近畿地方～Kinki Region – ページ 10 – 日本200名城バイリンガル (Japan's top 200 castles and ruins)

56.Takeda Castle Part3

I can’t believe the stone walls of Takeda Castle have been left intact for over 400 years since the it was abandoned. Although they have been often repaired and maintained. I still can’t understand why they have been intact for so long.

Features

From Center of Castle to Southern Ridge

The western ridge from the center, called Hanayashiki or the Flower Residence Enclosure, does not usually not allow visitors to enter because of its preservation and the safety of visitors. The enclosure is built on the steeper ridge than the others, which is said to be built to protect the back route of the castle.

The map around the castle

Therefore, you will go on the route to the southern ridge which has the narrow Southern Second Enclosure and the large Minami-Senjo or the Southern 1,000 mat Enclosure, similar to the northern ridge. If you look back to the center of the castle, you can see many great stone walls covering the top of the mountain. The view of the area around the mountain is magnificent.

A view of the center from the Southern Second Enclosure

The return path goes from the edge of the ridge, which might have been the other entrance of the castle. You will finally return to the paved path which you have passed.

The exit from the Minami-senjo Enclosure

A view of the same place above from the outside

You have returned to the paved path which you had passed.

Later History

Takeda Castle was abandoned and all the castle buildings were demolished in the early Edo Period. However, the stone walls of the castle were left as there were, for some reasons. In other cases of abolished castles, their stone walls were also destroyed. The remaining stone walls of Takeda Castle may have been a miracle. The castle ruins were designated as a National Historic Site in 1943. Since then the ruins were sometimes used as the locations of historical movies that feature the intact stone walls of the castle. In 2007, a photographer, posted his photo of the Takeda Castle in the Sky, which won an award. This made the castle famous and the number of the visitors skyrocketed.

*Intentionally broken stone walls of Iwakuni Castle on the mountain*

*The stone walls of Hizen-Nagoya Castle being destroyed like a V letter*

*The ruins of Suzume-mon Gate* of Uda-Matsuyama Castle, after its stone walls were completely destroyed

My Impression

Three things surprised me about the great stone walls of Takeda Castle three times. First, I was simply impressed to see the stone walls on the high mountain. I was wondering how and why the builders built them on such a steep place. I learned that the value of Takeda Castle for the rulers and what the builder, Masahiro Saimura did in the castle are parts of the answer. Secondly, I heard that local people make great efforts on maintaining the stone walls to preserve them and make sure visitors visit them safely. I also think the original layout of the castle even now helps visitors walk smoothly in the castle ruins. Finally, I can’t believe the stone walls have been left intact for over 400 years since the castle was abandoned. As far as I know, there is no other example of stone walls which are the same or similar to Takeda Castle. Although the stone walls have been often repaired and maintained. I still can’t understand why they have been intact for so long.

Unlike the Three castles which were abandoned in the seme period, the stone walls of Takeda Castle remain intact

How to get There

If you want to get there by car, it is about 10 minutes from Wadayama IC on the Kitakinki-Toyooka Expressway. There is a parking lot at the tourist facility halfway up the mountain.
By public transportation, you can take the Tenku-bus from JR Takeda Station and get off at the final bus stop, Takeda-jo. The stop is over 1km away from the entrance of the castle ruins. Or it takes about 40 minutes on foot from the station to the entrance.
From Tokyo or Osaka to Takeda Station: take the Sanyo Shinkansen super express and transfer to the Bantan Line at Himeji Station.

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

56.竹田城　その３

廃城となって４００年以上も経つのに、石垣がそのままのごとく残っていることがいまだに信じられません。頻繁に修繕され維持されているにしても、こんなに長い間石垣だけが残っている理由が見つけられないでいます。

特徴、見どころ

城の中心部から南峰へ

「花屋敷」と呼ばれる中心部から西の峰上にある曲輪には、遺跡の保存や安全確保の観点から、通常立ち入ることができません。この曲輪は他の部分よりも急な峰上に築かれていて、城の搦手道を防衛するために設けられたと言われています。

城周辺の地図

よって、見学路は南峰の方に行き、狭い南二の丸と大きな南千畳に入っていきます。この構成は北峰と似ています。そこから城の中心部分の方を振り返ってみると、山頂が全て素晴らしい石垣に覆われているのが見えてとても良い景色です。山の周りの眺めも圧巻です。

帰り道は南峰の端の方から出ていて、ここも城の出入口であったようです。そして、最初に通ってきた舗装路に戻っていきます。

その後

江戸時代初期には竹田城は廃城となり、城の全ての建物は撤去されました。ところが、城の石垣はなぜかそのまま残りました。同時期に廃城となった他の城では、石垣も破壊されています（幕府に反抗しようとする者に再利用されないためです）。竹田城に石垣が残ったことは奇跡なのかもしれません。城跡は、1943年に国の史跡に指定されました。それ以来、この現役さながらの石垣を生かし、映画のロケ地に使われたりしました。そして2007年に、ある写真家が天空の竹田城の作品を発表し受賞してからは、城そのものも有名になりビジターの数は急増しました。

