounded by water moats. The style was passed down from one generation to the next by other great Japanese lords. That’s why we still think it as the most typical Japanese castles’ style. Therefore, Azuchi castle was the inspiration for many other castles that came after it.

The portrait of Nobunaga Oda, attributed to Soshu Kano, owned by Chokoji Temple, in the late 16th century (licensed under Public Domain via Wikimedia Commons)

However, the castle had a very short life for its impact. The construction of the castle launched in 1576. Nobunaga started to live in its main tower three years later. Its completion was done in September of 1581 (according to the luna calendar), just 9 months before Nobunaga’s death during the Honnoji Incident in Kyoto on the 3rd of June the following year. The main tower of the castle was burned down around the 15th of June for some unknown reasons. The Oda’s relatives still used the remaining parts of the castle for a while. Atter that, the castle was eventually abandoned in 1585 because their new home, which was called Hachimanyama Castle, was completed.

As you saw, the castle, which had many unique characters, suddenly appeared and disappeared in a short amount of time like its master, Nobunaga. As a result, it has a lot of mysteries which attract us. For example, its own name “Azuchi” is one of them. A record of the Hosokawa Clan says that Nobunaga changed the name of the land to Azuchi. However, the record doesn’t say why. Some speculate the name came from Kyoto’s nickname “Heian-rakudo” which borrows the two Chinese characters of Azuchi (安土). The original Chinese characters of Heian-rakudo is as followed: 平安楽土. They think Nobunaga wanted the castle to be the new capital of Japan. The speculation is not very plausible because other experts argue that other speculations are more plausible.

This article will focus on 5 items of the mysteries, which people often dispute about. I will also compare Theory A with Theory B for each item by summarizing the opinions about each one. Theory A will mainly consist of conventional wisdom from the officials, historians, and experts. Theory B, on the other hand, will focus on the opinions of Mr. Senda who is a famous castle archaeologist and from me (in the last part).

Location and History (Mystery Showdown)

Mystery of the Straight Main Route to the Mountain

Introduction

A surprising thing was discovered in the ruins of Azuchi Castle during the excavations since 1989 by Shiga Prefecture. Castles on mountains during the Sengoku Period usually had zigzagged routes to the top and had defensive walls, gates and turrets on the way to the top. Azuchi Castle Ruins had had stone walls on the way of the main route, which looked like a typical mountain castle at that time. However, the stone walls were built by Sokenji Temple at Azuchi Mountain during the Edo Period, abd not the Sengoku Period. The excavation team removed the stone walls and discovered that there was the original straight main route to the mountain, which is approximately 180m long. It also found the ruins of residential areas maybe for the senior vassals along the route, such as “Hideyoshi Hashiba (then later Hideyoshi Toyotomi who would be the ruler of Japan). In addition, four gate ruins were found around the entrance of the route. Three of the four gates had a simple design, called “Hira-koguchi”, where visitors (and possibly enemies) could have passed through easily. I wonder Why the straight main route was built instead of the zigzagged route which is typical of defensive castles during the Sengoku Period?

The diorama of the stone walls on the main route before it was removed, exhibited by Azuchi Castle Archaeological Museum

The ruins of the residence of Hideyoshi Hashiba

Theory A

One theory suggests this route was used only for special visitors in special cases. It was particularly considered as the route for the emperor’s royal visit to Azuchi Castle though it never happened. That’s why the route was built straight for the convenience of the visitors. The straight layout might also have been emulated to look like the central street of Kyoto. In addition, there are no records of this route because it was rarely used. The three simple gates around the route entrance must have also been built only for these visits. The layouts were very similar to that of the imperial palace at that time. The gates were used depending on the visitors’ classes. The ruins of the residential areas along the route might have been used as the facilities for the visitors. According to the imaginary drawing through the use of CG of the main route, the great main tower of the castle stands over there (refer to the third picture at the bottom). The visitors on the route would feel the power of the castle’s master, Nobunaga Oda

