中部地方～Chubu Region – ページ 21 – 日本200名城バイリンガル (Japan's top 200 castles and ruins)

141.Gujo-Hachiman Castle Part3

The oldest wooden rebuilt Main Tower

Features

Pine Enclosure and Back in Castle

Other than the Main Tower, you can visit the neighboring Pine Enclosure through the path on the upper tier of the Belt Enclosures. There is a monument of the Ryosotai Party which escaped the Gujo Domain which supported the New Government during the Meiji Restoration. They joined the domains supporting the shogunate and fought against the New Government Army located Wakamatsu Castle.

The upper tier Belt Enclosure as the path connecting the Cherry Enclosure and the Pine Enclosure

Going to the Pine Enclosure through the upper tier Belt Enclosure

The parking on the top was one of the ditches behind the castle where most of the fierce fightings happened in 1600. There is a well in the ruins, which was said to have been used to wash the head of slain warriors in battle.

The ruins of the well for washing the head

Later History

After the Meiji Restoration, Gujo-Hachiman Castle was eventually abandoned and all the castle buildings were demolished. In 1932, the mayor, Chuhei Nakagami suggested the Main Tower be rebuilt in order to revitalize the town. Other people agreed with him and began making donations. The tower was constructed using the external design plans of Ogaki Castle whose Main Tower remained at that time, however it would be burned down by an air raid in 1945. People also considered how the tower would have looked like when they look up at it from the town. The rebuilt tower was finally completed in 1933.

The old photo of Ogaki Castle, the Main Tower on the right (licensed under Public Domain via Wikimedia Commons)

The rebuilt Main Tower of Gujo-Hachiman Castle

My Impression

When I visited Gujo-Hachiman town, I thought the purpose of the town was to successfully built a beautiful castle as its symbol. You can see a good view of the Main Tower from any parts of the town. I also finally understood that no matter weather the original tower was there or not, the castle is still very important and much needed by the people of the town.

How to get There

If you want to visit the castle by car, it is about 15 minutes away from Gujo-Hachiman IC on the Tokai-Hokuriku Expressway. There are several parking lots for visitors aroud the castle.
By public transportation, it takes about 20 minutes on foot from the Gujo-Hachiman Jokamachi Plaza.
To get to the plaza from Tokyo or Osaka: Take the Tokaido Shinkansen Super Express, transfer to Tokaido Local Line at Nagoya Station and get off at Gifu Station. Then, take the Gifu bus on the highway Hachiman line and get off at the Jokamachi Plaza bus stop.

The parling lot at the foot of the mountain

That’s all. Thank you.
Back to “Gujo-Hachiman Castle Part1”
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141.郡上八幡城　その３

最古の木造再建天守

特徴、見どころ

松の丸、城の裏手

天守の他には、腰曲輪の上段にある通路を通って、松の丸に行ってみることもできます。そこには「凌霜隊（りょうそうたい）」の記念碑があります。この隊は、明治維新のとき、郡上藩が新政府を支持した際、脱藩しました。そして、若松城で新政府軍と戦っていた、幕府を支持する諸藩の軍に加わったのです。

頂上にある駐車場は、もとは城の背後にあった堀切の一つでした。そこでは、1600年の戦いにおいて激戦が展開されました。そこには井戸の跡があり、戦いで戦死した武士の首を洗った場所だと言われています。

その後

明治維新にしたがって郡上八幡城は廃城となり、全ての城の建物は撤去されました。1932年、当時の八幡町長であった仲上忠平（なかがみちゅうへい）は、町の活性化のために天守を再建することを提案しました。他の町民も賛成し、再建のための寄付が募られました。その再建天守は、その当時現存していた大垣城天守の外観を参考に建設されました。しかし、その大垣城の天守は1945年の大垣空襲により焼け落ちてしまうのです。また再建天守は、町から見上げた時にどのように見えるかということも考慮して建てられました。その再建が完成したのは1933年のことです。

大垣城の古写真、右側が天守 (licensed under Public Domain via Wikimedia Commons)

