言語～Language – ページ 163 – 日本200名城バイリンガル (Japan's top 200 castles and ruins)

179.Kagomori Castle Part2

You can enjoy a mountain castle safely.

Features

Unique Natural terrain

Today, the ruins of Kagomori Castle have been re-developed for visitors. If you drive to the ruins, you can park at the south of the mountain, which is below the upside-down U shape. After that, you can first walk to the bottom of the valley called Furogadani, which is likely the inside of the U shape. You will probably feel like you are entirely surrounded by the ridges of the mountain, which has very unique terrain. You can still see the well of the castle, filled with water, but probably can not be consumed now.

The aerial photo around the castle

The well of the castle, *quoted from the website of Matsuno Town*

Enclosures are in line on U shape Ridge

Visitors typically climb up to the western edge of the U shape from the valley through the steep zigzagged trail. You will reach the Western 10th Enclosure, which is approximately 70m above the bottom of the valley. There is the restored gate, a barrack with horse stable and earthen walls, thanks to the results from the excavations. The excavation team also discovered that the enclosure had the hall turrets, which was called Tamon-Yagura, beside the earthen walls. From there, you can see the area around including the Shinjo Enclosure, which is located on the opposite edge of the U shape. Overall, this enclosure was the pivot point of the castle.

If you want to get closer to the center of the castle, the Main Enclosure, you will have to go through as many as eight enclosures. Each enclosure is small, but all are in a line on the long and the narrow ridge of the mountain. These enclosures were divided by artificial ditches called Horikiri. The route to the Main Enclosure is much narrower and goes along the side of these enclosures. If enemies were to attack the castle using this route, they would have found it very challenging. However, visitors today can walk on the same route safely because steps and bridges were installed.

The steps and bridge installed on the trail

Main Enclosure, Center of Castle

When you reach the entrance of the Main Enclosure, you will find some remaining stone walls. They are part of the alternative entrance called Koguchi, which replaced the old ditch in the later stage of the castle. The Main Enclosure is on the top of the mountain (approximately 90m from the foot) and the center of the U shape ridge. From here, you can enjoy views of Matsuno Town in the north and both edges of the ridges, the Sinjo Enclosure and the Western 10th Enclosure you passed through. This was ideal for the headquarters.

A view of *the Western 10th Enclosure* from the Mian Enclosure

A view of the Shinjo Enclosure from the Mian Enclosure

There are also some restored pillars and floor of the Main Hall to show visitors its layout based on the excavation. It was thought that this is where the lord lived and some ceremonies were held in the same hall. In addition, relics like stone foundations and rooftiles, which might have been used for the Main Tower, were discovered in the enclosure.

The partially restored pillars and floor of the Main Hall

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

179.河後森城　その２

安全に見学できる山城です。

特徴、見どころ

ユニークな地形

現在、河後森城跡は観光客向けによく整備されています。もし車でここに来られるようでしたら、山の南側、U字をさかさまにした底の部分に駐車することができます。その後、まずは風呂ヶ谷（ふろがだに）と呼ばれる谷の底、U字の内側部分に向かって歩いて行きます。恐らくそこでは、山の峰全体によって囲まれていると感じられるでしょう。とてもユニークな地形です。また、そこには今でも水に満たされている城の井戸があります。その水は今では飲むことはできないでしょう。

城周辺の航空写真

U字形の峰に沿って並ぶ曲輪群

観光客は大抵は、谷から急な曲がりくねった山道を通ってU字型の西端の方に登っていきます。やがて、谷の底から約７０ｍの高さのところにある西第十曲輪に着きます。ここには発掘の成果により、門、馬小屋のついた兵舎、そして土塁が復元されています。発掘によって、その他にも土塁の傍らに多聞櫓があったことがわかっています。この曲輪からは、U字形の反対側の端にある新城を含む周辺の地域を見渡すことができます。この曲輪は、城の要の場所であったのです。

城の中心部の本郭に近づこうとするには、８つもの曲輪を通り過ぎなければなりません。それぞれの曲輪は小さいのですが、全て山の長く狭い峰に沿って並んでいます。これらの曲輪は、堀切と呼ばれる人工的な溝によって区切られています。本郭への山道は、ずっと細くなり、曲輪の脇に沿って進んでいきます。仮に敵がこの山道を通って攻撃したとしても、それは大変困難なことだったでしょう。しかし、現代の観光客は、山道に階段や橋を渡してあるため、同じ道を安全に歩くことができます。

