English – ページ 123 – 日本200名城バイリンガル (Japan's top 200 castles and ruins)

159.Akutagawa-san Castle Part2

You can enjoy both of the ruins and a great view.

Features

Walking from Bus Stop

Now the ruins of Akutagawa-san Castle are private owned and not developed as a public park. Visitors usually have to walk from the nearest bus stop. You may be unsure which mountain you should climb and how you go to the ruins. It is a good idea to bring the route map called “Access to the Summit of Mt. Miyoshi” which you can download from the website of Takatsuki City. After about a 15-minute walk from the bus stop, the route is divided in to two branches. You can choose either of the two routes.

The map around the castle

Access to the Summit of Mt. Miyoshi (exhibited by Takatsuki City Website)

Tsukawaki Route

One of them is called Tsukawaki Route which goes around on the eastern side of the mountain and has a gentle slope. You can see a lot of the ruins of enclosures, but cannot enter them, because the route is surrounded by fences, so accessible areas are limited. You can also see the earthen walls crossing the route at a 90-degree angle. They are called Tate-Dorui or the Vertical Earthen Walls which prevented enemies from attacking the castle from other positions. You will also see the narrow earthen bridge with both sides having dry moats. The purpose of the system is the same as the Vertical Earthen Walls. You can even see something like the ruins of the alternate entrance.

The Vertical Earthen Walls *(licensed by ブレイズマン via via Wikimedia Commons)*

The ruins which might have been the alternate entrance

Main Route

The other branch route is called Otesuji Route or the Main Route which goes straight up to the mountain. It is steep and rocky. You can see some old stone walls around the entrance of the mountain, but they seem to be not original for the castle. The route is also surrounded by fences and you even have to pass through a door for preventing wild boars from entering the area. Take care to close it after entering or leaving. After about a 15-minute climb, you will see the stone walls of the Main Gate. The center part of them collapsed, however they are original to the castle.

The stone walls around the entrance of the route

The remaining stone walls of the Main Gate

Great view from Main Enclosure

The two branch routes meet above the stone walls, as you approach the Main Enclosure on the top. The outside field will suddenly become visible; it provides a great view of the Osaka Plain. You will finally reach the Main Enclosure after another few minutes of climbing. The enclosure has been cleared to create an open space. The excavations found that the traces of the buildings which might have been used as turrets at the front, and the stone foundations of the building which could have been used as Nagayoshi Miyoshi’s Main Hall. You can enjoy the whole view of the plain including the tall buildings in Osaka City and the Ikoma Mountains where Imori Castle became Nagayoshi’s new home base after Akutagawa-san Castle.

The tall buildings in Osaka City can be seen

To be continued in “Akkutagawa-san Castle Part3”
Back to “Akutagawa-san Castle Part1”

159.Akutagawa-san Castle Part1

An admired mountain castle during the Sengoku Period governed by the Miyoshi Clan

Location and History

Mountain Castles during Sengoku Period

In the 16th Century during the Sengoku Period, battles often happened in the Kinki Region of Japan. Warlords usually lived in their halls located in a plain area like Kyoto, and used their mountain castles for emergency. However, it got too dangerous for them then because they couldn’t predict when the next battle would happen. As a result, they started to live in their mountain castles every day. These castles had their halls on the top and strong defense systems. Akutagawa-san Castle was one of the most admired ones in the region.

The location of the castle

Nagaoyshi Miyoshi settled at Castle

The castle was first built in 1516 by Takakuni Hosokawa, a senior vassal of the Ashikaga Shogunate, but it is famous for the home base of Nagayoshi Miyoshi. Nagayoshi came from Awa Province (what is now Tokushima Prefecture) in Shikoku Island working under the Hosokawa Clan. He got power in both politics and military while other retainers of the shogunate conflicted each other. When his power competed with the Shogun, Yoshiteru Ashikaga, Yoshiteru tried to kill Nagayoshi. Nagayoshi banished the shogun from Kyoto and started his own governance in 1553. In the same year, he also settled at Akutagawa-san Castle.

