English – ページ 88 – 日本200名城バイリンガル (Japan's top 200 castles and ruins)

90.Hirado Castle Part1

The castle built with the Yamaga style military ingenuity

Location and History

Matsura Clan builds Former Castle

Hirado Castle is located in Hirado Island in the northwestern part of the Kyushu Region. The area around the island faces the Genkai-nada Sea between Japan and Korea. Because of this reason, the area prospered with sea transportation including overseas trade from the Ancient Times. A warriors’ group, known as the Matsuura Group, was very active using naval forces and sometimes pirates in the Middle Ages. In the 16th Century, one lord of the group, Takanobu Matsura, attained power and became a great warlord. He also supported the ruler, Hideyoshi Toyotomi and succeeded in maintaining his territory around the island.

The location of the castle

The portrait of Takanobu Matsura, owned by Matsura Historical Museum (licensed under Public Domain via Wikimedia Commons)

Takanobu’s son, Shigenobu became the founder of the Hirado Domain in 1600 by supporting the Tokugawa Shogunate. He also began construction of a new castle in 1599, known as Hinodake Castle, the former Hirado Castle, on Kameoka Hill at the edge of Hirado Island. Many of the details of Hinodake Castle are not known, but only an illustration of the castle, drawn by a Dutch missionary, is known to exist. According to the illustration, the castle had a spectacular tall Main Tower. However, the castle was burned down in 1613, probably just after its completion. The cause of the fire is unclear. One theory indicates Shigenobu himself burned the castle to avoid the shogunate’s doubt to Shigenobu that he might still have supported the Toyotomi Clan against the shogunate

The portrait of Shigenobu Matsura, owned by Matsura Historical Museum (licensed under Public Domain via Wikimedia Commons)

The illustration of Hinodake Castle, in the 17th Century *(licensed under Public Domain via Wikimedia Commons)*

Rise and Fall of Hirado International Port

On the other hand, the area of Hirado Domain had been prospering as an international trading port since the arrival of Portuguese ships in 1550. When the domain was established, there were both the Dutch and English trading houses beside Hirado Port. In particular, the Dutch merchants brought silk products from Taiwan in exchange for silver in Japan. They made huge profits with this trade, and the Hirado Domain could also maintain their power without the need of the castle to support it. However, the Tokugawa Shogunate ordered the merchants to destroy the trading house and move to Nagasaki in 1641. This was probably because the shogunate aimed to monopolize the trade with foreign countries. It is also thought that the shogunate feared the spreading of Christianity after the Shimabara Rebellion being started by some Christians in Japan in 1637. Anyway, the power of the Hirado Domain declined due to the shogunate’s decision.

The restored Dutch trading house in Hirado *(licensed by Hkusano via Wikimedia Commons)*

Part of the folding screens of Shimabara Rebellion, owned by Asakura City Akizuki Museum, from the exhibition of Arima Christian Heritage Museum

5th Lord, Takashi Matsura rebuilds Hirado Castle

Takashi Matsura, the 5th lord of the Hirado Domain, wanted to be an influencer in the Japanese political world. The Matsura Clan was one of the non-hereditary feudal lord families who were basically not able to have important roles in the central government. However, Takashi became the first commissioner of temples and shrines from the non-hereditary feudal lords in 1691. This was due to a harmonious relationship between the 5th Shogun, Tsunayoshi Tokugawa, and him. Then, his next objective was to rebuild his clan’s own castle again. Constructions of castles were basically not allowed by the shogunate to be against it. Nevertheless, the re-building of the castle was approved probably because of the good relationship with the shogun as well.

The portrait of Takashi Matsura, owned by Chojuji Temple (licensed under Public Domain via Wikimedia Commons)

The portrait of Tsunayoshi Tokugawa, attributed to Mitsuoki Tosa, owned by Tokugawa Art Museum *(licensed under Public Domain via Wikimedia Commons)*

Takashi rebuilt the castle named Hirado Castle at the same place as Hinodake Castle between 1703 and 1707. It was built using an advanced military ingenuity known as Yamaga style. One of the features of the castle from this style was the use of complex formed perimeters. The castle had three enclosures from the top of the structure to the foot of the hill; the Main, Second and Third Enclosures. Each enclosure was surrounded by stone walls which bended elaborately. The reason for it is thought to eliminate blind spots for the defenders in the event of an attack. The sea facing the north, east and west sides of the castle presented a natural hazard. The Main Gate was open to the south, where there was a deep dry moat in front of the gate to prevent attacks from this direction. The rebuilt castle had no Main Tower, but instead there was the three-story turret called Inui-Yagura as the symbol of the castle in the Second Enclosure. The Matsura Clan governed the castle and the Hirado Domain until the end of the Edo Period.

The illustration of Hirado Castle in Hizen Province, in 1703, owned by Matsura Historical Museum, The copy of the one submitted to the Tokugawa Shogunate, exhibited by Hirado Castle

The zoomed part of the Main Enclosure on the illustration above

To be continued in “Hirado Castle Part2”

87.Hizen-Nagoya Castle Part3

Was only Hideyoshi to the blame for the war?

