中部地方～Chubu Region – ページ 46 – 日本200名城バイリンガル (Japan's top 200 castles and ruins)

30.Takato Castle Part3

Ejima lived in the latter half of her life in that land.

Later History

After the Meiji Restoration, all of the buildings in Takato Castle were demolished or sold. In 1875, the castle ruins were turned into Takato Park and the former warriors started to plant cherry blossoms in the park. Since then, the site has been developing as a site famous for cherry blossoms. They were also designated as a National Historic Site in 1973.

Around the Cherry Cloud Bridge in the cherry-blossom season (licensed under Public Domain via Wikimedia Commons)

My Impression

I have learned that Takato Castle was really built using natural materials and the local people made a great effort to continue maintaining the castle ruins into the future generations.

The earthen walls (on the left) and the Middle Moat (on the right) of the Second Enclosure

In addition, if you have time, I recommend that you visit the restored house for “Ejima” at the Takato Historical Museum. Ejima was a senior officer of “Ooku” or the Inner Chambers of Edo Castle, the home base of the Tokugawa Shogunate in the Edo Period. She was banished to the Takato Domain because she was late for the closing time of the castle after seeing a Kabuki play. It is said the incident was caused by an internal conflict of Ooku. She was confined in a quarantined room of the house for 27 years before her death. She was also not given any writing materials, so she was devoted to reading a sutra. People in Takato eventually respected her and the lord of the domain invited her to Takato Castle to educate the women in the castle in her last years.

The entrance of the restored house for Ejima

The house was strictly surrounded by the fences.

Ejima drawn in a Ukiyo-e Painting, she was thought that she was late for playing with a Kabuki actor. *(licensed under Public Domain via Wikimedia Commons)*

How to get There

If you want to visit there by car:
It is about 30 minutes away from Ina IC on the Chuo Expressway.
There are several parking lots around the park and in the Takato Historical Museum.
By public transportation, take the JR bus (Takato line) from JR Inashi Station, and get off at the Takato bus stop. The ruins are about 15 minutes away on foot.
To get to Inashi Station from Tokyo: Take the limited express Azusa or Kaiji at Shinjuku Station, and transfer at Okaya Station to the Iida Line.

Links and References

・Noble ruin of the castle park, Ina City Official Website

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

A castle with natural hazard that became a site famous for cherry blossoms

Features

Now, the ruins of Takato Castle has become Takato Castle Site Park which is very famous for cherry blossoms. For this reason, the park is crowded with lots of people. There are entrance fees and opening hours during the cherry-blossom season. In contrast, it is silent, free, and always open during the off seasons. This is to control the number of visitors during the peak season, as the park has only two gates in the north and south. So, it is up to you to decide when you would like to visit the park.

The map around the castle

Route to North Gate

The North Gate is the former entrance of the Second Enclosure. If you come from the town area, it would be convenient to use this entrance. After climbing up the slope to the ruins, you will see the stone walls for the Main Gate which was probably built in the Edo Period. The present route goes through the Third Enclosure to the ruins of the Back Gate.

Climbing up the slope to the ruins of the Main Gate

You can see the structure of the Main Gate which was once moved and reduced in scale on the left, but now returned to the present position.

The Third Enclosure still has a building for the Domain School called Shintoku-kan.

Then you will reach the North Gate behind the Middle Moat. There is a large old rest house for visitors called Takato-taku which was built in 1936 inside the gate.

Route through South Gate

The map around the castle

The South Gate is the former entrance of the Hodo-in Enclosure outside the Outer Moat, which was originally a temple. If you come from the Takato Historical Museum, it would be convenient to use this entrance. From the museum, you can look up the ruins and understand how the castle was built using natural materials. The cliff of the mountain was a natural hazard for enemies in the past, but the route to the ruins is developed now.

Looking up the castle ruins from around the museum

After entering the gate, you will go across a bridge called Hakuto-bashi or the White Rabbit Bridge on the Outer Moat.

You will also walk from the South Enclosure inside the moat to the Second Enclosure passing another earthen bridge.

Main Enclosure where Cherry Blossoms will be wonderful

You need to enter the Second Enclosure to reach the Main Enclosure due to the defensive layout. The Main Enclosure is the center of the castle and still surrounded by the Inner Moat. The moat is even deeper now, but mostly dry, so you can stand on the bottom of it.

The Oun-kyo or Cherry Cloud Bridge is in front of the entrance over the Inner Moat. It is said that the spot around them is the best for taking a photo in the cherry-blossom season.

Its entrance gate has a traditional structure called Tonya-mon which was moved from the town area.

You can see a very good view of the area around from the inside of the enclosure.

The enclosure has the Taiko Yagura or Drum Turret which was originally built beside the Back Gate letting people know the time. It was moved to the present position in 1877, and rebuilt in 1912.

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

30.高遠城　その２

自然の要害による城は、桜の名所となりました。

特徴、見どころ

現在、高遠城跡は高遠城址公園となっていて、桜の名所としてとても有名です。このため、公園は多くの人たちで賑わいます。桜の季節には入園料が必要で営業時間も設定されています。対照的に、桜の季節以外は静かで、入園料はなく、いつでも開いています。これは繁忙期に入園者の数をコントロールするための措置で、公園の門は北と南に２つあるだけです。よって、いつ公園を訪れるか予め決めておく方がよいでしょう。

城周辺の地図

公園北口に向かうルート

公園北口はかつては二の丸の入口でした。もし町の方から来られるのでしたら、この入口から入るのが便利でしょう。城跡への坂道を登った後、恐らくは江戸時代に築かれた大手門石垣が見えてきます。現在の道は三の丸を通って、搦手門に至っています。

道の左手には大手門の建物が見えます。この建物は一時移築され縮小されましたが、現在の場所に戻されています。

三の丸には今も藩校であった進徳館の建物が残っています。

そして、中堀の向こうにある公園北入口に到着します。内側には1936年に建てられた観光客向けの休憩所「高遠閣」があります。

公園南口を通るルート

城周辺の地図

南口はかつては外堀の外側にあった法幢院（ほうどういん）曲輪の入口でした。この曲輪はもともと寺でした。高遠町歴史博物館から来られるようでしたら、この入口から入るのが便利でしょう。博物館から城跡を見上げると城が自然の地形を利用して作られたことがよくわかると思います。山の崖はかつて敵にとっては自然の障壁でしたが、現在城跡への通路はよく整備されています。