English – ページ 64 – 日本200名城バイリンガル (Japan's top 200 castles and ruins)

47.Iga-Ueno Castle Part1

The castle for protecting and attacking Osaka

Location and History

From Home of Ninja to Site for protecting Osaka

Iga-Ueno Castle was located in Iga Province which is now the western part of Mie Prefecture. Iga is probably more well known for being the home of Ninja than for the castle. Actually, before the castle was built in 1585, the province was divided among many small local lords. They gained special knowledge and techniques so that they could protect themselves. They were also often hired by larger warlords in other provinces as spies or Special Forces we now call Ninja. Unfortunately, they were conquered by Nobunaga Oda in 1581. When Nobunaga’s successor, Hideyoshi Toyotomi was organizing his unification of Japan, he sent Sadatsugu Tsutsui to the province as the lord.

The range of Iga Province and the location of the castle

The portrait of Sadatsugu Tsutsui, from a collection of Japanese poems called Giretsu-Hyakuninisshu, owned by National Institute of Japanese Literature (licensed under Public Domain via Wikimedia Commons)

Hideyoshi was based in Osaka Castle, so Iga Province was on the direct route from Osaka to eastern Japan. That’s why he sent Sadatsugu who first built Iga-Ueno Castle in 1585. Therefore, the castle was supposed to prevent enemies from attacking from the east. The three-level Main Tower of the castle was also built in the eastern part of it. Sadatsugu somehow survived when Ieyasu Tokugawa became the final ruler at the beginning of the 17th Century after Hideyoshi died. However, he was fired by the Tokugawa Shogunate in 1608 due to a claim of misgovernment from his retainers. Historians speculate that the shogunate, in fact, wanted to remove Sadatsugu who was doubly loyal to both the shogunate and the Toyotomi Clan still at Osaka Castle.

Toyotomi’s Main Tower of Osaka Castle, from “The summer campaign of the siege of Osaka folding screens”, owned by Osaka Castle Museum (licensed under Public Domain via Wikimedia Commons)

The Portrait of Hideyoshi Toyotomi, attributed to Mitsunobu Kano, owned by Kodaiji Temple (licensed under Public Domain via Wikimedia Commons)

Takatora Todo renovated Castle for attacking Osaka

Instead, the shogunate transferred Takatora Todo from Imabari Castle in Shikoku Island to Iga province. Takatora was not a hereditary feudal lord, which meant he didn’t work under Ieyasu Tokugawa, who was the founder of the shogunate, for a long time. However, he was a well-known master of castle construction through having build Uwajima, Ozu and Imabari Castles. He also helped the shogunate build its famous castles such as Edo, Nagoya, and Nijo in Kyoto. That’s why he was trusted by the shogunate. They expected Takatora to build a strong castle to stand against the Toyotomi Clan at Osaka Castle in the west. Takatora accomplished this by renovating Iga-Ueno Castle. He thought that if the shogunate were to be beaten at Osaka Castle, he could accommodate Ieyasu in Iga-Ueno Castle.

The portrait of Takatora Todo, private owned (licensed under Public Domain via Wikimedia Commons)

Takatora extended the Main Enclosure, the center of the castle on a hill to the west, towards Osaka Castle. He invited a guild of craftsmen called Ano-shu to build the highest stone walls (at that time) at the western side of the enclosure. It was completed- Takatora’s biography praises him, saying the stone walls were greater then those of Osaka Castle. Takatora also started to build the five-level Main Tower behind the stone walls, however, the tower collapsed due to a windstorm in 1612. The Second Enclosure was built beside the hill in the south, which was used as warriors’ housing. It had two large Main Gates in its western and eastern parts. The construction was ongoing when the battles between the shogunate and the Toyotomi Clan happened in 1614. however, it halted after the shogunate beat the Toyotomi Clan in 1615.

*The illustration of Hachimanyama Castle and Town*, private owned (licensed under Public Domain via Wikimedia Commons)

The old photo of the Western Main Gate (*licensed under Public Domain via Wikimedia Commons)*

Homebase for Wartime

Takatora gave his younger brother Iga-Ueno Castle as his branch castle, and set Tsu Castle as his home base. Tsu Castle was located in a plains area near the sea in Ise Province which was another territory of his. He said that Tsu Castle would be his home base for peacetime while Iga-Ueno Castle would be the other one for wartime. After that, the senior vassals of the Todo Clan governed the castle and Iga Province in the peacetime of the Edo Period. They lived in the official residence where Sadatsugu Tsutsui originally lived. The first Main Tower, which Sadatsugu built, also remained for a while, but it is thought to have collapsed due to another windstorm in 1633 as well.

The ruins of the official residence of Iga-Ueno Castle

The official residence area drawn in the Kanei Era of the Edo Period, exhibited by Iga-Ueno Castle

To be continued in “Iga-Ueno Castle Part2”

157.Hachimanyama Castle Part3

A dictator’s willful behavior is to be rewarded someday.

Features

Hidetsugu’s Residence Ruins at Foot

There are also the ruins of Hidetsugu’s residence at the foot of the mountain. If you are in the Barbican Enclosure, you can use the recently developed trail to go down to the ruins. Of course, you can also visit them from the city area. Hidetsugu’s residence was the elevated point of the warriors’ residential area. Its foundation, surrounded by huge stone walls, remains and looks so great. Some roof tiles covered with golden leaf were found at this site, which proved Hidetsugu lived there.

