33.Takaoka Castle Part1

Is it just a retirement place for Toshinaga Maeda?

Location and History

Takaoka Castle was located in what is now Takaoka City, in the western part of Toyama Prefecture. This castle’s life is generally said as following fasts. Toshinaga Maeda, the founder of the Kaga Domain built the castle for his retirement in 1609. However, the castle was abandoned in 1615 due to the Law of One Castle per Province by the Tokugawa Shogunate, soon after Toshinaga’s death in 1614. The castle was officially 6 years old. Is it really correct?

The location of the castle

The portrait of Toshinaga Maeda, owned by Uozu Museum of History and Folklore (licensed under Public Domain via Wikimedia Commons)

Toshinaga was a son of Toshiie Maeda, a great warlord in the late 16th Century. While Toshiie lived in Kanazawa Castle in Kaga Province (now part of Ishikawa Pref.), Toshinaga was given his own territory in the western part of Ecchu Province (now Toyama Pref.) by the ruler, Hideyoshi Toyotomi in 1585. Toshinaga stayed in this territory for 12 years. He first lived in a mountain castle called Moriyama Castle, but soon started to develop farming, transportation and residential area on the plain land called Sekino at that time, Takaoka later. It is thought that he also had a site like a castle on the plain area although no records remain. In 1597, he got another territory in the middle part of Ecchu Provence, then he moved to Toyama Castle to develop the new territory.

The portrait of Toshiie Maeda, private owned (licensed under Public Domain via Wikimedia Commons)
Toyama Castle

After his father, Toshiie died in 1599, Toshinaga lived in Kanazawa Castle and became the founder of the Kaga Domain by supporting the Tokugawa Shogunate. The domain had the largest territory including almost of all the three provinces (Kaga, Ecchu and Noto) in the nation except for the shogunate. He needed many castles and sites to govern the large territory, and the site, which would be Takaoka Castle later, was probably also included to them. In 1605, he handed over the head of the domain to his younger brother, Toshitsune, and moved to Toyama Castle again for retirement. However, he actually had the power to govern the domain because his successor was still young.

Kanazawa Castle

The range of the three provinces – Kaga, Ecchu and Noto[

The portrait of Toshitsune Maeda, owned by Nata-dera Temple (licensed under Public Domain via Wikimedia Commons)

When Toyama Castle was unfortunately burned down in 1609, Toshinaga had to find his new castle to stay, which would be called Takaoka Castle. Takaoka Castle and its castle town were rapidly constructed in just half a year, while Toshinaga renamed the land from Sekino to Takaoka. However, a local historian says the foundation and the water moats for the caste must have been there before the construction. The water moats were so well designed that they have never been dried by the supply of groundwater for more than 400 years. It would be impossible to build such an advanced system in a short time at that time. The historian speculates that Toshinaga had prepared the foundation and the water moats for Takaoka Castle for possible events like battles.

The imaginary drawing of Takaoka Castle (from the signboard at the site)
The remaining water moat of Takaoka Castle

Even after Takaoka Castle was officially abandoned in 1615, Toshinaga’s followers kept the foundation and the water moats, and they built warehouses on it. They probably felt the same way as Toshinaga. That’s why we can now see almost the same foundation and the water moats as Toshinaga’s period. Takaoka Castle has much longer history than what is officially said.

The foundation of Takaoka Castle like a hill

To be continued in “Takaoka Castle Part2”

33.高岡城 その1

単なる前田利長の隠居所だったのでしょうか。

立地と歴史

高岡城は、現在の富山県西部、高岡市にありました。この城の歴史は一般的には以下の事実を基に語られています。加賀藩の創始者である前田利長が1609年に彼の隠居城として築きました。しかし、1614年の利長の死の直後、1615年に徳川幕府により発せられた一国一城令のために廃城となりました。城があったのは公式には6年間だったことになります。これは本当に正しいのでしょうか。

城の位置

前田利長肖像画、魚津歴史民俗博物館蔵(licensed under Public Domain via Wikimedia Commons)

利長は、16世紀後半の有力な戦国大名、前田利家の息子でした。利家が加賀国(現在の石川県の一部)の金沢城に居住する一方、利長は天下人の豊臣秀吉により、1585年に彼自身の領地として越中国(現在の富山県)の西部を与えられました。利長はこの領地に12年間滞在しました。彼は最初は山城である守山城に住んでいましたが、やがて当時関野と呼ばれ後に高岡となった平坦地で、農業、交通、居住地の開発を始めました。記録は残っていませんが、利長はまた城のような拠点をその平地上に設けたと考えられています。1597年、利長は越中国の中央部に新たな領地を得て、その開発のために富山城に移っていきました。

