English – ページ 23 – 日本200名城バイリンガル (Japan's top 200 castles and ruins)

111.Mukai-Haguroyama Castle Part1

Moriuji Ashina. who became a great warlord, retired, transferred the headship of the family to his son and started the construction of a new castle as his retreat, which would be Mukai-Haguroyama Castle.

Location and History

Origin of Castle’s name

Mukai-Haguroyama Castle was located in the Aizu area of the modern day Fukushima Prefecture. Regarding castles and ruins, the area is much more known for Wakamatsu Castle which was the home base of the Aizu Domain during the Edo Period. However, the castle had been called Kurokawa Castle when the Ashina Clan owned it and the clan had a much larger Mukai-Haguroyama Castle than Kurokawa Castle at that time. The mountain that Mukai-Haguroyama Castle was built on was originally called Iwasaki Mountain, so the castle was first called Iwasaki Castle as well. Alternatively, the mountain was called Mukai-Haguroyama Mountain, which means the mountain opposite of Haguroyama Mountain. These two mountains actually look like they are standing in a row, so the castle was eventually called Mukai-Haguroyama Castle sometime later.

Wakamatsu Castle seen from Odayama Castle Ruins

Mukai-Haguroyama (or Iwasaki) Mountain on the left and Haguroyama Mountain on the right, seen from Odayama Castle Ruins

Ashina Clan settles in Aizu area

The Ashina Clan originally came from the Sawara Clan, a branch family of the Miura Clan, which was a senior vassal family of the Kamakura Shogunate in the early Middle Ages, which was based in Miura Peninsula of Sagami Province (now Kanagawa Pref.). After Yoritomo Minamoto, the founder of the shogunate invaded the Tohoku Region in 1189, the Sawara Clan got a territory in the Aizu area for their contributions. Some of the clan settled in the area and renamed their family names, such as the Inawashiro, Kitada, and Shingu Clans. In the early 14th Century when the Ashikaga Shogunate was established, the Ashina Clan, another branch family of the Sawara Clan, was active in the Tohoku Region including the Aizu area, who called itself “the Aizu Governor”. As a result, the clan moved their home base from Ashina in Miura Peninsula to the Aizu area and built a new hall called Otakaki-no-tate in the middle of the century, which would later be known as Kurokawa Castle.

The location of the castle and the birthplace of the Ashina Clan

However, the Ashina Clan was not able to govern the area easily because the other relatives of the Sawara Clan and other local clans did not obey the Ashina Clan just with its authority. The Ashina Clan needed to force them to obey the clan by force, otherwise it had to defeat them. For example, the Ashina Clan battled and defeated the Kitada and Shingu Clans. All of which, including the Ashina Clan, came from the same Sawara Clan. Another relative, the Inawashiro Clan became a senior vassal of the Ashina Clan after they fought with each other. The Ashina Clan also needed to prevent great lords outside the Aizu Area, such as the Date, Nikaido, and Satake Clans from invasion of the area. The lords of the Ashina Clan usually lived in Kurokawa Castle in the plain Aizu Basin. They also built Odayama Castle on Odayama Mountain beside the basin, about 1.5km away from Kurokawa Castle, as a final place for emergencies. Such a combination can also be seen in the cases of other clans over the whole country during the Sengoku Period. Odayama Castle was also used as their ancestors’ graveyard.

The relief map around Kurokawa Castle

The ruins of Odayama Castle (its Main Gate)

The ruins of the Ashina Clan’s graveyard

Moriuji Ashina builds Mukai-Haguroyama Castle as his Retreat

The Ashina Clan’s power reached its peak when Moriuji Ashina, the lord of the clan at that time, reigned in the middle of the 16th Century. His government of the Aizu area became stable and he also had diplomatic relationships with other great warlords in Japan, like Kenshin Uesugi, Shingen Takeda, and Masamune Date, which meant he became a great warlord as well. What he did next was retire and transfer the headship of the family to his son and start the construction of a new castle in 1861 as his retreat and the replacement for Odayama Castle, about 5km away from Kurokawa Castle in the south, which would be Mukai-Haguroyama Castle. However, the castle was too large for the retreat and the replacement, in fact, Moriuji still had the real power of the clan and the castle looked like a new home base for the clan. The construction lasted for 8 years until 1568, which resulted in one of the largest mountain castles in the Tohoku Region. The castle was built using soil, which was a typical method of building castles in eastern Japan, and had uncountable enclosures protected by structures using and processing natural terrain, such as deep dry moats, thick earthen walls and artificial vertical cliffs.

