Ashikaga clan hall – 日本200名城バイリンガル (Japan's top 200 castles and ruins)

93.Hitoyoshi Castle Part1

The early stage of Hitoyoshi Castle was much larger than its later stage during the Edo Period which is what we call the castle ruins.

Location and History

Sagara Clan governs Hitoyoshi area long

Hitoyoshi Castle was located beside the Kumagawa River in the Hitoyoshi Basin in the southern part of Higo Province which is modern day Kumamoto Prefecture. The Sagara Clan, the builder of the castle was first sent to the Hitoyoshi area by the Kamakura Shogunate around 1200. They lived in their residence on a flat square space, surrounded by moats, in the area like other lords in other areas at that time used to do such as the Ashikaga Clan Hall. Some consider this is the origin of Hitoyoshi Castle, however, the residence was built in a different place and ways from the castle which would be built later on. The clan had continued to govern the area since their settlement and the government was allowed by the shogunate and the governor of the province, the Kikuchi Clan. The square residence was moved and rebuilt at least once, but it became a holy place where important ceremonies like recruitements for the clan were held.

The range of Higo Province and the location of the castle

*The portrait of Nagayori Sagara, the founder of the clan, drawn in the Edo Period, owned by Sagara Shrine (licensed under Public Domain via Wikimedia Commons)*

The location of the first residence of the Sagara Clan

Nagatsugu Sagara builds Castle after his Overthrowing

However, it was not enough for them to maintain their territory and decide who would be their next successor. They were finally done by power and battles. In the middle of the 15th Century, Nagashige Nagatomi, a relative of the Sagara Clan, overthrew his superiors when the Bunan Internal Troubles happened and eventually became the lord of the clan, and he renamed it Nagatsugu Sagara. He first lived in Yamada Castle, a small mountain castle, located in the north of the previous lord’s residence. Then, he built and moved to Taka Castle which had several enclosures on the Shirasu plateau, near the residence, as he got more powerful. He probably made his retainers live in these enclosures to prepare for his taking over. It wss thought that he finally built Hitoyoshi Castle at the current place when he succeeded.

The transition of the home bases of Nagashige Nagatone

Hitoyoshi Castle was built along the southern side of the Kumagawa River in a similar way to that of Taka Castle on the Shirasu plateau, but was much larger than it. In fact, the early stage of Hitoyoshi Castle was also much larger than its later stage during the Edo Period which is what we call the castle ruins. The early one was actually a group of local castles, such as Uehara-jo, Nakahara-jo, Shimohara-jo, Nishino-maru, Sotomawari, and Uchi-jo. Each local castle was on one hill of the plateau which was separated from the others by dry moats. The lord of the clan lived in Uehara-jo which was the highest and largest castle among the group. An interesting thing about Uehara-jo was that it included the square space surrounded by its own moats which had been considered as the holy space for the clan. The important ceremonies seemed to continue to be held in the same space, which meant even the powerful new lord still wanted to follow the clan’s tradition and authority.

A distant view of Hitoyoshi Castle Ruins beside Kumagawa River

The relief map of the early Hitoyoshi Castle

Sagara Clan’s Success and Failure

The increasing force of the Sagara Clan flew out from the Hitoyoshi area to other areas in Higo Province. In particular, they wanted to get the Yatsushiro area beside the Yatsushiro Sea, which prospered from trading internationally. Nagatsugu’s son, Tametsugu started to invade the Yatsushiro area. Yoshishige, four generations after Tametsugu completed it and moved his home base from Hitoyoshi Castle to Furufumoto Castle which was called Yatsushiro Castle in 1534. The clan became one of the greatest warlords in the Kyushu Region and traded with foreign countries through the Ryukyu Kingdom, directly with the Ming Dynasty of China and even by smuggling. As a result, Hitoyoshi Castle was renovated as a branch castle of the clan. The Uchijo portion, which was used for the lord’s family residence, became the new lord’s residence which was called Miuchi.

*The portrait of Yoshishige Sagara, the founder of the clan, owned by Sagara Shrine (licensed under Public Domain via Wikimedia Commons)*

*The ruins of Furufumoto Castle, quoted from the website of Yatsushiro City*

However, the Shimazu Clan, which aimed to invade all of the Kyushu Region in the late 16th Century, forced the Sagara Clan to surrender and hand Yatsushiro Castle over to the Shimazu Clan. The Sagara Clan had to return to Hitoyoshi Castle but was able to maintain it and their territory while the unification of Japan by Hideyoshi Toyotomi and the Tokugawa Shogunate was happening. Hitoyoshi Castle was reduced to the Miuchi area and the other parts were abandoned. Instead, the remaining area was modernized such as by building stone walls.

Hitoyoshi Castle was drawn in the Edo Period in *“The illustration of Kuma Castle in Higo Province”, exhibited by the National Diet Library Digital Collections*

The Sagara Clan governed the castle and the area around all through the Edo Period as the Hitoyoshi Domain. There were some problems in the domain during the long period. For example, an internal comflict, called Oshita Rebellion, happened in 1640. A senior vassal, Seibe Sagara, who got the power to be equal to the lord among the domain, was banished by the lord. His relatives were besieged in their residences, called Oshita-yashiki, but were defeated and the residences were also burned down. There was a great fire called Torasuke Fire in 1862, which caused many of the castle to burn down. After that, some of the stone walls were restored using a new method called Hanedashi which emulated the European castles.

The Hanedashi stone walls of Hitoyoshi Castle

To be continued in “Hitoyoshi Castle Part2”

15.Ashikaga Clan Hall Part3

The hall survived because it became a temple.