前田利家肖像画、個人蔵 (licensed under Public Domain via Wikimedia Commons)
富山城

1599年に利長の父、利家が亡くなった後、利長は金沢城に住み、徳川幕府を支持することで加賀藩の初代藩主となりました。加賀藩は、幕府を除けばこの国で最も大きな領地を持ち、加賀、越中、能登3ヶ国のほぼ全てが含まれていました。広大な領地を統治するためには多くの城や拠点が必要であり、後に高岡城となる拠点もまた含まれていたと思われます。1605年、利長は藩主の座を弟の利常に引き継ぎ、隠居のために再び富山城に移りました。しかしながら、利長は実際には藩の実権を持っていました。跡継ぎの利常はまだ若年だったからです。

金沢城

加賀、越中、能登3ヶ国の範囲[

前田利常肖像画、那谷寺蔵 (licensed under Public Domain via Wikimedia Commons)

不幸にも富山城は1609年に火災で焼けてしまいます。利長は新たな居城を定め、そこは高岡城と呼ばれることとなりました。高岡城とその城下町は、わずか半年の期間で大急ぎで建設が行われ、利長はその土地の名前を関野から高岡に改めました。しかし、ある郷土史家は、城の基礎部分と水堀は城の建設前に既にそこにあっただろうと述べています。高岡城の堀は巧みに設計されていて、400年以上地下水により堀の水が枯れたことがないのです。当時短期間でこのような優れた仕組みを作ることは不可能だったのではないでしょうか。その郷土史家は、利長は戦さのような起こりうる出来事に備えて、高岡城の基礎と水堀をあらかじめ作っておいたのではないかと推測しています。

高岡城想像図(現地案内板より)
現存している高岡城の水堀

1615年に高岡城が公式には廃城になった後でも、利長の後継者たちはその基礎部分や水堀を保ち続け、倉庫を建てていました。彼らもまた利長と同じようなことを考えていたのでしょう。それにより、私たちは今でも利長の時代とほとんど同じ規模で、城の基礎部分と水堀を見学できるのです。高岡城の歴史は、公式に言われているよりもずっと長いのです。

丘のような高岡城の基礎部分

「高岡城その2」に続きます。

34.Nanao Castle Part3

Watch out for wild animals.

Features

You can also visit other enclosures near the Main Enclosure. For instance, the Nukui Residence is next to the Sakura Riding Ground. It has the ruins of its entrance which was built using a huge stone called Kyu-shaku-ishi or 2.7m Wide Stone, which might have been the Back Gate of the castle.

The Nukui Residence
The ruins of its entrance which was built using a huge stone called 2.7m Wide Stone

The Second Enclosure is the next to the Nukui Residence, which was also an important defensive point. Finally, the Third Enclosure is over another large deep ditch. Unfortunately, you will have to go up and down the stairs on very steep cliffs to get there.

The Second Enclosure
The imaginary drawing of the Second Enclosure (from the signboard at the site)
The steep cliff of the Second Enclosure

Later History

In the Edo Period after Nanao Castle was abandoned, the Kaga Domain banned people from cutting down trees around the mountain. This prevented farmers cutting down trees and materials. The study of the ruins started about 100 years ago, and as a result, the ruins were designated as a National Historic Site in 1934. Nanao City has been maintaining the ruins since 1966. The city is planning to provide a fine landscape in the main portion and develop the Main Route from the foot of the mountain while preserving the ruins properly.

A view from the stone walls
The city view of Nanao City from the castle ruins
The Main Route to the main portion of the castle

My Impression

I saw the signboard at the site that wonders of wild boars that often dig up the ruins. When I walked down from the Second Enclosure to get to the Third Enclosure, I noticed the back of a wild boar. I have been told that wild boars can attack you suddenly without warning. Therefore, I decided to give up to get there and head back. Visiting mountain castles is very interesting as long as you take precaution. Be careful not to provoke wild animals, as they can attack you unknowingly. 

The signboard that tells about wild boars
The back of the wild boar

How to get There

I recommend using a car when you visit the ruins.
If you want to go directly to the main portion of the castle,
It is about 15 minutes away from Nanao-Shiroyama IC on the Noto Expressway.
If you want to walk from the foot of the mountain,
I would recommend parking at the Nanao Castle History Museum. it takes about one hour to the top going through the Main Route.

The Nanao Castle History Museum
The entrance of the Main Route

Links and References

Historic Site Nanao Castle Ruis, Nanao City

That’s all. Thank you.
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