English – ページ 112 – 日本200名城バイリンガル (Japan's top 200 castles and ruins)

4.Hirosaki Castle Part1

A castle which the Tsugaru Clan built and maintained.

Location and History

Tamenobu Tsugaru built Castle with his independence

Hirosaki Castle was located in what is now Hirosaki City in Aomori Prefecture. The castle was actually the origin of the city since the founder of the Hirosaki Domain, Tamenobu Tsugaru built the castle. His former name was Tamenobu Oura and he was one of the relatives of the Nanbu Clan, the greatest warlord in the northern Tohoku Region in the 16th Century during the Sengoku Period. However, he aimed to be independent from the Nanbu Clan.

The portrait of Tamenobu Tsugaru, owned by Hirosaki Castle Tower *(licensed under Public Domain via Wikimedia Commons*)

When the ruler Hideyoshi Toyotomi was processing his unification of Japan, Tamenobu met Hideyoshi in 1590, and succeeded to be approved by Hideyoshi as an independent lord. He took advantage of his freedom, and he changed his family name to Tsugaru. After that, he maintained his territory around Tsugaru District (what is now the western part of Aomori Pref.) to support the Tokugawa Shogunate. Finally, he started to build a new castle in the Tsugaru Plain as his new home base in 1603, called Hirosaki Castle.

The location of the castle

Hirosaki Castle was built on a hill on the plain sandwiched by two rivers, Iwaki-gawa and Tsuchibuchi-gawa. Though Tamenobu unfortunately died soon after the launch of the construction, his son, Nobuhira completed it in 1611.

The portrait of Nobuhira Tsugaru, from the database of Historiographical Institute The University of Tokyo (licensed under Public Domain via Wikimedia Commons)

Tsuchibuchi-gawa River which flows in the city area now

Combination of Modern and Traditional parts

The castle had the Iwaki-gawa River on the back in the west side, and several enclosures spread towards the north, the east and the south, divided by water moats. The Main Enclosure was the center of the castle having the five-layer Main Tower and the Main Hall for the lord. The enclosure was all surrounded by stone walls, so was the most modernized place in the castle.

The Main Enclosure of Hirosaki Castle from the illustration of Hirosaki Castle in Tsugaru District, exhibited by the National Archives of Japan

The Western Moat which originates from a branch of Iwaki-gawa River

The Second Enclosure was outside the Main Enclosure in the south and the east, where the halls for the senior vassals were built. The enclosure was surrounded by earthen walls which were the common method for castles in eastern Japan. It also had two gates and three three-story turrets to protect it. The Third Enclosure was the outermost and the largest one is in the castle. It had warriors’ residences and was also surrounded by earthen walls with two gates. One of the gates was the Main Gate in the south. The North Enclosure and the Forth Enclosure were next to the Main Enclosure to protect the north of the castle.

Part of the illustration of Hirosaki Castle in Tsugaru District, in the Edo Period, exhibited by the National Archives of Japan

The earthen walls and moat of the Second Enclosure

Main Tower was rebuilt and Castle survived in Meiji Restoration

In 1627, there was an explosion in the Main Tower caused by lightning and an ignition of gunpowder. There had been no main tower for nearly 200 years, but the Hirosaki Domain was allowed by the Shogunate to renovate a three-story turret as the substitute for the Main Tower in1811. This is the present Main Tower we can see today. In 1868 during the Meiji Restoration, the Boshin War between the New Government and the domains supporting Tokugawa Shogunate in the Tohoku Region happened. Many domains fought with the New Government and defeated. However, the Tsugaru Domain supported the New Government from the beginning. That’s why Hirosaki Castle remained intact.

Tsuguakira Tsugaru, the last lord of the Hirosaki Domain (licensed under Public Domain via Wikimedia Commons)

To be continued in “Hirosaki Castle Part2”

110.Miharu Castle Part3

It is also a famous place for cherry blossoms.

Later History

After the Boshin War during the Meiji Restoration, Miharu Castle was abandoned. All the buildings and even most of the stone walls on the mountain were demolished and sold. Only the Main Hall for the lord was developed into the local government building. In 1922, the castle ruins on the mountain was developed as a park. Many of the remaining foundation of the castle was unfortunately destroyed, while lots of cherry trees were planted instead.