私の感想

私は、竹田城のすばらしい石垣に３回驚かされました。１回目は単純に高い山の上にある石垣が印象に残りました。このような険阻な場所になぜ、どうやって石垣が築かれたのだろうと考えました。天下人にとって竹田城がそれだけの価値があったことと、石垣を築いた斎村政広が行ったことを学んで、少しはわかったように思います。次に、地元の人たちが石垣を保存し且つビジターが安全に見学できるように大変な努力を払っていることも驚きでした。また、城のオリジナルの縄張りが今でもビジターが城跡の中をスムーズに歩けることに役立っているとも感じました。最後に、廃城となって４００年以上も経つのに、石垣がそのままのごとく残っていることがいまだに信じられません。私の知る限り、竹田城と同じような経緯で同じように残っている事例はないように思います。もちろん石垣は頻繁に修繕され維持されているにしても、こんなに長い間石垣だけが残っている理由が見つけられないでいます。

ここに行くには

車で行く場合：北近畿豊岡自動車道の和田山ICから約１０分のところです。山の中腹にある「山城の郷」に駐車することができます。
公共交通機関を使う場合は、ＪＲ竹田駅から天空バスに乗って、終点の竹田城バス停まで行ってください。そのバス停は、城跡の入口の約１ｋｍ手前となります。また、駅から歩く場合は約４０分かかります。
東京または大阪から竹田駅まで：山陽新幹線に乗って、姫路駅で播但線に乗り換えてください。

リンク、参考情報

・竹田城跡公式ホームページ
・「城郭研究の新展開１　但馬竹田城／城郭談話会編」戒光祥出版
・「日本の城改訂版第１０号」デアゴスティーニジャパン

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

56.Takeda Castle Part2

The current tourist route is very similar to the bypass route the castle originally had. Hence, the route for the defenders of the castle in the past makes it possible for current visitors of the ruins to move smoothly as well.

Features

Well-developed Castle Ruins

Today, the ruins of Takeda Castle have been well developed to maintain them and control many visitors. If you want to drive to the ruins, you need to park at a tourist facility called “Yamajiro-no-sato” (or “the Village of the Mountain Castle”) and get to the ruins by a taxi, a bus, or walking. Even if you use a taxi, you will still need to walk the last kilometer from where you are dropped off to the ticket office, the entrance of the ruins. The path to the entrance is paved, but the terrain of the mountain is steep and rough when you walk along this path. You may wonder why and how the builders built a castle with great stone walls on such a mountain.

The map around the castle

You can see very steep and rough slopes beside the path

In the ruins, the tour routes are set one way and the range for visitors to walk around is also limited by poles and ropes. The stone walls and the foundations of the castle look well maintained. This is done by officials closing the ruins for a certain period of time to repair them every year. These activities contribute to keep the ruins in a good condition as well as securing the safety of visitors. For instance, visitors first enter the entrance of Kita-Senjo (meaning Northern 1,000 mat Enclosure in Japanese) at the edge of the northern ridge, then, walk on the ridge, pass the side of the stone wall base for the Main Tower at the Main Enclosure, walk on the southern ridge, and finally get out from the edge of it. This route is very similar to the bypass route the castle originally had. Hence, the route for the defenders of the castle in the past makes it possible for current visitors of the ruins to move smoothly as well.

The map around the castle

You can’t access the edge of an enclosure at the site

Entrances and routes are strictly protected

To get back to the entrance at the edge of the northern ridge, it has a defensive square space surrounded by high stone walls, called “Masugata”. It also had gate buildings on it, where the defenders would attack enemies outside by using guns and arrows. If the enemies reached the gate, they would be locked in the Masugata system.

The Masugata system at the edge of the northern ridge (called the Main Gate at the site)

The Masugata system seen from the inside

Inside the entrance, there is the extensive Kita-Senjo Enclosure, where as the name suggests, could accommodate lots of soldiers and supplies in the past, or tourist groups and events in the present.

The Third Enclosure seen from the Kita-senjo Enclosure

If you want to go to the center of the ruins, you will pass another Masugata system to the Third Enclosure and an altered gate built with stone walls to the Second Enclosure through the zigzagging path.

The Masugata system in front of the Third Enclosure

You will next walk on a narrow northern ridge through the Third and Second Enclosures, looking at the center of the castle with lots of stone walls and a view of the area around below. The route is guided by the official instructions to walk around safely in the narrow area.

The tourist routes are guided by the official instructions

The lots of stone walls in the center, seen from the Second Enclosure

Main Enclosure with remaining Stone Wall Base for Main Tower

You will eventually reach the center, the Main Enclosure with the stone wall base for the Main Tower. The route goes beside the base on wooden steps and there are other wooden steps to the base. The base was built using natural or roughly processed stones in the Nozura-zumi method, which look really great. Some historians speculate that a three-level Main Tower might have been built on the base, according to the size of the base.

The route goes on the wooden steps beside the base

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