English – ページ 16 – 日本200名城バイリンガル (Japan's top 200 castles and ruins)

112.Kasama Castle Part2

Features

Walking from Foot is recommended

Today, the ruins of Kasama Castle have been convenient for both drivers and hikers. For example, if you drive to the ruins, you can choose either parking at the foot of the mountain before a long walk or parking at the mid slope near the top. However, if you have enough time to visit there, it may be better to take the former route because there are many more attractions of the castle widely spread throughout.

The map around the castle

Therefore, let us start from the parking lot at the foot to reach the top via the forest road to the mid slope for visiting the ruins by walk mentioned earlier in this article. Please be careful of the many cars that might pass your side. There are several hills around the castle ruins, so you will go on the winding road among the hills. The road eventually turns right at a right angle, which is the entrance to the castle ruins. In addition, if you go straight passing though the spot on the narrow path, you will get to the ruins of the northern gateway called Sakao-no-dorui (meaning the earthen walls of Sakao).

The parking lot at the foot of the mountain

If you turn right, you will get to the castle ruins, or you will be at the earthen walls of Sakao if you go straight

Looking at Mysterious Huge Rock and Outer Dry Moats

Going back to the forest road to the castle, you will see a huge rock which partially blocks the road on the left. It is called Daikokuseki (meaning the Rock of Mahakala) which has an interesting folklore as the following. When Shofukuji Temple fought against Tokuzoji Temple but was outnumbered and was at disadvantage, the huge rock near the top suddenly collapsed. The rock crushed the monk soldiers of Tokuzoji side on the narrow path, which resulted in their withdrawal. Since then, the rock has been called the Rock of Mahakala because it looks like the sack Mahalaka has and brought a fortune to the Shofukuji side which was located on the mountain (Mahalaka is the god of wealth in Japan).

Be careful when you pass through the rock

You will next see a large ditch on the left, which is part of the outer dry moats surrounding the whole castle area. That means this is where the entrance of the castle is. You will then walk on the road with a hill on the left and another hill over the valley on the right. They are all the ruins of the forts, so if you were an enemy, you would be attacked from both sides.

There was a fort on the hill on the left of the road

There was another fort on the right of the road across the valley

Sennin-Damari Enclosure and One Hundred Quarters Ruins at Mid Slope

You will eventually turn right and go across an earthen bridge over the valley before arriving at the parking lot at the mid slope. It was actually a large enclosure called Sennin-Damari (meaning Accommodating Ten Thousand Soldiers), which was probably used as a military post or barracks.

*If you turn right, you will get to Sennin-Damari* Enclosure, and there are the ruins of the One Hundred Quarters on the left

The *Sennin-Damari Enclosure, seen from the ruins of the One Hundred Quarters*

*The Sennin-Damari Enclosure* (the parking lot at mid slope)

There is also the ruin of the One Hundred Quarters of Shofukuji Temple opposite the enclosure across the forest road, where the temple prospered. However, there are no buildings and structures, but only the signboard and leveled ground with few graves, so it may look like another ruins of the castle’s fort.

From Main Gate to Main Enclosure

All visitors have to walk from the Sennin-Damari Enclosure to the center after passing a gate built by alternating stone walls. However, you can easily go on the restricted road to the top beside some castle items such as the Main Gate Ruins and partially remaining stone walls.

Every visitor has to walk from the Sennin-Damari Enclosure

You can easily get to the Main Enclosure along the restricted road

You actually have another option to get to the top by walking on a rough path through the original gates. You can first take the stone steps of the Main Gate and pass its Masugata system. Then, you will once meet the restricted road, but you can find other stone steps to the path on the right.

The map around the castle, the red broken line indicates the route through the original gates

Climbing the stone steps of the Main Gate

You will find other stone steps to the path on the right

If you go on the path crossing the slope, you will pass beside the Second Enclosure and reach the ruins of the Main Enclosure Gate which are similar to the Main Gate. No matter which way you choose, you will arrive at the same place, the Main Enclosure.

There is the Main Enclosure ahead and the Second Enclosure on the right

Arriving at the ruins of the Main Enclosure Gate

The Masugata system of the Main Enclosure Gate remains maybe better than the Main Gate

In the miniature model of Kasama Castle, the gate in the red circle is the Main Gate and that in the blue circle is the Main Enclosure Gate, I think

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

112.Kasama Castle Part1

Kasama is a local city, located in the central part of Ibaraki Prefecture and the northeastern part of the Kanto Region. It is known for Kasama Inari Shrine and Kasama Pottery, which attract many visitors. However, they became popular after the emergence of Kasama Castle.

