English – ページ 97 – 日本200名城バイリンガル (Japan's top 200 castles and ruins)

125.Kozukue Castle Part2

Another world in Yokohama City

Features

Ruins planted with Bamboo Forest

Today, the ruins of Kozukue Castle are preserved by Yokohama City as a park called the Kozukue Castle Ruins Forest. Yokohama City has the largest population among the cities in Japan except for Tokyo Special Ward, with about 3.8 million citizens. Even the hilly area around the ruins is covered with lots of modern facilities, office buildings and residences. However, once you walk into the ruins, you may feel like you are in another world. The hill for the ruins is basically planted with a beautiful and well-maintained bamboo forest. The foundation of the castle also remains under the forest.

The map around the castle

You can climb up on the well-developed trail from the foot of the hill called Nekoya.

Large-scale Dry Moat

You will soon reach the top of the outer earthen walls and see the large-scale dry moat in front of the enclosures. This dry moat is still about 13m in width and about 12m in depth. It must have been much deeper in the past. When the excavation team recently dug the bottom of another dry moat in the castle at over 2m, they still could not find its original bottom.

The trail goes on the outer earthen walls at the same level as the top of the moat, but you can also go down to the bottom from some points where the slope of the moat is gentle. If you stand at the bottom looking up, you might find another perspective of the castle.

The trail going on the outer earthen walls

One of the points where you can go down to the bottom of the moat

Eastern Enclosure under Excavation

If you walk around the outer earthen walls to the right, you will reach the Eastern Enclosure which is also called the Second Enclosure at the site. The excavation is also ongoing at the center of the enclosure, where some buildings were built in the past.

You can also climb up to the high turret earthen base at the edge of the enclosure, where you can look down the dry moat around it from the top.

A view of the dry moat around the enclosure from the base

The trail around the enclosure goes to the bottom of the moat. You will find the beautiful bamboo forest around the enclosure again when you walk on the trail.

Western Enclosure used as Sports Square

If you walk around the outer earthen walls to the left or walk over the Connecting Enclosure from the Eastern Enclosure, you will reach the Western Enclosure which is also called the Main Enclosure at the site. The inside of it is a flat square, so it is used for sports like baseball now. An altered gate called Kabuki-mon was built at the entrance of it to look like the Main Enclosure. However, in fact, historians have been arguing for over 150 years if this enclosure was really the main one. Some of them think the Eastern Enclosure was main. The excavation may find the correct answer in the future.

You can go there by turning left at the first intersection

Or walking over the Connecting Enclosure from the Second Enclosure

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

125.Kozukue Castle Part1

The castle in the center of the popular Kozukue Territory

Location and History

Castle along one of Kamakura Roads

Kozukue Castle was located in what is now the northern hilly area in Yokohama City, Kanagawa Prefecture. In the present Japan, Tokyo is the center of Japan including the Kanto Region. For that reason, many major roads gather in or spread from Tokyo. Some of them also go through the eastern seaside area of Yokohama City. However, before the Edo Period which started in the 17th Century, the center of the Kanto Region was Kamakura, called the Warriors’ Capital. Many major roads, called the Kamakura Roads, at that time also gathered in or spread from Kamakura. Kozukue Castle was near one of the Kamakura Roads and alongside Tsurumi-gawa River, which was an important spot for transportation.

The location of the castle

The present road network of the Kanto Region going to and from Tokyo (Source: Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport)

The past road network of the Kanto Region going to and from Kamakura (Source: Tama City, adding the positions of Kozukue Castle and Kamakura)

“Kozukue Territory” and “Kozukue Group”

It is uncertain when Kozukue Castle was first built. The first appearance of the castle was after the Rebellion of Kageharu Nagao, who was against his master, the Uesugi Clan in 1478. The Toshima Clan who supported Kageharu used the castle, and Dokan Ota, a senior vassal of the Uesugi Clan beat them. After a while, the Hojo Clan, a great warlord used the castle again as a bridgehead for invading the Kanto Region in the 16th Century during the Sengoku Period. Even after the Hojo Clan was succeeded, they still considered the area around the castle as one of their important territories. They called the area “Kozukue Territory” like we call the area today, Yokohama City. They also called the group of the warriors who lived in the area “Kozukue Group”. Kozukue Castle was the center of the area and the group, and one of Hojo’s branch castles, which must have been more popular than we assume.