Theory B

The next theory was the main route was built not only for the royal visit, but also for the residential areas, as I mentioned earlier. In fact, Nobunaga had built the similar straight main route in Komakiyama Castle on Komakiyama Mountain, which was his home earlier on. The residential areas of his senior vassals were constructed along the route, too. The route was straight until the midway point of the slope of the mountain but the route above had zigzagged patterns for defensive purposes. This had been done when Nobunaga was young, so he never met the emperor. Azuchi Castle had the same system as Komakiyama Castle. The route to the top zigzags after 180m. Several defensive gates were also built on the way to the upper part. Why didn’t Nobunaga make all the routes straight if he wanted them to use only for the royal visits? The reason for the three simple gates were designed to classify Nobunaga’s retainers when they went to the castle. In addition, the masters of the residential areas of Azuchi Castle were very busy and had their own territories in other locations. As a result, the areas were usually vacant, which wouldn’t appear on records.

The zigzagged route of Komakiyama Castle just after the straight route

Mystery of the Main Hall

Introduction

The excavation team also researched the top area of Azuchi Mountain, which includes the main enclosure. They found another answer. The team discovered that the stone foundations of the main hall on the enclosure have wider intervals than the typical halls at that time. After some studies, it was found that the layout of the stone foundations of Azuchi Castle Hall is very similar to that of Seiryoden Hall in the imperial palace during the Edo Period. Shincho-koki, which is the most reliable biography of Nobunaga, stated that Azuchi Castle had room for the royal visit or the emperor’s stay. A noble’s diary also says that the emperor would go to Azuchi. What did the main enclosure of Azuchi Castle really look like?

The current main enclosure of Azuchi Castle

Theory A

One plausible theory suggests there must have been the main hall for the emperor on the main enclosure. Nobunaga might have thought he would move the emperor and the capital of Japan from Kyoto to Azuchi. Before the construction of Azuchi Castle, Nobunaga retired as the lord of the Oda Clan. He also resigned from all his positions in the imperial court until the completion of the castle. Nobunaga might have wanted to be the person who surpasses all the positions of Samurai and the imperial court. He actually gave his castle in Kyoto to the current prince. He also adopted the prince’s son. These facts might indicate that Nobunaga would invite one of them to Azuchi as the new emperor. If the new emperor lived in the main hall of the main enclosure, Nobunaga could look down on him from the much higher main tower. That would symbolize Nobunaga was just like the most powerful monarch of Japan.

The portrait of Prince Sanehito, owned by Sennyuji Temple, (licensed under Public Domain via Wikimedia Commons)

Theory B

An alternative theory suggests the main hall must have been the government offices. Nobunaga usually lived in the main tower and the second enclosure, with his family where other people were rarely allowed to enter. The other third enclosure on the mountain was used as the reception hall. Therefore, if the main enclosure was used just for the emperor, there would be no place for the government to stay in. According to architects, it is impossible to determine what was built using only stone foundations. The Shincho-koki biography also states that there was another hall, called “Nanden” (which means “south hall”) in the enclosure. It was thought that Nobunaga usually met his retainers there. “The royal visit room”, written in the biography, also states that there was probably part of the hall or another small hall. As for Nobunaga’s position, he might have destined to become the next shogun, which was the traditional position for the new shogunate, according to a historian’s study.

Mystery of the Main Tower

Introduction

The main tower of Azuchi Castle is one of the examples of the first proper high buildings for Japanese castles at that time. It was said that Nobunaga was the only person who lived in a main tower according to records. The tower must have had a spiritual aura and authoritative presence. According to Gyuichi Ota who was the author of the Shincho-koki biography and Luis Frois, a missionary who visited Japan at that time, it was about 32m tall (41m including the tower base) composed 5 levels (6 floors and 1 basement). The tower was very colorful. Especially, the 5th floor was a red octagon shape with Buddhist paintings on the inside walls. The top 6th floor was a golden square shape with Chinese saints’ painted on the inside walls. There are a lot of remaining stone foundations to the base, but they just lack the central one, which comes from the original conditions. What did the main tower actually look like?