Location and History

Tokitomo Kasama, Mysterious General builds Castle

Kasama Castle[/leaflet-marker]

It is uncertain how the castle was first built. The only record available is called Kasamajo-ki (meaning the Record of Kasama Castle), later written during the Edo Period. According to the record, the castle was first built in 1219 during the Kamakura Period by Tokitomo Kasama who was a relative of the Utsunomiya Clan, one of the most powerful clans in the region. There was the Shofukuji Temple on Sashiro-yama Mountain where Kasama Castle would be built. The temple prospered on the mountain with the One Hundred Quarters and had many monk soldiers to protect it. A fight broke out with a rival temple called Tokuzoji Temple and they were outnumbered, so it asked the Utsunomiya Clan for help. Tokitomo was sent by the clan and defeated the Tokuzoji Temple. He even banished the Shotokuji Temple from the mountain and built the Kasama Castle.

The current Shofukuji Temple at the foot of the mountain

The signpost of the One Hundred Quarters Ruins

However, historians say, using fragments from other records, Tokitomo might have actually not been so radical. He was not only a warrior but also a medium class noble which other warriors rarely became. He was also highly educated and famous as a poet. There are also several remaining Buddha statues and sutras he donated to temples, which proved he was rich and religious. Overall, Tokitomo might have built the castle in a more coordinated manner. As a result, the Kasama Clan governed the castle and the area around for over 300 years until the Sengoku Period. The castle was thought to be a simple mountain castle, made of soil.

The Buddha statue Tokitomo donated to a local temple called Ishidera, quoted from the Kasama City Website

Rengeoin Temple at Kyoto where Tokitomo donated two other Buddha statues *(licensed by Akonnchiroll via Wikimedia Commons)*

Satonari Gamo renovates Castle

The situation changed in the end of the 16th Century during the unification of Japan by Hideyoshi Toyotomi. The Kasama Clan declined and the Utsunomiya Clan was fired by Hideyoshi. Kasama Castle was followed by Satonari Gamo, a senior vassal of the Gamo Clan in 1598. The Gamo Clan served Hideyoshi for a long time and became one of the greatest lords in Japan. The clan also built or improved many castles like Matsusaka and Wakamatsu by building advanced items, such as high stone walls and Main Towers. The lord of the clan, Hideyuki Gamo lived in Utsunomiya Castle and one of his branch castles was Kasama Castle. Satonari improved Kasama Castle using the techniques and resources that the clan used. The Main Tower was built on the top of mountain with three-tier stone walls, called the Main Tower Enclosure. The Main and Second Enclosures were developed below the top and the route from the Main Gate to the top through these enclosures was built. Other stone walls were constructed along the route and each gate and enclosure was protected by an altered entrance or the Masugata system which refers to a square defensive space in the gate. The lord of the castle lived in the Main Hall in the Main Enclosure which also had several other turrets.

The miniature model of Kasama Castle, exhibited by Kasama History Exchange Center “Izutsuya”

Satonari developed Kasama Castle more in 1600 during a decisive battle when all the lords of Japan joined the Eastern Alliance or the Western Alliance. He joined the Eastern Alliance while the Satake Clan at Mito Castle in the neighboring area to the east of Kasama joined the Western Alliance. That’s why he needed to prepare to avoid the Satake Clan from invading. It is thought that Satonari built forts on three hills around the mountain and deep dry moats surrounding all the castle and the forts. The Eastern Alliance, which would be the Tokugawa Shogunate, finally won after nothing happened to Kasama Castle fortunately.

The dry moats surrounding the castle are put on the miniature model above as well

Other Clans like Asano and Makino follow Castle

The shogunate transferred the Gamo Clan to another in 1601. Since then, Kasama Castle and the area around it were considered as the Kasama Domain, but the lord’s clan changed 8 times. A major event for the castle happened when the Asano Clan governed the domain between 1622 and 1645. The second lord, Naganao Asano built suburban residences, in fact a new Main Hall, at the foot of the mountain, for the convenience of the government. An episode about it was that the residences were very large and surrounded by earthen walls and white mud walls, which looked like a new castle that the shogunate banned from being built. Naganao conveted the mud walls to hedge fences to hide and not to make it look like a castle before the shogunate heard about it. He was transferred to Ako Castle in 1645 and renovated it, so he seemed to like castle constructions. His grandchild was Naganori Asano who would cause the Ako Incident which is one of the most popular events of Japanese history.

