東北地方～Tohoku Region – ページ 3 – 日本200名城バイリンガル (Japan's top 200 castles and ruins)

105.Shiroishi Castle Part3

Features

My Impression

Interior of Main Tower

You can enter the Main Tower from the inside of the enclosure by climbing the roofed stone steps. In fact, the steps were used only for the lord of the domain, the Date Clan, like their private rooms in the Main Hall of the enclosure. The others used the side entrance in the connecting tower next to the Main Tower.

The Main Tower seen from the inside of the main enclosure

The miniature model of the tower also has the roofed steps

The tower has three floors, which were all wooden in a traditional manner. Its columns are made of Japanese Yoshino cypress which would be usable for about 250 years. The design of the first floor was discovered by the excavations, so the floor has the storage space in the center and the surrounding defense passage. Defense systems like machicolations, loopholes, and lattice windows, are built along the passage or on the walls.

A lattice window on the left and a machicolation on the right

The steps to the upstairs are very steep, but more gentle than the original and you can use modern handrails for support. The second and top floors are designed by the builder’s assumption because there was no evidence of them, but are orthodox. The top floor was built as a lookout position, which is probably a fact and a good viewing spot for the current visitors.

A view of the main enclosure and the city area from the top

Attractions of Castle Town

You can also visit other attractions regarding Shiroishi Castle in the former castle town. First of all, there is a remaining Samurai Residence in the former third enclosure, in the north of the castle. The residence was confirmed to be built in 1730. The Koseki Clan, one of the middle-class warriors under the Katakura Clan, lived in it for a long time. Their descendants also lived in it until 1991 before they donated it to the city. The city restored it to its original conditions and opened it to the public the following year.

The aerial photo around the city area

The residence is small and simple with a thatched roof and four rooms ( 2 wooden floors, 1 earthen floor, amd 1 Tatami matted floor). This was probably because the warriors in Shiroishi had lower incomes than those who directly served the Date Clan. However, the Sawabata River flows along two sides of the residence, which is a very good location.

The living room (one of the wooden floors)

The Tatami room (probably for the master)

The Japanese garden beside the residence

The Sawabata River flows around the residence

Other than that, you can walk along the waterways and find the two moved castle gates in Toshinji and Enmeji Temples.

A gate moved from the castle to the Toshinji Temple

Another gate moved from the castle to the Enmeiji Temple (under repairing)

My Impression

Overall, Shiroishi Castle survived thanks to the two exemptions. One is that of the Law of One Castle per Province (or the lord’s territory) by the shogunate during the Edo Period. The other is that of Japan’s Building Standard Act in the present time. In addition, I think we would not be able to see the Main Tower of the castle without the great contributions of the Katakura CLan and the current Shiroishi people.

How to get There

If you want to visit there by car, it is about a 10-minute drive away from Shiroishi IC on the Tohoku Expressway.
There is a parking lot at the eastern foot of the hill called “Joka-hiroba”.
By public transportation, it takes about 15 minutes on foot from JR Shiroishi Station or it takes about 5 minutes by taxi from Tohoku Shinkansan Shiroishi-Zao Station.
From Tokyo to Shiroishi Station: take the Tohoku Shinkansen super express and transfer to the Tohoku Line at Fukushima Station.

That’s all. Thank you.
Back to “Shiroishi Castle Part1”
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105.白石城　その３

旧城下町のエリアにも、白石城に関する見どころがいくつもあります。まず挙げられるのは、城の北側の三の丸にある武家屋敷です。この武家屋敷は、1730年に建てられたことが確認されています。

特徴、見どころ

天守内部

天守の中へは、本丸の内側から覆屋におおわれた石段を登って入っていきます。実はこの石段は、本丸御殿の「御成御殿」と同じように、藩主の伊達の殿様専用でした。他の藩士は天守のとなりの附櫓（つけやぐら）にあった通用口から出入りしていました。

天守は三階建てで、全て木材による伝統的工法で復元されました。柱は吉野檜で、約２５０年持つということです。一階のレイアウトは発掘によって明らかになり、中央部分が武具の保管庫、その周りが武者走りとなっています。武者走りと壁沿いには、石落とし、狭間、格子窓などの防御システムが備えられています。

上層階への階段はとても急ですが、オリジナルよりは緩やかで、補助の手すりも付いています。二階と三階のレイアウトは資料がなくて不明であるため、想定復元されていますが、オーソドックスな作りになっています。最上階（三階）は物見台になっていて、恐らくそれが正しいでしょう。現在ではビジターにとって快適な展望台となっています。

城下町の見どころ

旧城下町のエリアにも、白石城に関する見どころがいくつもあります。まず挙げられるのは、城の北側の三の丸にある武家屋敷です。この武家屋敷は、1730年に建てられたことが確認されています。片倉氏の配下で、中級クラスの武士であった小関氏が長い間住んでいました。その子孫の方も1991年まで住んだ後、白石市に寄贈したのです。市は住居をかつてあった状態に復元し、翌年一般公開しました。

市街地周辺の航空写真

茅葺屋根の小さく簡素な屋敷で、部屋が４つあります（板間の茶の間と納戸、土間の台所、畳間の座敷）。建物が小さいのは恐らく、白石の藩士が伊達家に直接使える藩士に比べて比較的収入が少なかったからと思われます（小関家の場合は石高換算で１５．５石、伊達家で中級とされたのは少なくとも３０石以上だったようです）。それでも、沢端川が屋敷の２面を流れていて（屋敷の角で曲がっています）とてもよい立地です。