The map around the castle

The trail going down from the Barbican Enclosure

The stone walls, using huge stones, remained

Later History

The life of Hachimanyama Castle was only 10 years while its former castle town have been prospering as a commercial city for a long time. The castle ruins have become a popular tourist spot since the cable car was first launched in 1962. On the other hand, because of the mountain’s steep terrain, landslides sometime happen which could destroy the ruins such as in 1967. Omi-Hachiman City, which owns the ruins, preserves and researches them, preparing the development of the place as a historical site.

The remaining stone walls on the mountain

My Impression

Was Hidetsugu only a victim of the incident in 1595? I think no. Yoshimitsu Mogami, a great lord at Yamagata Castle, lost his daughter who just reach Kyoto to be Hidetsugu’s wife because of the execution. He was very angry and decided to leave the Toyotomi Clan. Many other nobles and lords, who communicated with Hidetsugu, asked Ieyasu Tokugawa (who would become the final ruler after Hideyoshi’s death) for help in order to avoid punishment. Hideyoshi’s willful behavior resulted in the destruction of his clan including his beloved son, Hideyori, in the summer campaign of the siege of Osaka, attacked by the Tokugawa Shogunate in 1615.

Yoshiaki Mogami from Battle of Hasedo Standing Screen (licensed under Public Domain via Wikimedia Commons)

The portrait of Hideyori Toyotomi, owned by Yogenin Temple (licensed under Public Domain via Wikimedia Commons)

The summer campaign of the siege of Osaka folding screens, owned by Osaka Castle Museum (licensed under Public Domain via Wikimedia Commons)

How to get There

If you want to visit the castle by car, it is about 30 minutes away from Gamo smart IC on the Meshin Expressway. There is a parking lot beside the cable car platform.
By public transportation, you can take the Omi-Tetsudo Bus bound for Chomeiji from JR Omi-Hachiman Station and get off at the Osugicho bus stop. It takes about 5 minutes to get there.
Or it may be a good idea to use a rental bicycle from the station.
To get to Omi-Hachiman Station from Tokyo: Take the Tokaido Shinkansen super express and transfer to the Biwako Line at Maibara Station or Kyoto Station.

The parking lot beside the cable car platform

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

157.Hachimanyama Castle Part2

The castle ruins and modern tourist spot could be seen on the mountain.

Features

Going to Top by Cable Car

Today, visitors usually get to the ruins of Hachimanyama Castle by boarding the cable car from the foot of the mountain. The platform of the car at the foot is near the Himure Hachimangu Shrine which was moved there when the castle was built. The Hachimanbori Moats and the old town atmosphere also remain around as a popular tourist spot.

The map around the castle

The Worship Hall of the Himure Hachimangu Shrine *(licensed by 663highland via Wikimedia Commons)*

The Hachimanbori Moats and the old town atmosphere

The cable car will bring you to the platform on the mountain in few minutes. The platform is below the Second Enclosure where the observation platform faces the city area in the southeast. Many people enjoy a good view while you can also see some remaining old stone walls of the enclosure.

The observation platform at the Second Enclosure

The stone walls around the Second Enclosure

Zuiryuji Temple in Main Enclosure

The Main Enclosure, the center of the castle, is now used as the Zuiryuji Temple which Hidetsugu’s mother, Tomo established. In fact, the temple was moved there from Kyoto in 1961 of the present time, however, it is absolute suitable for this castle. The entrance of the temple consists of a defensive square space surrounded by stone walls, called Masugata. That’s because it was also the original entrance of the enclosure. The temple uses the Imperial chrysanthemum crest because Emperor Go-Yozei helped Tomo first build it and some members of the Imperial family became its chief priest.

The aerial photo around the castle

The Zuiryuji Temple at the Main Enclosure

The doors use the Imperial chrysanthemum crests

The defensive square space inside the doors

View Spots in Northern and Western Enclosures

You can go to other enclosures by passing the Belt Enclosure as the route around the Main Enclosure. The high stone walls surrounding the Main Enclosure look old, wild but so great like those of Azuchi Castle. Historians are still not sure if these stone walls were completed by Hidetsugu or the Kyogoku Clan following him. A corner of them becomes round vertically, and it is not uncertain if the condition is original or it was from deterioration.

The stone walls around the Main Enclosure

The vertically round corner of stone walls

If you go to the Northern Enclosure which is another good viewing spot, you can see a view of the mountains with the ruins of Azuchi and Kannnonji Castles in the north.

The ruins of Azuchi and Kannonji Castles

You can also go to the Western Enclosure with a view of Lake Biwa in the west.

My recommended Barbican Enclosure

I recommend you go to the Barbikan Enclosure or Demaru because it was recently re-developed. The trees and bushes around the enclosure were cut down for a better view. You can get there by going down along the trail from the Western Enclosure. You will see a panorama view of the city area and you can imagine this enclosure should have been a good lookout.

You can see the Barbican Enclosure from the city area (inside the red mark)

You can also walk around the stone walls of the enclosure close by, which is about 4m high. However, please watch your step as its foundation is on the steep and rough slope.

The stone walls of the Barbican Enclosure and a view form it

The corner of the stone walls (its round shape is rare)

The stone walls are illuminated at night

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