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)The town area of Takato
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 EnclosureThe ruins of the Back Gate
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 EjimaThe room for EjimaThe 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.
A parking lot in the parkThe parking lot in the museum
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 GateThe stone walls for 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 structure of the Main Gate
The Third Enclosure still has a building for the Domain School called Shintoku-kan.
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.
The North Gate of the parkTakato-taku
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 museumThe South Gate of the park
After entering the gate, you will go across a bridge called Hakuto-bashi or the White Rabbit Bridge on the Outer Moat.
The Hodo-in EnclosureThe White Rabbit BridgeThe Outer Moat
You will also walk from the South Enclosure inside the moat to the Second Enclosure passing another earthen bridge.
The South EnclosureGoing to the Second EnclosureThe Second Enclosure
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 bottom of the Inner Moat
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.
The Cherry Cloud Bridge
Its entrance gate has a traditional structure called Tonya-mon which was moved from the town area.
The Tonya-mon
You can see a very good view of the area around from the inside of the enclosure.
The Main EnclosureA view form the Main 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.