私の感想

郡上八幡を訪れてみて、美しい城を街のシンボルとして築いた、その目的は十分達成されているように思いました。街のどこからでも天守のよき姿を望むことができるからです。そして、オリジナルの天守がそこにあろうとなかろうと、この城は街の人たちにとって今でもとても大切で、欠くべからざる存在なのだということがわかりました。

ここに行くには

車で行く場合は東海北陸自動車道の郡上八幡ICから約１５分かかります。
公共交通機関を使う場合は、郡上八幡城下町プラザから歩いて約２０分かかります。
東京か大阪から城下町プラザまで：東海道新幹線に乗り、名古屋駅で東海道線に乗り換え、岐阜駅で降ります。そして、岐阜バス高速八幡線に乗り、城下町プラザバス停で降りてください。

リンク、参考情報

・郡上八幡城　日本最古の木造再建城
・「新　八幡城ものがたり（改訂版）」郡上市
・「よみがえる日本の城１６」学研

これで終わります。ありがとうございました。
「郡上八幡城その１」に戻ります。
「郡上八幡城その２」に戻ります。

141.Gujo-Hachiman Castle Part2

A beautiful symbol of the town

Features

Symbol of Gujo-Hachiman Town

Today, Gujo-Hachiman Castle has become a symbol of the Gujo-Hachiman town. You can see the rebuilt Main Tower of the castle on the mountain from any parts of the town. The mountain is covered with cherry blossoms in spring, green leaves in summer, autumn leaves in fall, and snow in winter. A famous writer, Ryotaro Shiba said the castle was “the most beautiful mountain castle in Japan” when he visited it in the early spring when the snow remained on the ground. If you drive to the castle, you can park either at the foot, halfway up, or on the top of the mountain. You can also hike up the mountain from wherever you park.

A view of Gujo-Hachiman Castle from the town

The map around the castle

If you climb from the parking lot at the foot, you will pass by the ruins of the rice warehouse where the farmers gathered during the Gujo uprising and the Shiroyama Park where the Main Hall was built. From this point, you can enter the mountain trail.

The route from the parking lot at the foot

Three-tier Belt Enclosures

After about a 10-minute climb, you will see the three-tier Belt Enclosures surrounded by old stone walls that were piled up naturaly. The first (lower) tier is now used as the paved road to the parking lot on the top. The second (middle) tier is used as the promenade for visitors from the parking lot to the castle facilities. The third and final upper tier is for the path connecting the Cherry Enclosure and the Pine Enclosure on the top.

The route is mixed with the roadway and trail

The paved road on the lower tier (on the left) and the stone walls of the middle tier (on the right)

The observation platform on the middle tier (originally a barbican?)

The promenade on the middle tier (on the left) and the stone walls of the upper tier (on the right)

The path on the upper tier (on the left) and the stone walls of the Cherry Enclosure (on the right)

Rebuilt Main Tower has Traditional Taste

You can enter the Cherry Enclosure to visit the rebuilt Main Tower. Experts speculate the three-level Main Tower would have been built in this area. However, because it was only seen in some drawings, and not scientifically proven by excavations and records. It would be difficult to call the current tower the reconstructed one. If the original towers was not built on the past, we can call the current tower the imitation tower. Since we can’t be certain of that fact, let’s simply refer to it as the rebuilt main tower.

The map around the top

The original stone wall base for the tower

The Main Tower in the drawing of the battle in 1600 at the castle, exhibited in the Main Tower of the castle

It is the oldest wooden rebuilt Main Tower in Japan, built back in 1933, nearly 90 years ago. However, it is not the original, but it has a taste of traditional Japanese architecher. You can hear squeak noises from wooden floors as you walk or climb in the tower because of this old wooden building. The tower has 4 levels and 5 floors including the lower floors which are used for exhibitions of the castle and town. You can easily climb up on the stairways to the top floor. There, you can enjoy a great view of the area around.

A view of Gujo-Hachiman town from the top floor

To be continued in “Gujo-Hachiman Castle Part3”
Back to “Gujo-Hachiman Castle Part1”