The stone foundations of the tower base, which lacks the central one

The miniature model of the 5th floor, exhibited by Azuchi Castle Museum

The miniature model of the 6th floor, exhibited by Azuchi Castle Museum

Theory A

A popular theory suggests there is a drawing which shows the design of the tower, called “Tenshu-sashizu” (which means “the design of the tower”). It was recorded and passed down by a magistrate family of the Kaga Domain. It doesn’t say it is the design of Azuchi Castle tower, however, it matches the records mentioned above and the on-site situations. Dr. Akira Naito made a restoration plan using the drawing, which is wildly accepted. According to the plan, the tower had an atrium structure, and a pagoda on the center of the base without the stone foundation. Experts speculate that the pagoda would indicate the appearance from the ground, written in the Lotus Sutra. You can see the 1/20 scale model based on the plan in Azuchi Castle Museum. You can also see the real life model of the 5th and 6th floors of the tower in Nobunaga no Yakata Museum. The tower was vewed as a heaven for Nobunaga who would reign over the pagoda as the only living god.

The miniature model of the main tower, exhibited by Azuchi Castle Museum

The atrium structure and the pagoda in the model

A figure of Nobunaga siting on the 5th floor

Theory B

Others have argued the plan based on the Tenshu-sashizu drawing. They say that it is impossible that the characteristic atrium structure was not recorded. For this reason, there is another restoration plan which doesn’t the atrium. Furthermore, the most controversial problem is that if you rebuild the main tower just as Gyuichi said, the tower will have to hang over the existing base. Dr. Yoshihiro Senda has an alternative theory however. He says that the tower would be able to be supported by Kake-zukuri method. This method involves building the foundation by combining many columns and horizontal beams like lattices on rocks or the ground. Buildings using this method can been seen in some old shrines and temples such as Kiyomizu-dera Temple in Kyoto. It has also been seen in some castles like Himeji and Fukuyama. Dr. Senda points out the traces of stone foundation were found beside the base, which could indicate the Kake-zukuri method was used. In addition, the decisive evidence could be found in the future. Nobunaga sent the screen of illustration of Azuchi Castle, called “Azuchi-san-zu-byobu” to the Pope. The screen was once exhibited in the Vatican Palace but disappeared mysteriously. Officials from Shiga Prefecture is currently seeking for it in Italy. If it is found, it could be the discovery of the century.

The building based on the plan without the atrium (licensed by D-one via Wikimedia Commons)

An example of castle buildings using the Kake-zukuri method, at Fukuyama Castle, quoted from Fukuyama Castle Museum Website

The area beside the tower base, where the traces of stone foundation were found

The imaginary drawing of the “Azuchi-san-zu-byobu” screen

Mystery of Sokenji Temple

Introduction

Nobunaga founded Sokenji Temple inside Azuchi Castle. It is large for a castle. The materials of the temple were not new but were collected from older temples. This temple currently worships Nobunaga. However, curious to say, the temple officially says it was founded by a priest after Nobunaga died. According to Gyuichi’s records, there was a stone, named Bonsan, in the main tower. However, the stone was moved to the temple, according to Luis Frois. The temple was located at the middle point between the center of the castle and the side entrance. This point was important for protecting the castle, where defensive systems could have been built. So, why did Nobunaga build the temple instead of the systems?

The remaining Nio-mon Gate of Sokenji Temple

The remaining three-level tower of Sokenji Temple

Theory A

Frois also said that Nobunaga founded the temple in order to make people worship him there. The Bonsan stone was the icon of Nobunaga. Frois described that Nobunaga also built a public noticeboard which states people should go to the temple and worship him on his birthday. As a matter of fact, Nobunaga thought his birthday (the 11th of May according to the luna calendar) was like the birthday of the western people. For example, he moved to the main tower on that day, not during lucky days where most Japanese people believed in. The conclusion is that Nobunaga made the important spot as his holy place of the temple.

The grave of Nobunaga at the second enclosure

There is a stone on the grave, which looks like Bonsan

Theory B

In fact, it was not unusual that castles had temples inside them. For instance, Kannonji Castle near Azuchi had Kannon-seji Temple. Takakage Kobayakawa, who was a great warlord in the Chugoku Region, built Kyoshinji Temple in his Ni-Takayama Castle. During the Muromachi and Sengoku Periods, the Samurai ceremonies consisted of two phases. The first one was to confirm the master-servant relationship at Shuden places. The second was to communicate with each other at Kaisho places. In the case of Azuchi Castle, the center of the castle was clearly equivalent to a Shuden place. Meanwhile, Sokenji Temple must have been used as a Kaisho place. For example, when Nobunaga invited his ally, Ieyasu Tokugawa to Azuchi Castle, a Noh play (similar to Kabuki play) was held there. In addition, there are no records about people worshiping Nobunaga at the Japanese side.

