近畿地方～Kinki Region – ページ 30 – 日本200名城バイリンガル (Japan's top 200 castles and ruins)

48.Matsusaka Castle Part3

The Main Tower Base even uses a stone sarcophagus.

Features

Main Enclosure, Center of Castle

The lower tier had many turrets as the pivot for defense. Though there are no buildings now, you can look down on the routes below the stone walls of the tier clearly.

The map around the castle

The ruins of Kane-no-yagura Turret at the lower tier of the Main Enclosure

A view of Matsusaka City Museum of History and Folklore from the ruins of Kane-no-maru Turret

The ruins of Tsukimi Turret at the lower tier of the Main Enclosure

A view of the Second Enclosure from the ruins of Tsukimi Turret

The upper tier had turrets, residences, and the Main Tower. The stone wall base for the tower remains in its original condition from when Ujisato Gamo first built the castle. It looks very old and you can see part of it is made using a stone sarcophagus. This shows the stones for the castle construction were collected rapidly. You can also see a nice city view with mountains behind, as this is the highest point of the castle.

The entrance of *the upper tier of the Main Enclosure*

The inside of the upper tier of the Main Enclosure

The stone sarcophagus used for the stone walls (in the front)

A view from the upper tier of the Main Enclosure

Later History

After the Meiji Restoration, Matsusaka Castle was abandoned and the castle buildings were demolished or burned. The main portion of the castle was turned into Matsusaka Park in 1881, while the other has become a city area. Matsusaka City, the former castle town, renovated the stone walls of the castle for as long as 16 years between 1988 and 2003. The city has also been researching the ruins as well. They were finally designated as a National Historic Site in 2011.

My Impression

Before my visit to Matsusaka Castle Ruins, I didn’t know much about Ujisato Gamo and the castle. In fact, I was still wondering why the local city has castle ruins with such great stone walls while visiting. However, after learning about who he was and the history of the castle, I understood the reason. I hope that Matsusaka City will maintain the castle ruins and the memory of Ujisato forever because the city would not be there without hin.

The stone walls of the upper tier of the Main Enclosure

How to get There

If you want to visit the ruins by car, it is about a 15-minute drive away from Matsusaka IC on the Ise Expressway. There is a parking lot for visitors beside the park.
If you want to use public transportation, It takes about 15 minutes on foot from Matsusaka Station to get there.
To get to Matsusaka Station from Tokyo: Take the Tokaido Shinkansen super express, transfer to the JR Mie rapid train or the Kintetsu-Nagoya Line on Kintetsu Railway at Nagoya Station.

That’s all. Thank you.
Back to “Matsusaka Castle Part1”
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48.松坂城　その３

石棺まで使われた天守台

特徴、見どころ

城の中心部、本丸

本丸下段には多くの櫓があり、城の防衛の要となっていました。現在はそれらの建物は残っていませんが、その分石垣の下を通っている通路をはっきり見下ろして確認することができます。

本丸周辺の地図

本丸上段には櫓、屋敷、そして天守がありました。天守台石垣は、蒲生氏郷が最初に城を築いたときそのままの状態で残っています。とても古風に見えます。また、石垣の一部には、石棺が用いられています。築城工事のために、いかに石材が急いて集められたかわかる事例です。ここは城では最高地点にあたるので、山並みを背後に、市街地の眺めを楽しむことができます。

その後

明治維新後、松坂城は廃城となり、城の建物は撤去されるか、失火により失われました。城の主要部分は1881年に松阪公園に転用されました。一方、それ以外の部分は市街地になっていきました。以前の城下町であった松阪市は、1998年から2003年までの１６年もの間、城の石垣の大修繕を行ってきました。また、城跡としての調査も行ってきています。城跡としては、2011年に国の史跡に指定されました。

