90.Hirado Castle Part2

A castle with a unique character

Features

Layout using Yamaga style

Today, if you are close to the present Hirado Castle and look at the Imitation Main Tower and some rebuilt turrets on the hill, you may feel that the arrangement of how they are placed is odd. In other castles in general, the Main Tower and turrets are placed along the natural terrain. However, those of Hirado Castle look like they are facing their own directions. This is probably because these buildings were built along the complex line of the stone walls surrounding the castle, based on the Yamaga style.

The Imitation Tower and rebuilt turrets on the hill

The aerial photo around the castle

If you drive to the castle, you can easily go up to the parking lot in the northern part of the hill near the top. After parking, you can walk on the path to the Main Enclosure on the top. The trail reaches the only remaining castle buildings, which are the North Entrance Gate and the Raccoon Dog Turret. The stone walls beside the gate rise with an acute angle to the neighboring turret called Jizozaka
Yagura. This interesting feature may have come from the Yamaga style as well. After passing the gate, you will go on the zigzagged route surrounded by stone walls to the Main Enclosure.

The path from the parking lot to the top
The North Entrance Gate
The Raccoon Dog Turret
The stone walls rising to the Jizozaka Turret
Going to the Main Enclosure

Main Route to Kameoka Shrine as Approach

You can also access the castle from the south by walking on the Main Route. The route is also the approach to the Kameoka Shrine which is located in the Second Enclosure. The ruins of the Main Gate are on the route. These ruins still have a square space surrounded by strong stone walls, called Masugata, which were built for defense. If you go on to the Second Enclosure Gate’s wide stone steps
of the ruins, you will be in the Second Enclosure. There was the Second Enclosure Main Hall where the lord of the Hirado Domain lived. The three-story Inui Turret was rebuilt in the present time as a souvenir shop. The Kameoka Shrine is at the back of the enclosure below the Main Enclosure.

The Main Route
The ruins of the Main Gate
The square space of the Main Gate
The ruins of the Second Enclosure Gate
The rebuilt Inui Turret
The Kameoka Shrine

Castle, Town and Sea seen from Main Tower

The Main Enclosure has the Imitation Main Tower and two rebuilt turrets. The Main Tower was originally another turret called Okimi-Yagura. It is actually a modern building used as a historical museum and observation platform. From the top floor, you can enjoy a great view of the area around the castle, seeing Hirado Port in the north and Hirado Strait in the east both connect to the
Genkai-nada Sea, and there is the interesting shape of the enclosure below.

The Imitation Tower
A north view seen from the Main Tower
A east view seen from the Main Tower
A view of the Main Enclosure seen from the Main Tower

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

90.平戸城 その2

独特な特徴を持つ城

特徴、見どころ

山鹿流によるレイアウト

現在の平戸城に近づいて行って、丘の上の模擬天守やいくつかある再建された櫓を見てみると、これらの建物の配置が少し変になっていると感じるかもしれません。他の城では通常、天守と他の建物は自然の地形に沿って配置されます。しかし、平戸城のそれらの建物は、それぞれがバラバラの方向に向いているように見えるのです。これは恐らくこれらの建物が、城を囲んでいる山鹿流軍学に基づく石垣の複雑なラインに沿って築かれているからでしょう。

丘の上に見える模擬天守と櫓群

城周辺の航空写真

もし車で城を訪れるのでしたら、頂上近くにある丘の北側部分にある駐車場まで登っていくことができます。車を停めた後、頂上にある本丸に至る通路を歩いて登っていきます。その通路は、城で唯一現存している建物である北虎口門と狸櫓のところに着きます。この門の脇にある石垣は、地蔵坂櫓という隣の櫓まで鋭角に立ち上がっています。この面白い特徴もまた、山鹿流によるものかもしれません。門を通り過ぎると、石垣に囲まれたジグザグの道を、本丸に向かっていきます。

駐車場から山上への通路
北虎口門
狸櫓
地蔵坂櫓に至る石垣
本丸に向かいます

大手道は亀岡神社の参道

城には南から大手道を通って向かうこともできます。この道はまた二の丸にある亀岡神社にも通じています。大手門跡はこの途中にあります。この門跡には今でも防御のために作られた、桝形と呼ばれる石垣に囲まれた四角い空間が残っています。そして、二の丸門跡の、幅が広い石段を進んでいくと二の丸に入っていきます。ここには、平戸藩主が住んでいた二の丸御殿がありました。三階建ての乾櫓が、現在では土産物屋として再建されています。亀岡神社は、本丸下の二の丸の奥の方にあります。

大手道
大手門跡
大手門の桝形
二の丸門跡
再建された乾櫓
亀岡神社

天守から見下ろす城、町、海

本丸には模擬天守と2基の再建された櫓があります。この天守がある所にはもとは沖見櫓というもう1基の櫓がありました。この模擬天守は実際には、近代的ビルであり、歴史博物館と展望台として使われています。最上階からは、この城周辺地域の素晴らしい景色を楽しめます。北の方には平戸港、東の方には平戸海峡が見えて、いずれも玄界灘につながっています。本丸の面白い形も眼下に見えます。