それ以外には、街の中を水路沿いに歩いてみたり、當信寺（とうしんじ）や延命寺（えんめいじ）では移築された城門を見学することができます。

私の感想

振り返ってみると、白石城は２度の例外適用によって生き残ってきたことになります。一度目は江戸時代に幕府によって発布された一国一城令のときです。二度目は現代の権鞠基準法に関するものです。それに加えて、片倉氏や現在の白石の人たちの大いなる貢献がなければ、城の天守を目にすることはなかったと思うのです。

ここに行くには

車で行く場合：東北自動車道の白石ICから約１０分かかります。
城がある丘の東側に「城下広場」があり、駐車場として使用できます。
公共交通機関を使う場合は、ＪＲ白石駅から１５分程度歩くか、東北新幹線の白石蔵王駅からタクシーで約５分かかります。
東京から白石駅まで：東北新幹線に乗って、福島駅で東北本線に乗り換えてください。

リンク、参考情報

・白石城　公式ホームページ
・「日本の城改訂版第５０号」デアゴスティーニジャパン
・「よみがえる日本の城１７」学研
・「よみがえる白石城」碧水社
・「仙台藩の武士身分に関する基礎的研究」堀田幸義（宮城教育大学）の論文

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

105.Shiroishi Castle Part2

The restored three-level Main Tower is on the corner of the stone walls of the main enclosure, which looks really great! Not only is it a symbol of the castle but also of the city. It could also had been seen as the authority of the lord as well as a threat to enemies when the original tower was there.

Later History

After the Meiji Restoration, Kuniori Katakura, the last lord of the castle moved to Hokkaido with his some retainers. All the castle buildings and stone walls were demolished and sold to earn their expenses. The vacant castle ruins were turned into Masuoka Park which has became famous for cherry blossoms for some time. In 1987, a NHK drama called “Dokuganryu (one-eyed hero) Masamune” aired and became very popular. The drama featured not only Masamune Date but also the Katakura Clan, so many visitors visited the Shiroishi Castle Ruins but were disappointed at the ruins with few historical items. The mayor of the city saw the situation and decided to restore the castle in 1988.

One of the most important topics about it was that the castle would be restored using the traditional wooden construction. However, there was a big problem with the law. The original Main Tower was 16.7m high. Meanwhile, Japan’s Building Standard Act basically doesn’t allow builders to build wooden buildings which are over 13m tall. According to this law, the tower would not be able to be built. After that, The city negotiated with the central government, and finally got an exemption by the competent minster to build the tower at its original height. The restoration was completed in 1997.

The restored Main Tower of Shiroishi Castle

Features

Many Historical Items in Main Enclosure

Today, the Shiroishi city area still has a traditional atmosphere of Shiroishi Castle and its castle town. This is probably because the Main Tower was restored on the hill and the old waterways are still intact in the city area. There were several enclosures on the hill in the past, but they were turned into shrines, parks, and playgrounds, excluding the main enclosure with the restored items.

Shinmeisha Shrine in the second enclosure

The Masuoka Park in the second enclosure

That’s why most visitors go to the main enclosure by walking on the eastern or northern slopes on the hill. If you take the eastern one, you will see the few remaining original stone walls at the base of the enclosure. The other stones above were all demolished and sold during the early Meiji Era. You will next see the restored stone walls which were piled up using natural large stones in Nozura-zumi method. They look mild rather than wild as most of the stones were round-shaped.

The map around the main enclosure

The walls were piled up using natural stones

Well restored Main Tower and Main Gate

The restored three-level Main Tower is on the corner of the stone walls, which looks really great! Not only is it a symbol of the castle but also of the city. It could also had been seen as the authority of the lord as well as a threat to enemies when the original tower was there. In fact, there were three-generation towers on the walls during the Edo Period, which meant it had been rebuilt twice, according to the excavations. The current tower was restored on the second stone foundations because they remain in the best conditions. In addition, the appearance of the tower came from the third generation which was drawn in some pictures. The second and third ones are probably almost the same or similar since the third one was restored in 1823 after the second one burned in 1819.

Part of the Illustration of Shiroishi Castle, attributed to Unyo Koseki, owned by Shiroishi City, exhibited in the Main Tower

The main gate of the enclosure was also restored at the same time as the Main Tower. The gate consists of two gates and stone walls, which form a defensive space called Masugata. The Masugata systems in other castles are usually a square and closed space but that of Shiroishi Castle is very unique. The first gate is always open with no doors (according to the excavations so far) and the space inside is half occupied by a corner of the stone walls of the enclosure. Visitors can’t clearly see the inside, because it is blocked by the walls. That may be the reason for the first gate having no doors.

The second gate is half blocked by the stone walls

The Masugata system seen from the Main Tower

Other Ruins in Main Enclosure

The inside of the main enclosure is empty with the signboard of the Main Hall which was built there. The other sides of the enclosure look like earthen walls which remained after the covering stone walls had been removed. There are the Back Gate Ruins on the opposite side of the Main Gate. There are also the ruins of Tatumi (southeastern) Turret and Hitsujisaru (southwestern) Turret at other corners of the enclosure.

The Back Gate is marked by the red circle, the Southeastern Turret is marked by the blue circle and the Southwestern Turret is marked by the green circle, in the miniature model exhibited by the Shiroishi Castle History Museum

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