近畿地方～Kinki Region – ページ 25 – 日本200名城バイリンガル (Japan's top 200 castles and ruins)

167.Shingu Castle Part1

A castle with advanced stone walls

Location and History

Singu City has Long History

Shingu City is located in the southern part of Wakayama Prefecture, around the estuary of Kumano-gawa River. It has a rich nature and a long history. It even has a tradition that Jofuku of the Qin Dynasty in ancient China. He arrived in search of the elixir of life. It is also known for the location of Kumano Hayamizu Taisha, one of the three main Kumano Shrines. Because of the location, the Chief Priest or Betto of Kumano Shrines had governed the area. However, the Shrines’ power decreased during the Sengoku Period when many battles happened.

The Jofuku Park in Shingu City (*licensed by 663highland via Wikimedia Commons)*

Kumano Hayamizu Taisha Shrine (*licensed by 663highland via Wikimedia Commons)*

Tadayoshi Asano builds Castle, followed by Shigenaka Mizuno

Instead, a local lord of the Horiuchi Clan got the power to govern. In 1600 when the Battle of Sekigahara occurred, the clan supported the Western Squad. That resulted in the clan’s destruction because the Eastern Squad, led by Ieyasu Tokugawa who was the founder of the Tokugawa Shogunate, won. The shogunate sent the Asano Clan to Kii Province, what is modern day Wakayama Prefecture, as its lord. The Shingu area was governed by Tadayoshi Asano, the clan’s relative, who first built Shingu Castle.

The range of Kii Province and the location of the castle

The area prospered as a junction for water transportation connecting Kumano-gawa River and the Pacific Ocean. Wooden materials such as the Kumano Cedar were gathered in and carried from there using it. People, who had been called the Kumano Navy in the Sengoku Period, operated it. Tadayoshi needed to control them by building the castle, which was built on a hill called Tankaku-yama near the estuary of the river. He was also required to make the castle strong because some local warriors and farmers called the Kitayama Uprising were against him. In 1614, the uprising people actually tried to attack the castle, but were repelled by the Asano troops with the former Navy people.

Part of the illustration of Shingu Castle in Kii Province, exhibited by the National Archives of Japan

The castle was once abandoned in 1615 because of the Law of One Castle per Province by the Tokugawa Shogunate. However, Tadayoshi was allowed to start rebuilding the castle probably at the same place in 1618 for some reasons. After he was transferred to another territory by the shogunate, the Tokugawa Clan owned the province. The clan was one of the three branches of the Tokugawa Family, based in Wakayama Castle as the Kishu Domain. A senior vassal of the clan, Shigenaka Mizuno entered Shingu Castle following the construction that Tadayoshi Asano launched. The construction continued for many years and was finally completed in 1667.

The portrait of Shigenaka Mizuno, owned by Kinshoji Temple (*licensed under Public Domain via Wikimedia Commons)*

Advanced Stone Walls and Water Supply Enclosure used for Trading

The castle had several buildings on the hill, including the three-level Main Tower. However, one of the most important features of it have been its advanced stone walls. The construction of the castle was done in the later period than those of other castles in Japan. This was because building new castles were basically not allowed after the law in 1615. Methods of processing and piling stone walls were much improved until then. Shingu Castle was one of the few cases which could enjoy the advanced technology completely.

Another outstanding feature of it was Mizunote or the Water Supply Enclosure below the hill along the river. This was used as a port probably for the Navy at the first stage of the castle. However, in the peaceful time of the Edo Period, there were a lot of storage rooms for charcoal in the enclosure. It is thought that the charcoal was delivered from the castle to sell to large cities like Edo and Osaka. The Kii Domain made a profit on it. This was a rare example of economic activities which were done in Japanese castles.

THE charcoal, unearthed in the enclosure, , exhibited by Shingu City Museum of History and Folklore

To be continued in “Shingu Castle Part2”

167.新宮城　その１

進化した石垣を持った城

立地と歴史

長い歴史を持つ新宮

新宮市は、和歌山県南部、熊野川の河口付近に位置しています。豊かな自然とともに、長い歴史があります。古代中国の秦王朝の臣下、徐福についての伝説もあります。彼がここに不老不死の薬を探しにきたというのです。また、ここは熊野三社の一つ、熊野速水大社がある場所としても知られています。この立地により、かつては熊野大社の別当がこの地を支配していました。ところが、熊野大社の勢力は多くの戦いが起こった戦国時代には衰えました。

新宮市にある徐福公園 *(licensed by 663highland via Wikimedia Commons)*

熊野速水大社 *(licensed by 663highland via Wikimedia Commons)*

浅野忠吉が築城、水野重央が引き継ぎ

その代わりに、地元領主の堀内氏がこの地域で勢力を広げました。しかし、1600年に関ヶ原の戦いが起きた時、堀内氏は西軍に味方しました。その結果、徳川幕府の創始者となった徳川家康に率いられた東軍の勝利により、没落してしまったのです。幕府はその後浅野氏を、現在の和歌山県にあたる紀伊国の領主として送り込みました。新宮地域は、浅野の一族である浅野忠吉が治めました。そして新宮城を築いたのです。