模擬天守
天守からの景色(北側)
本丸からの景色(東側)
本丸を見下ろします

「平戸城その3」に続きます。
「平戸城その1」に戻ります。

90.Hirado Castle Part1

The castle built with the Yamaga style military ingenuity

Location and History

Matsura Clan builds Former Castle

Hirado Castle is located in Hirado Island in the northwestern part of the Kyushu Region. The area around the island faces the Genkai-nada Sea between Japan and Korea. Because of this reason, the area prospered with sea transportation including overseas trade from the Ancient Times. A warriors’ group, known as the Matsuura Group, was very active using naval forces and sometimes pirates in the Middle Ages. In the 16th Century, one lord of the group, Takanobu Matsura, attained power and became a great warlord. He also supported the ruler, Hideyoshi Toyotomi and succeeded in maintaining his territory around the island.

The location of the castle

The portrait of Takanobu Matsura, owned by Matsura Historical Museum (licensed under Public Domain via Wikimedia Commons)

Takanobu’s son, Shigenobu became the founder of the Hirado Domain in 1600 by supporting the Tokugawa Shogunate. He also began construction of a new castle in 1599, known as Hinodake Castle, the former Hirado Castle, on Kameoka Hill at the edge of Hirado Island. Many of the details of Hinodake Castle are not known, but only an illustration of the castle, drawn by a Dutch missionary, is known to exist. According to the illustration, the castle had a spectacular tall Main Tower. However, the castle was burned down in 1613, probably just after its completion. The cause of the fire is unclear. One theory indicates Shigenobu himself burned the castle to avoid the shogunate’s doubt to Shigenobu that he might still have supported the Toyotomi Clan against the shogunate

The portrait of Shigenobu Matsura, owned by Matsura Historical Museum (licensed under Public Domain via Wikimedia Commons)
The illustration of Hinodake Castle, in the 17th Century  (licensed under Public Domain via Wikimedia Commons)

Rise and Fall of Hirado International Port

On the other hand, the area of Hirado Domain had been prospering as an international trading port since the arrival of Portuguese ships in 1550. When the domain was established, there were both the Dutch and English trading houses beside Hirado Port. In particular, the Dutch merchants brought silk products from Taiwan in exchange for silver in Japan. They made huge profits with this trade, and the Hirado Domain could also maintain their power without the need of the castle to support it. However, the Tokugawa Shogunate ordered the merchants to destroy the trading house and move to Nagasaki in 1641. This was probably because the shogunate aimed to monopolize the trade with foreign countries. It is also thought that the shogunate feared the spreading of Christianity after the Shimabara Rebellion being started by some Christians in Japan in 1637. Anyway, the power of the Hirado Domain declined due to the shogunate’s decision.

The restored Dutch trading house in Hirado  (licensed by Hkusano via Wikimedia Commons)
Part of the folding screens of Shimabara Rebellion, owned by Asakura City Akizuki Museum, from the exhibition of Arima Christian Heritage Museum

5th Lord, Takashi Matsura rebuilds Hirado Castle

Takashi Matsura, the 5th lord of the Hirado Domain, wanted to be an influencer in the Japanese political world. The Matsura Clan was one of the non-hereditary feudal lord families who were basically not able to have important roles in the central government. However, Takashi became the first commissioner of temples and shrines from the non-hereditary feudal lords in 1691. This was due to a harmonious relationship between the 5th Shogun, Tsunayoshi Tokugawa, and him. Then, his next objective was to rebuild his clan’s own castle again. Constructions of castles were basically not allowed by the shogunate to be against it. Nevertheless, the re-building of the castle was approved probably because of the good relationship with the shogun as well.

The portrait of Takashi Matsura, owned by Chojuji Temple (licensed under Public Domain via Wikimedia Commons)
The portrait of Tsunayoshi Tokugawa, attributed to Mitsuoki Tosa, owned by Tokugawa Art Museum (licensed under Public Domain via Wikimedia Commons)

Takashi rebuilt the castle named Hirado Castle at the same place as Hinodake Castle between 1703 and 1707. It was built using an advanced military ingenuity known as Yamaga style. One of the features of the castle from this style was the use of complex formed perimeters. The castle had three enclosures from the top of the structure to the foot of the hill; the Main, Second and Third Enclosures. Each enclosure was surrounded by stone walls which bended elaborately. The reason for it is thought to eliminate blind spots for the defenders in the event of an attack. The sea facing the north, east and west sides of the castle presented a natural hazard. The Main Gate was open to the south, where there was a deep dry moat in front of the gate to prevent attacks from this direction. The rebuilt castle had no Main Tower, but instead there was the three-story turret called Inui-Yagura as the symbol of the castle in the Second Enclosure. The Matsura Clan governed the castle and the Hirado Domain until the end of the Edo Period.

The illustration of Hirado Castle in Hizen Province, in 1703, owned by Matsura Historical Museum, The copy of the one submitted to the Tokugawa Shogunate, exhibited by Hirado Castle
The zoomed part of the Main Enclosure on the illustration above
The restored Inui-Yagura Turret

To be continued in “Hirado Castle Part2”