The portrait of Dokan Ota, owned by Daijiji Temple (licensed under Public Domain via Wikimedia Commons)

The portrait of Ujitsuna Hojo, the lord of the clan when they invaded the Kanto Region, owned by Odawara Castle (licensed under Public Domain via Wikimedia Commons)

Castle has Simple Layout

Kozukue Castle was built on the edge of a hill sticking out from the south towards Tsurumi-gawa River to the north. The layout of the castle was simple, having the large Western and Eastern Enclosures, divided by the slender Connecting Enclosure. They were all made of soil. However, these enclosures were surrounded by large deep dry moats. What kinds of buildings stood on the enclosures is still uncertain, but it is thought that some turrets were built on the earthen bases. In addition, some barbicans were built along the hill around the main portion.

The relief map around the castle

The imaginary drawing of Kozukue Castle (from the signboard at the site, adding comments)

Development and Abolition of Castle

In 1590, when the ruler, Hideyoshi Toyotomi invaded Hojo’s territory for his unification of Japan, Hojo ordered their branch castles to gather the warriors to their home base, Odawara Castle. That meant the branch castles including Kozukue Castle had to protect themselves with fewer defenders. The lord of Kozukue Castle decided to draft farmers to protect it. It is thought that the dry moats of the castle were also developed making them larger and deeper to protect the castle with fewer warriors and untrained defenders. This is what we can now see as the ruins of the castle. However, no battles happened then. The castle was open and finally abandoned after Hojo surrendered to Hideyoshi.

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

To be continued in “Kozukue Castle Part2”

84.Kochi Castle Part3

Why would Kochi Castle maintain so many original buildings?

Features

Interior of Main Tower

The first floor of the tower has some equipment for defense, such as machicolations and loopholes for guns. In addition, there are also iron spikes outside the floor to prevent enemies from climbing the tower, which is the only remaining example in Japan.

On the second floor, you can see lot of exhibitions about the castle like a miniature model.

The third floor is basically the attic of the hip-and-gable roof, but it has windows and space inside the roof for defenders who could counter attackers.

On the fourth floor, you can see one of the bronze grampuses on the roof close by through the window.

The bronze grampuses seen through the window

The fifth floor is a very dark attic, by contrast, the top floor is open and bright where you can enjoy a great view of the castle and city to all directions. You can also walk around the veranda (another steel handrail was added for safety and preservation) like the lord of the castle used to do.

Later History

After the Meiji Restoration, Kochi Castle was turned into Kochi Park. All the buildings in the Second and Third Enclosures were demolished while the buildings in the Main Enclosure and a few others remain. All the 15 remaining castle buildings have been designated as Important Cultural Properties since 1950. The castle also became a National Historic Site in 1959.

My Impression

When I visited Kochi Castle for the first time many years ago, I misunderstood the reason for the small Main Hall in the Main Enclosure. I thought it was because Japanese people in the past were shorter and smaller than now. In my recent second visit, I understood its real reason. I guess if the hall was very large, it might have been demolished like the hall in the Second Enclosure when the castle once became the park. If it is true, fortune is unpredictable and changeable.

The interior of the Main Hall of the Main Enclsosure

How to get There

If you want to visit there by car:
It is about 15 minutes away from Kochi IC on Kochi Expressway.
There are several parking lots around the castle such as the Kochi Park Parking Lot.
By public transportation, take the Tosaden Bus from JR Kochi Station and get off at the Kochijo-mae bus stop.
If you go there from Tokyo or Osaka, I recommend traveling by plane or using an express bus.

Links and References

・Kochi Castle Pamphlets

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