九州・沖縄地方～Kyushu Okinawa Region – ページ 3 – 日本200名城バイリンガル (Japan's top 200 castles and ruins)

186.Kaneda Castle Patr2

Today, the ruins of Kaneda Castle have become part of the popular hiking course on the Joyama Mountain. The course has been well maintained because it is based on the military road that the Imperial Japanese Amy developed over 100 years ago. The road was built for the constructions of Joyama Batteries on the top area to prepare for the Russo-Japanese War.

Features

Hiking Course as Fomer Military Road

Today, the ruins of Kaneda Castle have become part of the popular hiking course on the Joyama Mountain. Visitors first drive to the starting point of the course via the Prefectural Road 24, which branches off into a forest road. The hiking course has been well maintained because it is based on the military road that the Imperial Japanese Amy developed over 100 years ago. The road was built for the constructions of Joyama Batteries on the top area to prepare for the Russo-Japanese War.

The map around the castle

It was constructed largely on the slopes to make it gentle so that carriages could carry materials. That’s why the road crossed the circular stone walls of Kaneda Castle several times. The constructions resulted in the stone walls partially being destroyed. The reasons for it may have been that the walls were unknown for the castle and the constructions were the priority at that time.

*The diorama of Kaneda Castle Ruins, the white line shows the hiking course and the gray line shows the stone walls, exhibited by the sightseeing information center Fureaidokoro Tsushima*

Road crosses over Stone Walls several times

There are a few switchbacks in this hiking course that interest with the stone walls. If you walk up the road for a while, you will see a great view of Aso Bay before meeting the first crossover point with the stone walls.

This point is the southern side of the castle, so you can see the stone walls going down on the east to the southeast stone fortress, which is amazing scenery as well.

The stone walls go down to the southeast stone fortress

The first intersection of the road and the stone walls on the diorama, the south gate is on the left and the building is on the right of the point

There are also the ruins of the south gate on the west of the point, which were recently discovered in 2003. They have stone paving and foundations which were probably for gate buildings. The ruins of a building with dug-standing pillars were also found near the gate, which might have been used as a guardhouse.

You can see the building ruins on the left of the stone walls

You will meet the second intersection with the wall after the first switchback. The stone walls climb the ridge at that point. The road also goes with the walls in parallel for a short time. It is surprising to see how well the walls were built, so long, on such a steep mountain over 1350 years ago!

The hiking course on the left and the stone walls on the right

Looking up at the stone walls from the hiking course

At the third crossover point, you will see not only stone walls but also something like a gate structure. It might be the ruins of a drainage system.

The remaining stone walls at the third intersection

The fourth crossover point mostly consists of the ruins of a military facility, so you can only see few remaining stone walls of the castle above. The top of the mountain will be soon.

The ruins of the military facility at the fourth intersection

You can see few remaining stone walls above

*The fourth intersection on the diorama*

Battery Ruins, Stone Walls and Panoramic Views on Top

You will first reach the ruins of the batteries below the top. About 100 years ago, there were four 28-inch howitzers at this site, with their gun barrels facing the bay to the west. There are only their huge platforms remaining now where you can even understand their scales.

The Aso Bay which the batteries once faced

The mountain top on the left and the batteries on the right, on the diorama

You can also climb the ridge to the top, which is the same as the western line of Kaneda Castle. Therefore, you will see some remaining stones of the castle walls on the way.

You can see some remaining stone walls on the way

At the summit, there’s very limited space, so it might be difficult to stay long, but this spot offers breath-taking, panoramic views of Aso Bay.

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

186.金田城　その２

現在、金田城跡は城山にある人気のハイキングコースになっています。このコースは１００年以上前に旧日本陸軍によって開発された軍用道路が基になっているので、よく整備されています。この道路は日露戦争に備えて、山頂に城山砲台を築く工事のために作られたのです。

特徴、見どころ

旧軍用道路がハイキングコースに

現在、金田城跡は城山にある人気のハイキングコースになっています。ビジターはまず車で県道２４号線から分岐する林道を経由してハイキングコースの出発地点まで行きます。このコースは１００年以上前に旧日本陸軍によって開発された軍用道路が基になっているので、よく整備されています。この道路は日露戦争に備えて、山頂域に城山砲台を築く工事のために作られたのです。

城周辺の地図

この道は山の斜面を大回りすることで傾斜を緩やかにし、馬車で建築資材を運べるようになっていました。そのため、金田城の円形に築かれた石垣と何回か交差しています。その結果、この工事により石垣の一部が破壊されてしまいました。その理由の一つは、その当時はその石垣が金田城のものだと知られておらず、砲台の工事が最優先事項とされていたからかもしれません。

金田城跡のジオラマ、白い道がハイキングコース、灰色の石垣は山全体を囲んでいます、対馬観光情報館にて展示

何度も石垣と交差

このハイキングコースには折り返し点があって、石垣と出会う場所が何箇所かあります。まずしばらく道を登っていくと、石垣との最初の交差箇所の前に、浅茅湾の素晴らしい眺めが目に入ってきます。

この交差箇所は、城の南側に当たり、そこから石垣が東の方に下り、東南角石塁に至っているのが見えます。これもまた素晴らしい景色です。

ここから西側には南門跡もありますが、これは最近になって2003年に発見されました。ここには石敷きや礎石があるため、門の建物があったと考えられています。この門の近くには掘立柱の建物跡もあって、見張り所か詰所であったと考えられています。

最初の折り返し点の後には、石垣との２度目の交差箇所があります。ここでの石垣は峰上を登っていきます。道は少しの間ですが、石垣と並行して進んでいます。このような険しい山の上に１３５０年も前に、こんなにも長く巧みな石垣を築いていたこと自体、大変な驚きです。