私の感想

松坂城を訪れる前は、私は蒲生氏郷やこの城のことをあまり知りませんでした。実際に訪れているときでも、なぜこの地方都市にこんなにもすごい石垣を持った城があるのだろうと思っていました。しかし、蒲生氏郷やこの城の歴史のことを学んでみると、すっかり納得しました。松阪市には、この城跡や氏郷の記憶を末永く伝えていってほしいと思います。なにしろ。氏郷なしにはこの街自体が存在しなかったわけですから。

ここに行くには

車で行く場合：伊勢自動車道の松阪ICから約１５分かかります。公園の脇にビジター向けの駐車場があります。
公共交通機関を使う場合は、松阪駅から歩いて１５分かかります。
東京から松阪駅まで：東海道新幹線に乗って、名古屋駅で快速列車「みえ」か、近鉄の近鉄名古屋線に乗り換えてください。

リンク、参考情報

・国指定史跡・日本100名城　松坂城跡、松阪市
・「蒲生氏郷　戦国を駆け抜けた部将」安土城考古博物館
・「よみがえる日本の城１６」学研
・「日本の城改訂版第８６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。
「松坂城その１」に戻ります。
「松坂城その２」に戻ります。

48.Matsusaka Castle Part2

This castle was protected by high stone walls using large stones and an elaborate defense system

Features

High Stone Walls still surround Castle Ruins

Today, the ruins of Matsusaka Castle have been developed into Matsusaka Park, which was the main portion of the castle on the hill. If you walk around the outside of the park, you may be surprised to see the high stone walls surrounding the park remain in good condition. The walls are piled using round natural stones which are large and uncountable. It is surprising that they were collected and piled so elaborately in a short time during the construction. In addition, the stone walls of the southeastern corner of the park were repaired using processed rectangular stones in the later stage of the castle’s history.

The stone walls seen outside of the park

The stone walls of the lower tier of the Main Enclosure, which use large stones

The repaired stone walls at the southeastern corner of the park

The aerial photo around the castle

Layout of Enclosures

The ruins have only the foundation with the stone walls without any buildings. However, you can still understand how the castle was protected by seeing these stone walls along the routes in the park. There are two entrances of the park, one is the Front Gate Ruins at the eastern side and the other one is the Back Gate Ruins at the southern side. Either of them lead to the Second Enclosure first. Towards the center of the castle, the lower tier of the Main Enclosure is higher than the Second Enclosure. The upper tier of the Main Enclosure is the highest. In addition, the Kitai and Inkyo Enclosures are at the lower part on the opposite side of the Second Enclosure.

The diorama of the castle’s enclosures with stone walls, exhibited by Matsusaka City Museum of History and Folklore

Going to Second Enclosure from Front Gate Ruins

If you enter the Second Enclosure from the Front Gate Ruins surrounded by alternating stone walls, you will see the high stone walls of the lower tier of the Main Enclosure in front of you. To go to the center of the Second Enclosure, you have to turn left and pass one more ruined gate beside the Tsukimi Turret Ruins on the stone walls. If you were an enemy, you would be attacked from two directions. That means the routes inside the castle were made very defensive.

The stone walls of the Main Enclosure lower tier stand in front of you

The high stone walls of the Tsukimi Turret Ruins

The route to the Second Enclosure from the Front Gate (the red arrow) and the counterattack from the castle (the blue arrows)

Going to Main Enclosure from Front Second Enclosure

The Second Enclosure had the Encampment of the Tokugawa Clan. It is now a square with a wisteria trellis where you can see a city view.

The signpost of the ruins of Tokugawa Clan’s encampment

If you want to go inside further, you need to pass the Nakagomon Gate Ruins. This route is also surrounded by alternating stone walls and the ruins of a turret called Taiko-Yagura. After passing it, the lower tier is on the right and the upper tier is on the left of the Main Enclosure.

Looking down The Nakagomon Gate Ruins from the Taiko Turret Ruins

The route to the Main Enclosure from the Second Enclosure (the red arrows) and the counterattack from the castle (the blue arrows)

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