The diorama of Kannonji Castle, exhibited by Azuchi Castle Archaeological Museum

Kannon-seji Temple (licensed by Jnn via Wikipedia Commons)

Mystery of the Main Tower burning down

Introduction

The center of Azuchi Castle, including the main tower, was burned down around the 15th of June in 1582 (according to the luna calendar), just after the Honnoji Incident on the 2nd of June. The following list are the relatives who were involved in using the castle and also the prime suspects who might have burned it down.

・Katahide Gamo: He was at Azuchi Castle on behalf of Nobunaga when the incident happened. However, he left the castle with Nobunaga’s family on the 3rd of June after he heard about the incident.
・Mitsuhide Akechi: He entered the castle on the 5th of June after he killed Nobunaga during the incident. He then gave the treasures of the castle to his retainers and moved to his original home of Sakamoto Castle.
・Hidemitsu Akechi: He was Mitsuhide’s retainer and held the castle instead of Mitsuhide. He left the castle on the 14th of June after he heard about his master being beaten by Hideyoshi Hashiba on the 13th. Taikoki, which is one of Hideyoshi’s biographies, says Hidemitsu was responsible for setting the castle on fire.
・Nobukatsu Oda: He was Nobunaga’s son, and he entered the castle on the 15th of June. According to Luis Frois, it was Nobukatsu who burned the castle down.

The castle might have burned down accidentally or by night thieves. However, if you must speculate one person from the list, who was the biggest suspect?

The stone foundations of the main tower base

Theory A

Nobukatsu must be the suspect as Frois said. Hidemitsu had an alibi that he was at Sakamoto Castle on that day. The Taikoki biography is only adds to the blames of the Akechi Clan. Frois also said that Nobukatsu did it for no reasons because he was unwise. Before the incident, he selfishly attacked Iga Province, failed to do so, and was yelled at by Nobunaga. After the incident, he battled against Hideyoshi, together with Ieyasu Tokugawa. However, he eventually made peace with Hideyoshi who dangled a carrot in front of him, without Ieyasu’s permission. Finally, he was fired by Hideyoshi who became the ruler after the battle of Odawara Castle. He rejected the change of his territory, ordered by Hideyoshi, though Ieyasu accepted it. Nobukatsu was not able to understand the situations properly. He was so incompetent that he could impulsively destroy the legacy of his father who was also angry at him.

*The portrait of Nobukatsu Oda, owned by Sokenji Temple (licensed under Public Domain via Wikimedia Commons)*

Theory B

This theory is believed in. Nobukatsu must be the suspect, too. However, he was not so incompetent that he did it for a good reason. When he attacked Iga Province, he was the independent lord of the Kitabatake Clan, so he could decide it. Nobunaga had adopted Nobukatsu to the clan as the next successor. He was still the lord of the Kitabatake Clan when he allied with Ieyasu. Hideyoshi mostly captured the territory of the clan (Ise Province) because Ieyasu was so strong. Nobukatsu had to compromise with Hideyoshi before his territory would be occupied. After that, he tried to mediate between Hideyoshi and Ieyasu. He also worked hard in the battle of Odawara Castle for Hideyoshi’s unification of Japan. Therefore, it might not be sensible for Nobukatsu to be fired completely even though he rejected Hideyoshi’s command. This might have been Hideyoshi’s strategy which attempted his prefered territory plan. After the Honnoji Incident, Nobukatsu wanted to be the lord of the Oda Clan, not just that of Kitabatake Clan. However, his brother, Notbutaka also wanted it. Nobukatsu might have burned the main tower down intentionally in order to prevent Nobutaka and other senior vassals from disturbing him.

The portrait of Nobutaka Oda, (licensed under Public Domain via Wikimedia Commons)

To be continued in “Azuchi Castle Part2”