Features

Let’s walk around “Back side of Castle”

You can also look down and admire the Yugeki-maru Enclosure and the Second Enclosure to the west from the Main Enclosure. The former one was used as the accommodation for the envoys from the Ming Dynasty. Its name “Yugeki” comes from the position of one of the envoys. The latter has the ruins of many stone steps called Aisaka, which were used by the soldiers to quickly climb up or down the stone walls.

The map around the Second Enclosure

Tthe Yugeki-maru Enclosure seen from the Main Enclosure

Tthe Secpmd Enclosure seen from the Main Enclosure

the ruins of many stone steps called Aisaka in the Second Enclosure

If you want to go there from the Main Enclosure, you need to go out from the Back Gate ruins and walk around passing through the Mizute Route and the Funate Route.

The route from the Main Enclosure to the Second Enclosure written on the picture of the miniature model of Hizen-Nagoya Castle exhibited by the Saga Prefectural Nagoya Castle Museum

the Back Gate ruins of the Main Enclosure

Below the Mizute Enclosure around the Mizete Route

The entrance of the Second Enclosure, around the Funate Route

If you look up the stone walls of the Main Enclosure from these enclosures, you can see the stone walls were destroyed like a V letter very well. This is because the officials restored them just after they were destroyed intentionally.

Looking up the Main Tower base of the Main Enclosure from the Yugeki-maru Enclosure

The stone walls are preserved as just after being destroyed

Later History

After Hizen-Nagoya Castle was abandoned, all the buildings were demolished. It is said that part of them was used for the construction of Karatsu Castle. Many parts of the stone walls were destroyed intentionally as mentioned above. Historians speculate the destruction occurred for the following reasons:
It may have been due to the Law of One Castle per Province by the Tokugawa Shogunate; the Shogunate might have broken the stone walls so they could not to be used by rebels against the Shogunate (like Shimabara Rebellion); or it might have been done to show a good partnership to the Korean envoys.
The ruins have been designated as a National Special Historic Site since 1955.

The destroyed stone walls of the Yugeki-maru Enclosure

My Impression

Many Japanese people now tend to avoid thinking of the invasion of Korea by Hideyoshi Toyotomi. They also think the war was caused by Hideyoshi’s own crazy idea, considering the current relationship with Korea. However, I think many Japanese people wanted to get more territory at that time. Even Hideyoshi was not able to build such a huge-scale castle without the people’s cooperation. I also think we cannot build a real friendship with foreign countries without sharing real history.
If you have time, I recommend visiting some of the ruins of other lords’ military positions around the castle. I regret I was only able to go to one of them after visiting Hizen-Natgoya Castle.

The ruins of the military position of Hideyori Mori

How to get There

I recommend using a car when you visit the ruins.
It is about 30 minutes away from Karatsu IC on the Nishi-Kyushu Expressway.
You can park at the parking lot of Saga Prefectural Nagoya Castle Museum.

The Saga Prefectural Nagoya Castle Museum

Links and References

・Saga Prefectural Nagoya Castle Museum

That’s all. Thank you.
Back to “Hizen-Nagoya Castle Part1”
Back to “Hizen-Nagoya Castle Part2”

87.Hizen-Nagoya Castle Part2

Spectacular traces of Hideyoshi’s ambition

Features

From Main Route to Third Enclosure

Today, the ruins of Hizen-Nagoya Castle are well-developed as a historical park. If you drive to the ruins, you can use the parking lot of Saga Prefectural Nagoya Castle Museum beside the park. Visitors usually first visit the ruins by walking on the Main Route. You will see how large the ruins are at first sight. You will also see the large-scale stone walls still surrounding the ruins. However, many of them collapsed like a V letter. In fact, the collapse was done intentionally. If you walk to the Eastern Barbican Enclosure, the route turns back at almost 180 degrees to the Third Enclosure.

The castle ruins seen from around the Main Route

The stone walls being destroyed like a V letter

The Main Route seen from the Eastern Barbican Enclosure

The route turns into the Third Enclosure

The Main Route written on the picture of the miniature model of Hizen-Nagoya Castle exhibited by the Saga Prefectural Nagoya Castle Museum

Third Enclosure as Pivot of Defense

The Third Enclosure should have been the defense’s pivot because the enclosure is next to the Main Enclosure, and both the Main Route and Back Route gather in it. The entrance to the Back Route is still surrounded by the ruins of a large-scale turret and stone walls using many huge stones. The inside of the enclosure has the ruins of a well which could have been used for a siege.

The Third Enclosure drawn in “The folding screen of Hizen-Nagoya Castle”. from the signboard at the site

Main Enclosure as Center of Castle

You can walk on stone steps through the alternate Main Gate ruins surrounded by stone walls into the Main Enclosure. The enclosure is very large but empty now except for the monument of the castle. There are some flat exhibitions which indicates what buildings were built, such as the Southwestern Corner Turret and the Hall Turrets, by using stone foundations, gravel, paved areas.

The map around the Main Enclosure

The ruins of the Southwestern Corner Turret

The stone wall base for the Main Tower is located in the northwestern corner of the enclosure. Though there are only a few stone walls left, you can enjoy see a great view of Genkai-nada Sea and the castle area around.

Only a few stone walls remain on the base

To be continued in “Hizen-Nagoya Part3”
Back to “Hizen-Nagoya Castle Part1”