城の中心部、本郭

本郭の入口に着いてみると、石垣がいくらか残っているのが見えます。この石垣は、虎口と呼ばれる互い違いに作られた入口の一部なのです。この虎口は、城の後半期にもとは堀切であった所を置き換えて作られました。本郭は、山の頂上にあり（麓から約９０ｍの高さ）、U字形の峰の中心部分に当たります。ここからは、北の方に松野町の町並が見え、峰の両端の新城や通ってきた西第十曲輪も見渡すことができ、とても良い景色です。ここは城の本拠地としては最適の場所です。

またここには、発掘の成果に基づき、主殿舎の柱と床面がいくらか復元されており、観光客がそのレイアウトがわかるようになっています。この館には城主が住み、儀式が行われていたと考えられています。更にはこの曲輪からは、天守のために使われたかもしれない礎石や瓦などが発見されています。

「河後森城その３」に続きます。
「河後森城その１」に戻ります。

179.Kagomori Castle Part1

A castle located around the border between provinces

Location and History

Area of Border Dispute

The ruins of Kagomori Castle are now located in Matsuno Town in Ehime Prefecture, near the Kochi border. Similarly, the castle was located in Iyo Province which was near the border of Iyo Province and Tosa Province in the past. This location was often tense because it was important to the lords of both provinces in order to maintain their territories.

The range of Iyo Province and the location of Kagomori Castle

It is often said The Watanabe Clan owned the castle since the 12th Century. The clan eventually followed the Saionji Clan which governed the southern Iyo Province, and became one of the fifteen commanders of Saionji. Kanesada Ichijo, the lord of Tosa Province in the first 16th Century, sent one of his relatives, to the Watanabe Clan to become their adopted heir. In fact, this was his preparation for the invasion of Iyo Province. The adopted Noritada Watanabe did nothing for his master, Kinhiro Saionji when Kanesada actually invaded the Iyo Province in 1567. Kinhiro got angry and decided to attack Noritada in Kagomori Castle before Noritada could surrender. This event happened at the castle near the border.

The portrait of Kanesada Ishijo, owned by Ryushu-ji Temple *(licensed under Public Domain via Wikimedia Commons)*

Castle is built on U shape Ridge

Kagomori Castle was built on a mountain where the ridge looked like the letter U. A lot of its enclosures were in a line on the long and narrow ridge. The Main Enclosure was on the center of the U shape, in the northernmost section. Nine enclosures were from the western edge of the U shape which was the next to the Main Enclosure. Another three enclosures were east of the Main Enclosure. In addition, the two Kojo Enclosures and the Sinjo Enclosure were in the eastern edge of the U shape. There were 16 enclosures in total, though each of them was small. They were basically made of soil, divided by artificial ditches, and the slope of the mountain which was intentionally cut vertically. Moreover, the mountain was surrounded by rivers in three directions except for the south. Overall, the castle can be seen as a stronghold using natural terrain.

The relief map around the castle

During the unification of Japan by Hideyoshi Toyotomi in the 1580s, his retainer, Katsutaka Toda became the lord of the southern Iyo Province which included Kagomori Castle. Katsutaka became the leader, and then, Takatora Todo became the next leader in 1595 after Katsutaka died. Kagomori Castle continued to be an important castle near the border of Tosa Province even during the unification of Japan. This is because the governance of Japan was still unstable. The lord of Iyo Province needed to keep monitoring the movements of the Chosogabe and Yamanouchi Clans.

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

Castle is improved during Unification of Japan

Kagomori Castle had basically been a simple mountain castle, but was eventually improved with the latest technology from Katsutaka or Takatora. For example, stone walls were built around the Main Enclosure. The enclosure originally had the Main Hall for the lord, and a building like the Main Tower was added. The excavation team managed to find large sized rooftiles including grampuses at the site, which could have been used for the Main Tower. According to Takatora’s biography, the Main Tower of Kagomori Castle was moved to his home base, Uwajima Castle and used as a turret. However, this is still not entirely proven, but Kagomori Castle might have looked like a modern castle.

The partially remaining stone walls at the Main Enclosure of Kagomori Castle

In 1615, Ieyasu Tokugawa, who was the founder of the Tokugawa Shogunate, defeated the Toyotomi Clan in Osaka Castle. After that, the authority of the shogunate was established. The shogunate ordered all of the lords in Japan to follow one castle rule, the Law of One Castle per Province to make its government more stable. Because of the new law, Kagomori Castle, which was owned by the Date Clan after Takatora was moved to another province, was eventually abandoned.

To be continued in “Kagomori Castle Part2”