Features

Ashikaga School

The Ashikaga School is next to Bannaji Temple in the southeast. The school teaching Confucianism was said to be moved to the current place during the Muromachi Period and have as many as 3,000 students during the Sengoku Period. Its remaining buildings are few such as the Confucian Shrine and some gates, but other parts including the school buildings, earthen walls and water moats were recently restored. You may feel it is more likely to look like a warrior’s hall than the temple.

The map around the castle

The remaining Nyutoku-mon Gate of Ashikaga School

The restored school building of Ashikaga School

The restored earthen walls and water moats surround the school

Ruins of Kabasaki Temple

The ruins of Kabasaki Temple (the current Kabasaki Hachimangu Shrine) are about 5km away from Bannaji Temple in the northeast. Kabasaki Temple had been originally built by Yoshikane Ashikaga as his retreat, and considered the holy of the hollies for his clan. However, it declined after the Meiji Restoration for the same reason as Bannaji Temple with the only one building remaining. The site was recently excavated and has been developing as a historical site by officials. There, you can see the foundations of its buildings such as the Multi-Treasure Pagoda and the Mausoleum. That’s why there might have been similar scenery to Bannaji Temple in the past. In addition, restored stone steps go down from the ruins to the restored Pure Land style pond garden. The style refers to the builder who wanted to create a Pure Land in his garden so that they could go the real Pure Land after their death. The garden probably shows Yoshikane’s religious faith.

The restored Pure Land style pond garden

My Impression

I had little complex impression about Ashikaga Clan Hall when I visited the ruins. They don’t have outstanding items for a castle, instead, they remained as a temple. If the hall continued to be used as the hall, it wouldn’t have survived until now because of some battles or conversions. Hence, I understood that it is rare to see such many old remaining buildings in one place as the hall was turned into the temple.

How to get There

If you want to visit Ashikaga Clan Hall Ruins by car, it is about a 15-minute drive away from Ashikaga IC on the Kita-Kanto Expressway. There is a parking lot for visitors of the tourist information center in Ashikaga City, called Taiheikikan, near the ruins. It would be better to use a car if you also want to visit Kabasaki Temple Ruins.
If you want to use public transportation, it takes about 10 to 15 minutes on foot from JR Ashikaga Station or Tobu Ashikagashi Station.
From Tokyo to JR Ashikaga Station: Take the Tohoku Shinkansen super express and transfer to the Ryomo line at Oyama Station.
From Tokyo to Tobu Ashikagashi Station: Take the JR Ueno-Tokyo Line from Tokyo Station and transfer to the Ryomo limited express on the Tobu Isesaki Line at Kitasenju Station.

That’s all. Thank you.
Back to “Ashikaga Clan Hall Part1”
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15.Ashikaga Clan Hall Part2

Ashikaga remains with an atmosphere of the medieval city.

Later History

Even after Ashikaga Clan Hall was turned into Bannaji temple, Ashikaga town continued to prosper more and more as the home town of the Ashikaga Shogunate family. The temple had as many as 12 branch temples outside the square area during its peak. In the Edo Period, the Tokugawa Shogunate helped the town and temples as they had declared the shoguns were a branch of the Nitta Clan, a relative of the Ashikaga Clan, which meant they were descendants of the Minamoto Clan.

The illustration of the main and twelve branch temples, owned by Bannnaji Temple, quoted from the Ashikaga City Website

However, after the Meiji Restoration, the temple declined and lost all the branch temples. This was because of a movement to abolish Buddhism called Haibutsu-Kishaku in the first Meiji Era. Only the main temple in the square area survived. As for castle ruins, it was designated as a National Historic Site of Ashikaga Clan Hall in 1922. Ashikaga City has been developing the area around including the Ashikaga School and Kabasaki Hachimangu Shrine (the former Kabasaki Temple) as a historical site as well as a tourist spot.

Only the main Bannaji Temple remains now

Features

Hall Ruins are surrounded by Earthen Walls and Moats

Today, Ashikaga continues to have an atmosphere of a medieval city. Bannaji Temple as the ruins of Ashikaga Clan Hall is its center. One side block of the hall, which is about 200m long, remains with earthen walls and water moats surrounding it. Ducks and carps swim on and in the moats. The walls might have been higher and the moats might have been wider and deeper when they were used for the hall, but the current state matches the temple now.

The aerial photo around the castle

The remaining earthen walls and water moats around the hall ruins

Main building as National Treasure

The inside of the block has buildings only for the temple, not for the hall. However, you should check out many remaining old buildings. The largest main building was built in 1299 during the Kamakura Period and has been designated as a National Treasure. You can see, on the ridge tiles of its roof, three family crests of the Imperial family in the center, Daigoji Temple which was the head temple of Bannaji on the left, and the Ashikaga Clan on the right. The two highest ridge-end tiles called Shachihoko or the Grampuses have lightning rods to prevent a fire from a stroke of lightning.

The main building as a National Treasure

The three family crests on the ridge tiles

One of the Grampuses with a lightning rod

Temple buildings show help from Goverments

The Bell-Tower of the temple was also built during the Kamakura Period and has been designated as an Important Cultural Property.

The Bell-Tower as an Important Cultural Property

The Sutra Library was built in 1407 during the Muromachi Period by Mitsukane Ashikaga, the head of the Kanto government.

The Sutra Library which is another Important Cultural Property in the temple

The Eastern and Western Gates were also rebuilt during the same period by the administration office, which look like simple gates for the hall.

The Multi-Treasure Pagoda and the Mausoleum were rebuilt by the Tokugawa Shogunate. Overall, you can see the temple had been helped by the successive governments for a long time.

To be continued in “Ashikaga Clan Hall Part3”
Back to “Ashikaga Clan Hall Part1”