*The portrait of Naganao Asano, owned by Kagakuji Temple (licensed under Public Domain via Wikimedia Commons)*

The last clan to rule the Kasama Domain was the Makino Clan between 1747 and 1871, the longest and most stable period among the others. The Kasama Pottery started to be made and developed with the help from the domain during this period. In addition, the Kasama Inari Shrine also became popular during the Edo Period, which was visited by several clans governing the domain.

Part of the Illustration of Kasama Castle in Hitachi Province, exhibited by the National Archives of Japan

Kasama Potteries in the Kasama Pottery Cooperative Selling Center

The Worship Hall of Kasama Inari Shrine *(licensed by On-chan via Wikimedia Commons)*

To be continued in “Kasama Castle Part2”

60.Ako Castle Part3

According to Historians, The 47 Ronin assaulted Kira due to their Samurai Spirit. If it’s true, why is the story still so popular among many current Japanese people?

Features

Many Attractions in Main Enclosure

The Main Enclosure is compact and all surrounded by stone walls and water moats, so you can easily see its complex layout. There are three entrances to it but only two of them are available excluding Hanebashi-mon (meaning Draw Bridge Gate) in the back of the southern side.

The aerial photo around the Main Enclosure of the castle, the red markers indicates its three entrances

The stone walls and water moats of the Main Enclosure

The front gate of the northern side was restored and has the Masugata system as well.

The other one of the eastern side, called Umaya-guchi-mon (meaning Stable Side Gate), was also restored. The gate was simple but the stone walls around are bent elaborately to protect the gate from guns and arrows from the walls.

There was the Main Hall inside where the lords including Asano (Takumi-no-kami) lived. Now, there is a flat exhibition of the hall instead, where you can see its layout and what rooms were in it.

The layout of the Main Hall drawn in the illustration during the Edo Period, from the signboard at the site

The large stone wall base for a Main Tower stands out at its corner and you can climb it and see the view of the area around from the top.

There is also a small but beautiful pond garden which is designated as a National Place of Scenic Beauty, together with that of the Second Enclosure.

Later History

After the Meiji Restoration, Ako Castle was abandoned and all the castle buildings were sold or demolished. Most of the moats were buried and turned into fields and residences area with other castle’s land. The Main Enclosure was used as a school until 1981. The Oishi Shrine was established in 1912. The restoration of the castle started in 1935 where the moats in front of the Main Enclosure were re-dug. Since then, many other buildings and structures of the castle have been restored probably because of the popularity of the incident and Ronin. The ruins have been designated as a National Historic Site since 1971.

The old photo of the Main Enclosure front gate, from the signboard at the site

*The old photo of the Second Enclosure gate, from the signboard at the site*

The ruins of Ako Castle in the 1930’s *(licensed under Public Domain via Wikimedia Commons)*

My Impression

I honestly say I don’t like the Ako Incident story because there was no good reason for killing Kira (in addition, in the very popular play “Chushin-gura” based on this incident, Asano cuts Kira at the front (in fact, it was from the back) after Kira’s bullying due to Asano refusing the huge bribe or Asano’s wife refusing Kira’s love). Historians say this was done due to Bushi-do (the Samurai Spirit) which refers to their devotion to their master or domain with honor and pride even without any reasons. If it’s true, why is the story still so popular among many current Japanese people? I guess it’s because they still have the same or similar devotion to Samurai in the Edo Period as they sometimes look devoted to their boss or company without any reasons to survive. I also speculate that Oishi might have understood his master was mad but he didn’t have any other choice.

*A Ukiyoe-painting of Asano assaulting Kira in the Edo Castle, attributed to Kuniteru Utagawa (licensed under Public Domain via Wikimedia Commons)*

How to get There

If you want to visit there by car, it is about a 10 minutes’ drive away from Ako IC on the Sanyo Expressway. There are several parking lots around the castle ruins.
By public transportation, it takes about 15 minutes on foot to get there from JR Banshu-Ako Station.
From Tokyo or Osaka to the station: Take the Sanyo Shinkansen super express express and transfer to the Sanyo Line at Himeji Station or the Ako Line at Aiou Station.

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