３度目の交差箇所には、石垣だけはなく、門のような構造物もあります。これは水門跡のようにも見えます。

４度目の交差箇所はほとんど軍用施設跡になっていて、上の方に残っている石垣が少し見えるだけです。その後はもうすぐ山頂となります。

山頂域では砲台跡、城の石垣、そして絶景

まず山頂下にある砲台跡に着きます。約１００年前にはここに４基の２８センチ榴弾砲があり、その砲身は西側の湾に向いていました。今そこには巨大な砲座が残っているだけですが、そのスケールは十分想像できると思います。

そこから頂上に向かう峰を登っていきます。この部分は金田城の西側のラインでもありました。そのため、登る途中には城の残存石垣も見ることができます。

山頂のスペースは限られていて、沢山人が来ているときは長居できないかもしれません。しかし、そこから見える浅茅湾のパノラマビューは息を飲むような素晴らしさです。

「金田城その３」に続きます。
「金田城その１」に戻ります。

186.Kaneda Castle Patr1

Kaneda Castle was one of the ancient mountain castles in western Japan. They were built by the Imperial Court after the Battle of Baekgang, Korea in 663. Kaneda Castle was at the foremost line against possible invasions from the alliance of Tang and Silla. This was because it was located in Tsushima Island, only about 50km away from Korea.

Location and History

One of Ancient Maintain Castles

Kaneda Castle was one of the ancient mountain castles in western Japan. They were built by the Imperial Court after the Battle of Baekgang, Korea in 663. Japan tried to help Baekje, but was beaten by the Tang and Silla alliance. Emperor Tenchi was scared of invasions from the alliance, so he ordered these castles’ constructions. Kaneda Castle was at the foremost line against the alliance because it was located in Tsushima Island, only about 50km away from Korea.

The locations of the major ancient mountain castles

The map about the Battle of Baekgang (licensed by Samhanin via Wikimedia Commons)

These castles are also called Korean style mountain castles which were established in Korea and brought to Japan with the instructions from the refugees from Baekje. There had been many battles in ancient Korea (part of present day North and South Korea) due to invasions from China and the internal conflict with three countries, Baekje, Silla and Goguryeo. The style involves surrounding the whole mountain by stone walls or earthen walls, which was very different from that of Japanese castles that would be later established. If people in Korea at that time were attacked by enemies, they would escape to their mountain castle, wait for the enemies’ supply to run out and counterattack the enemies. This style was applied to Japan to immediately prepare for possible invasions from the alliance.

The diorama of Kaneda Castle Ruins, exhibited by the sightseeing information center Fureaidokoro Tsushima

Stone Walls mostly surround Mountain

The Imperial Court built Mizuki in 664 as the 1st ancient mountain castle. After that, it also built Ono and Kii Castles in 665, and then, Takayasu, Yashima and Kaneda Castles in 667, according to Nihon-shoki, the oldest official chronicles of Japan. It is thought that nearly 30 ancient mountain castles, including recorded and non-recorded ones, were built along the estimated routes of the invasions around the northern Kyushu Region and Seto Inland Sea. The Imperial Court also drafted soldiers from eastern Japan, who would be called Sakimori, and sent them to the northern Kyushu Region to protect and monitor this area. The fire-signal system was also developed in the region to rapidly inform the signs of what happened.

Kaneda Castle was built on Joyama Mountain facing Aso Bay in the central part of Tsushima Island. The castle was about 15km away to the north from the provincial capital of Tsushima, near the current Izuhara Port. This was probably because the usage of the castle would follow that of the mountain castles in Korea like a shelter. Its perimeter was about 2.2km, which was mostly covered with stone walls, in contrast to other ancient mountain castles like Ki-no-jo, mostly surrounded by earthen walls. The northern and western sides of the castle were along the steep ridges of the mountain, which were naturally very defensive. On the other hand, the southern side faced the valley which would be the entrance to the castle and the eastern side was beside the bay. That’s why several gates were built and the stone walls were higher on these sides. It is thought that there were no office buildings and no warehouses, but only buildings like barracks the Sakimori soldiers used inside the castle, according to the results of excavations.

The aerial photo around the castle

The stone walls of Kaneda Castle (the southeast stone fortress)

The relief map around the castle

Castle is shortly abandoned because of Stable Diplomatic Relations

Meanwhile, the diplomatic negotiations with foreign countries continued. For, example, Tang and Goguryeo started to fight with each other in 666. Both countries asked Japan for help. While Emperor Tenchi moved the capital from Asuka in Nara to Otsu, more interior than Asuka in 667 and made the first national census in 670 probably to prepare for the next war. The tension between Japan and Tang reached its peak after Tang defeated Goguryeo in 668. It is said that Tang actually planned to invade Japan then. However, the plan was canceled as Tang and Silla battled each other in 670. The battle resulted in Silla repelling Tang and the unification of Korea Peninsula in 676. The next emperor, Tenmu, also made friendly relations with Silla, which meant the serious threat to Japan had gone.

The ruins of the imperial palace of Otsu (*licensed by Saigen Jiro via Wikimedia Commons)*

As a result, there would be no need for maintaining all the ancient mountain castles. Many of them including Kaneda Castle were repaired or improved by the end of the 7th Century. However, it is thought that Kaneda Castle was abandoned at the beginning of the 8th Century. Manyoshu, the oldest anthology of Japan, which was first published in the late 8th Century, contains a Tanka poem created by a Sakimori soldier who was in charge of Tsushima Island. Interestingly, this Tanka was published nearly a century after the castle was active. The life of this great castle was only 30 to 40 years.

The ruins of Kaneda Castle (the first gate)

To be continued in “Kaneda Castle Part2”