紀伊国の範囲と城の位置

この地域は熊野川と太平洋をつなぐ水上交通の結節点として繁栄しました。熊野杉などの木材がここに集められ、ここから運び出されていったのです。戦国時代に熊野水軍と呼ばれた人々がその運営を行っていました。忠吉は新宮城を築くことで彼らをコントロールすることが必要だったのです。この城は熊野川河口に近い丹鶴山（たんかくやま）という丘の上に築かれました。また、北山一揆と呼ばれた地元の武士や農民たちが反抗しており、強い城を築く必要もありました。1614年には北山一致は実際にこの城を攻撃しようとしました。しかし、浅野の軍勢や元の熊野水軍衆によって撃退されました。

この城は、1615年に徳川幕府から発布された一国一城令により一旦は廃城となりました。しかし、何らかの理由で1618年には、恐らくは同じ場所に城を再建することを許されました。忠吉が幕府により転封となった後は、徳川氏が紀伊国を領有しました。徳川御三家の一つであり、紀州藩として和歌山城を本拠地としていました。その徳川氏の重臣であった水野重央（しげなか）が新宮城に入り、浅野忠吉が始めた築城を引き継ぎました。その工事は長期間続き、1667年にようやく完成しました。

水野重央肖像画、全正寺蔵 *(licensed under Public Domain via Wikimedia Commons)*

進化した石垣と交易に使われた水ノ手郭

丘の上にはいくつもの建物があり、三層の天守もありました。しかし、この城の最も重要な特徴の一つは、進化を遂げた石垣でしょう。この城の建設が終わったのは、日本の他の城に比べると随分後の方でした。1615年の一国一城令の後は原則築城が禁止されていたからです。石の加工や石垣として積み上げる方式がそれまでに随分と進化していました。新宮城は、その進化した技術を存分に享受できた数少ない城の一つだったのです。

この城のもう一つの際立った特徴は、川沿いにある水ノ手郭でしょう。ここは城の初期には恐らく水軍のための港として使われたと思われます。しかし、平和な江戸時代にはこの曲輪にはたくさんの炭納屋がありました。すなわち、木炭がこの城から江戸や大坂などの大都市に向けて売られていったと考えられています。紀州藩はこれによって利益を得ていたのです。日本の城でこのような経済活動が行われた事例は稀です。

「新宮城その２」に続きます。

155.Akagi Castle Part3

What was the most important value of this castle?

Features

Long narrow Western Ridge with Tiered Stone Walls

Consider visiting the western ridge as well. It has four tiered enclosures, which are also surrounded by stone walls, on the long narrow ridge. It had buildings including a warehouse. It doesn’t have a complex route like the eastern ridge, but the sides of it are artificially cut vertically to prevent enemies from attacking easily. If you look up the tiered stone walls to the Main Enclosure, they look so impressive.

The aerial photo around the castle

The western ridge seen from the Main Enclosure

Looking up the Main Enclosure from the western ridge

The stone walls of the Western Enclosure I

The stone foundations in the Western Enclosure II (Building ruins)

You can also climb down from the edge of it to the valley between the eastern and western ridges, called the Southern Enclosures. It is thought to be used for living quarters as the remains of cooking stoves were found there, and it seems like an obvious location because of the convenience of access.

The Southern Enclosures seen from above (The Southern Enclosure II in the center)

The Southern Enclosures (The Southern Enclosure III in the front)

Later History

After Akagi Castle was abandoned, many of its stone walls collapsed. This was because some of them were destroyed by the final occupants of the castle to show the castle could be no longer used, and others collapsed naturally over long periods of time. The ruins also got overgrown with trees and bushes. However, since they were designated as a National Historic Site in 1989, Kumano City researched and restored the ruins mainly by re-piling and repairing the stone walls, finishing 2004. For example, they reused the original stones as much as possible, but in the parts where that was not possible, they built new stone walls like the original, indicating with signs that this was not original structure.

The Eastern Enclosure before the restoring, form the signboard at the site

The stone walls of the Eastern Enclosure II after the restoring

The ruins have recently become popular as they sometimes look like a Castle in the Sky above the clouds in certain weather conditions.

The image of the Castle in the Sky, form the signboard at the site

My Impression

Of the ten or so of Takatora Todo’s great works I think this is the first of them to be built. He was in an area which was still surrounded by possible enemies who were heavily armed. I also think when he built the castle, he considered how to protect himself and his soldiers during the construction even if they were attacked by guns. The layout of the castle seems to protect the center from direct gunfire. I believe one of the most important values of the castle was that Takatora achieved this combining the original conditions at the site such as natural terrain and current technologies like building stone walls.

How to get There

If you want to visit the castle ruins by car, it is about 40 minutes from Kumano-Odomari IC on the Kumano-Owase Road. There is a parking lot below the eastern ridge of the castle.
By public transportation, it would be better to use a rental car from Kumanoshi Station or Shingu Station on the JR Kisei Line as there are few or no buses for the site from these stations.
To get to these stations from Tokyo: Take the Tokaido Shinkansen super express, transfer to the Nanki limited express at Nagoya Station.

The castle ruins seen from the parking lot

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