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

The imaginary drawing of Mukai-Haguroyama Castle, from the signboard at the site

Castle is abandoned after being followed by Several Loads

The Ashina Clan’s power decreased after Moriuji died in 1580 as his successors died young. Because of that, the clan and its senior vassals had to accommodate their new lord from a great warlord outside to maintain their territory. The candidates were ones from the Satake Clan and the Date Clan. As a result, they concluded that the successor would come from the Satake Clan, named Yoshihiro Ashina in 1587. However, this event caused a split in the clan, into the faction in power and the other supporting Date. In 1589, Masamune Date started to invade Ashina’s territory. Yoshihiro tried to repel the invasion, but many of his senior vassals, including the relative Inawashiro Clan, supported the Date’s side or left him. He was defeated by Masamune in the battle of Suriagehara and escaped form the Aizu area to his parents’ home. This battle resulted in Kurokawa Castle, the home base of the Ashina Clan being captured by Masamune and the clan’s destruction.

The portrait of Masamune Date, owned by Sendai City Museum, (licensed under Public Domain via Wikimedia Commons)

Mukai-Haguroyama Castle was followed by Masamune Ujisato Gamo, and Kagekatsu Uesugi like they used Kurokawa Castle (renamed to Wakamatsu Castle). This was because they still needed to use it as a final castle for emergencies like a battle. However, the castle was eventually abandoned after Kagekatsu was transferred to Yonezawa Castle in 1601 due to the defeat in the decisive battle in 1600 against Ieyasu Tokugawa who would be the founder of the Tokugawa Shogunate.

The portrait of Ujisato Gamo, owned by Aizu Wakamatsu Library (licensed under Public Domain via Wikimedia Commons)

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

To be continued in “Mukai-Haguroyama Part2”

56.Takeda Castle Part3

I can’t believe the stone walls of Takeda Castle have been left intact for over 400 years since the it was abandoned. Although they have been often repaired and maintained. I still can’t understand why they have been intact for so long.

Features

From Center of Castle to Southern Ridge

The western ridge from the center, called Hanayashiki or the Flower Residence Enclosure, does not usually not allow visitors to enter because of its preservation and the safety of visitors. The enclosure is built on the steeper ridge than the others, which is said to be built to protect the back route of the castle.

The map around the castle

Therefore, you will go on the route to the southern ridge which has the narrow Southern Second Enclosure and the large Minami-Senjo or the Southern 1,000 mat Enclosure, similar to the northern ridge. If you look back to the center of the castle, you can see many great stone walls covering the top of the mountain. The view of the area around the mountain is magnificent.

A view of the center from the Southern Second Enclosure

The return path goes from the edge of the ridge, which might have been the other entrance of the castle. You will finally return to the paved path which you have passed.

The exit from the Minami-senjo Enclosure

A view of the same place above from the outside

You have returned to the paved path which you had passed.

Later History

Takeda Castle was abandoned and all the castle buildings were demolished in the early Edo Period. However, the stone walls of the castle were left as there were, for some reasons. In other cases of abolished castles, their stone walls were also destroyed. The remaining stone walls of Takeda Castle may have been a miracle. The castle ruins were designated as a National Historic Site in 1943. Since then the ruins were sometimes used as the locations of historical movies that feature the intact stone walls of the castle. In 2007, a photographer, posted his photo of the Takeda Castle in the Sky, which won an award. This made the castle famous and the number of the visitors skyrocketed.

*Intentionally broken stone walls of Iwakuni Castle on the mountain*

*The stone walls of Hizen-Nagoya Castle being destroyed like a V letter*

*The ruins of Suzume-mon Gate* of Uda-Matsuyama Castle, after its stone walls were completely destroyed

My Impression

Three things surprised me about the great stone walls of Takeda Castle three times. First, I was simply impressed to see the stone walls on the high mountain. I was wondering how and why the builders built them on such a steep place. I learned that the value of Takeda Castle for the rulers and what the builder, Masahiro Saimura did in the castle are parts of the answer. Secondly, I heard that local people make great efforts on maintaining the stone walls to preserve them and make sure visitors visit them safely. I also think the original layout of the castle even now helps visitors walk smoothly in the castle ruins. Finally, I can’t believe the stone walls have been left intact for over 400 years since the castle was abandoned. As far as I know, there is no other example of stone walls which are the same or similar to Takeda Castle. Although the stone walls have been often repaired and maintained. I still can’t understand why they have been intact for so long.