The portrait of Nagayoshi Miyoshi, owned by Juko-in of Daitokuji Temple *(licensed under Public Domain via Wikimedia Commons)*

The portrait of Yoshiteru Ashikaga, owned by the **National Museum of Japanese Histories** *(licensed under Public Domain via Wikimedia Commons)*

Mountain with Defense and Authority

The castle was located on the top of Miyoshi-yama Mountain in Settsu province (what is nearly the northern part of Osaka Prefecture), the north of the Osaka Plain. The mountain itself was very defensive being surrounded by Settsukyo Valley in north and west directions. The castle was accessible by road from the east through the ridges and the south through the valley. Nagayoshi himself attacked the castle previously, so he would have realized how strong the castle was.

The relief map around the castle

The imaginary drawing of the castle (from the signboard at the site)

The Main Enclosure had the Main Hall on the top of the mountain. Many other enclosures were around the ridges on the east of the Main Enclosure. The route went alongside these enclosures, and it was controlled by structures such as earthen walls, earthen bridges, dry moats, and alternate entrances. The Main Route also ran on the south of the Main Enclosure. It was very steep and guarded by the Main Gate which had stone walls. The stone walls are thought to also show the authority of the castle, so regarded as one of the earliest examples of castles in Japan to use stone walls intendedly.

*The imaginary drawing around the Main Enclosure (from the signboard at the site)*

*The imaginary drawing of the group of the enclosures on the east of the Main Enclosure (from the signboard at the site)*

*The imaginary drawing of the Main Route and the stone walls (from the signboard at the site)*

Nobunaga Oda once stayed in Castle

Though Nagayoshi passed the castle to his son and moved to Imori Castle in 1560, Akutagawa-san Castle continued to be used by the Miyoshi Clan as their important castle. In 1568, Nobunaga Oda came to Kyoto to rule the Kinki Region. He once captured and stayed in Akutagawa-san Castle and gave it to his retainer. However, as he proceeded with his unification of Japan, there would be no need for a castle like Akutagawa-san Castle. The castle was later abandoned.

The portrait of Nobunaga Oda, attributed to Soshu Kano, owned by Chokoji Temple (licensed under Public Domain via Wikimedia Commons)

To be continued in “Akutagawa-san Castle Part2”

58.Akashi Castle Part3

The two turrets survived and remain.

Later History

After the Meiji Restoration, Akashi Castle was abandoned, and most of its buildings were sold or demolished. However, people in Akashi started to preserve the ruins of the castle as a park. Akashi Park was opened by private owners in 1883 and reopened by the local government in 1918. The four three-story turrets couldn’t all survive through the difficult period. One of them was sold as material for a school. Another one and the plaster walls between the turrets were demolished probably due to deterioration. The rest of the two turrets were somehow repaired and remain. Both were finally designated as Important Cultural Properties in 1957.

The Main Enclosure (on the left) and the Second Enclosure (on the right) that can be seen from Akashi Station

The entrance of Akashi Park (the ruins of Akashi Castle)

My Impression

The ruins of Akashi Castle certainly have few buildings, but I think the two remaining turrets and the plaster wall between them can still show us the authority of the castle. I also think that the castle uses the natural terrain wisely and its well-designed defense system is obvious throughout. Nothing special like a war happened at the castle. As a result, the castle was able to fulfill its role of monitoring the lords.

The stone wall base for the Main Tower (from the outside of the Main Enclosure)

*The stone wall base for the Main Tower (from the inside of the Main Enclosure)*

Ko-no-ike Pond at the back of the Main Enclosure

How to get There

If you want to visit there by car:
It is about 10 minutes away from Okuradani IC on Daini Shinmei Road.
The park offers parking lots.
By train, it takes about 5 minutes on foot from Akashi Station.
To get to Akashi Station from Tokyo or Osaka: Take the Tokaido Shinkansen Super Express, and transfer to the Sanyo Line at Nishi-Akashi Station.

Links and References

・Akashi Castle Official Website

That’s all.
Back to “Akashi Castle Part1”
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