My Impression

I have learned a lot about how the local clans and Miharu Castle survived under difficult situations. The castle may be simpler than other popular castles like Wakamatsu Castle, but it also has an interesting history and distinct taste. I also hope some new discoveries about the castle will be found in the future. In addition, Miharu Town is very famous for cherry blossoms, especially Miharu Takizakura or The cherry blossom flowers that look like water falling down is about 4km away from the castle. However, the castle ruins also have great cherry blossoms and many other ones are around, too. I would like to visit the ruins in the spring next time.

The cherry blossom flowers that look like water falling down of Miharu *(taken by nana201855 from phtotoAC)*

The cherry blossom flowers in the ruins of Miharu Castle *(quoted from the website of Miharu Tourism Association)*

How to get There

If you want to go there by car:
It is about 15 minutes away from Funehiki-Miharu IC on the Banetsu Expressway.
The parking area is halfway up the mountain.
By train, it is about 30 minutes away from JR Miharu Station on foot.
I recommend using a taxi from the station to avoid getting lost.
To get to Miharu Station from Tokyo: Take the Tohoku Shinkansen super express and transfer at Koriyama Station to the Banetsu-Tou Line.

The parking area which is halfway up the mountain

Links and References

・Find! Miharu, Miharu Tourism Association

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

The town and castle ruins have distinct tastes.

Features

Features of Miharu Town

If you visit the ruins of Miharu Castle today by train, you will find JR Miharu Station to be the nearest station from the castle, being at the bottom of the valley surrounded by the hills. In this area, the roads, train lines and rivers go through the valleys. Currently you will see many large official facilities and even some farmlands are on the hills. They have the distinct feature of the area. Similarly, we can easily speculate that people of this area in the past would have had access to this unique terrain which were important facilities for a castle.

Around the station surrounded by the hills

The relief map around the castle

The center of Miharu Town originates from the castle town of Miharu Castle. It was divided into 2 sections – the southern town and northern town. The route through the town has a 90 degree angle connecting the southern and northern parts. In the Southern Town, currently you can only see the remaining gate for the Miharu Domain school and the Miharu Primary School standing there. In the past, you would be able to see the Main Gate of the Castle and the Main Hall for the lord at the foot of the mountain.

The map around the castle

The remaining remaining gate for the Miharu Domain school

Route from Southern town

You can now access the ruins of Miharu Castle by climbing up the Castle Slope which is another route to the front of the castle. There, you will see several enclosures along the slope with some of them being used as modern residential area. In order to reach the top of the mountain, you will have to go up on a zigzagged trail. At the peaks of the trail, you will see the gate ruins such as the Second Gate, the Agetsuchi Gate and the Third Gate. This would have been the defense system of the castle. You will soon reach the entrance of the lower tier of the Main Enclosure at the top where the Large Gate once stood. You can only see the stone foundations of the gate from here.

The Castle Slope and the residential area around

The Large Gate ruins in the lower tier of the Main Enclosure

Route from Northern town

The Northern Town has a Back Route to the top of the mountain called the Sanbu-zaka Slope. The trail also zigzaggs along with a lot of empty enclosures which shows the long history of the castle. There, you will see the ruins of the Back Entrance, the ruins of the Turret and the few remaining stone walls which the Gamo Clan built before reaching the other entrance of the lower tier of the Main Enclosure. This is where the Back Gate would had been in the past.

Main Enclosure with Shrine and lots of Trees

The lower tier is an open square now, but the Three Story Turret stood out in the past. The upper tier of the Main Enclosure is next to the lower tier. It is mostly empty now because of the great fire that happened in the Edo Period. You can only see the shrine which worships the Akita Clan at the stone wall foundation. However I can not be certain if the stone walls are from the original castle. There, You will see a view of the other hills around overlooking the castle town. Lots of trees have been planted around the enclosure as a park attraction. Therefore this view is very beautiful during the spring and autumn seasons .

Is this the stone wall base for a Main Tower? but it seemed to be built after the castle was abandoned

The shrine which worships the Akita Clan on the stone walls

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