Unlike the Three castles which were abandoned in the seme period, the stone walls of Takeda Castle remain intact

How to get There

If you want to get there by car, it is about 10 minutes from Wadayama IC on the Kitakinki-Toyooka Expressway. There is a parking lot at the tourist facility halfway up the mountain.
By public transportation, you can take the Tenku-bus from JR Takeda Station and get off at the final bus stop, Takeda-jo. The stop is over 1km away from the entrance of the castle ruins. Or it takes about 40 minutes on foot from the station to the entrance.
From Tokyo or Osaka to Takeda Station: take the Sanyo Shinkansen super express and transfer to the Bantan Line at Himeji Station.

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

56.Takeda Castle Part2

The current tourist route is very similar to the bypass route the castle originally had. Hence, the route for the defenders of the castle in the past makes it possible for current visitors of the ruins to move smoothly as well.

Features

Well-developed Castle Ruins

Today, the ruins of Takeda Castle have been well developed to maintain them and control many visitors. If you want to drive to the ruins, you need to park at a tourist facility called “Yamajiro-no-sato” (or “the Village of the Mountain Castle”) and get to the ruins by a taxi, a bus, or walking. Even if you use a taxi, you will still need to walk the last kilometer from where you are dropped off to the ticket office, the entrance of the ruins. The path to the entrance is paved, but the terrain of the mountain is steep and rough when you walk along this path. You may wonder why and how the builders built a castle with great stone walls on such a mountain.

The map around the castle

You can see very steep and rough slopes beside the path

In the ruins, the tour routes are set one way and the range for visitors to walk around is also limited by poles and ropes. The stone walls and the foundations of the castle look well maintained. This is done by officials closing the ruins for a certain period of time to repair them every year. These activities contribute to keep the ruins in a good condition as well as securing the safety of visitors. For instance, visitors first enter the entrance of Kita-Senjo (meaning Northern 1,000 mat Enclosure in Japanese) at the edge of the northern ridge, then, walk on the ridge, pass the side of the stone wall base for the Main Tower at the Main Enclosure, walk on the southern ridge, and finally get out from the edge of it. This route is very similar to the bypass route the castle originally had. Hence, the route for the defenders of the castle in the past makes it possible for current visitors of the ruins to move smoothly as well.

The map around the castle

You can’t access the edge of an enclosure at the site

Entrances and routes are strictly protected

To get back to the entrance at the edge of the northern ridge, it has a defensive square space surrounded by high stone walls, called “Masugata”. It also had gate buildings on it, where the defenders would attack enemies outside by using guns and arrows. If the enemies reached the gate, they would be locked in the Masugata system.

The Masugata system at the edge of the northern ridge (called the Main Gate at the site)

The Masugata system seen from the inside

Inside the entrance, there is the extensive Kita-Senjo Enclosure, where as the name suggests, could accommodate lots of soldiers and supplies in the past, or tourist groups and events in the present.

The Third Enclosure seen from the Kita-senjo Enclosure

If you want to go to the center of the ruins, you will pass another Masugata system to the Third Enclosure and an altered gate built with stone walls to the Second Enclosure through the zigzagging path.

The Masugata system in front of the Third Enclosure

You will next walk on a narrow northern ridge through the Third and Second Enclosures, looking at the center of the castle with lots of stone walls and a view of the area around below. The route is guided by the official instructions to walk around safely in the narrow area.

The tourist routes are guided by the official instructions

The lots of stone walls in the center, seen from the Second Enclosure

Main Enclosure with remaining Stone Wall Base for Main Tower

You will eventually reach the center, the Main Enclosure with the stone wall base for the Main Tower. The route goes beside the base on wooden steps and there are other wooden steps to the base. The base was built using natural or roughly processed stones in the Nozura-zumi method, which look really great. Some historians speculate that a three-level Main Tower might have been built on the base, according to the size of the base.

The route goes on the wooden steps beside the base

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