In the morning of the 9th August of 1945, a US B-29 bomber, called Bockscar, was carrying the second atomic bomb to Japan. In fact, its first target was the arms factory of Kokura (in the third enclosure of Kokura Castle).
Features
Other Enclosures of Castle
The park still has other enclosures. Kita-no-maru (meaning the northern enclosure) was used as the lord’s family residence or retreat and is used as Kokura-Gion-Yasaka Shrine. It is connected to the main enclosure via Tamon-guchi-mon Gate where you can see the oldest stone walls in the castle around. The walls had been built by Katsunari Mori before Tadaoki Hosokawa came. There are also well-maintained stone walls and water moats around the Kita-no-maru Enclosure, so this is a good walking spot.
The aerial photo around the castle
The Kita-no-maru enclosure (the current Kokura-Gion-Yasaka Shrine)The Tamonguchi-mon Gate, quoted from Kokura Castle WebsiteThe stone walls and water moats surrounding the Kita-no-maru Enclosure
Matsu-no-maru (meaning the pine enclosure) is in the south of the main enclosure. It was used as Tadaoki’s father’s residence or warehouses when the castle was active; it is currently an event square. It was once used as the headquarters of the 12th Brigade like the main enclosure.
The Matsu-no-maru Enclosure
Third Enclosure including Monument for Atomic Bomb Victims
If you go further to the south, there is a modern park area which was the third enclosure used as the senior vassals’ residences. During World War II, there was a large arms factory, but now there is a monument for atomic bomb victims. The reason for it will be written in the next section.
The third enclosure
Later History
After the Meiji Restoration, the main portion of Kokura Castle was turned into military facilities and the other area became the city area of Kokura. It changed from a Samurai city to a military city. In the morning of the 9th August of 1945, a US B-29 bomber, called Bockscar, was carrying the second atomic bomb to Japan. In fact, its first target was the arms factory of Kokura. However, it could not focus on the target because of thick cloud and finally dropped the bomb into Nagasaki. As a result, people in Kokura were lucky, but they should not be pleased about it. That’s why the former factory site has the monument. After the the war, the occupation army used the castle site until 1957. The current Main Tower was rebuilt in 1959.
Bockscar, exhibited by National Museum of the United States Air Force (licensed under Public Domain via Wikimedia Commons)The monument for the atomic bomb victims in the third enclosure
My Impression
I think that if the current Main Tower of Kokura Castle had kept the original design of the Western style, it would be more popular than now. This is because the design is very unique which would attract more current visitors. However, the people who wanted to rebuild the tower chose another direction. That was probably because they wanted a tower which was competitive with other castles. I don’t think the tower ever needs to be replaced with a new one with an original design because it would cost a lot and the current tower is also a historical item.
The current Main Tower of Kokura Castle
How to get There
If you want to visit there by car, it is about a 5-minute drive away from Katsuyama Exit on the Kitakyushu Expressway. There is a parking lot in the park. By public transportation, it takes about 15 minutes on foot from JR Kokura Station. From Tokyo or Osaka to the station: take the Sanyo Shinkansen super express.
広島は平和都市ですが、城からできた都市でもあるのです。
Hiroshima is a city of peace, but also a city from the castle.
広島城の外観復元天守～The apparently restored Tenshu keep of Hiroshima Castle（licensed by Taisyo via Wikimedeia Commons）
立地と歴史～Location and History
広島は今、平和を希求する都市となっています。この都市は毛利氏により築かれた広島城から始まりました。毛利氏もともと吉田郡山城という広大な山城に住んでいましたが、その城は戦国時代において防御力に優れていました。しかし統治や通商には不向きだったのです。豊臣氏による天下統一の後、毛利輝元は当時の他の事例にならい、本拠地を他の地に移すことにしました。彼は１５８９年に太田川のデルタ地帯にある島の上に新しい城を築きはじめました。この城と城下町は南方の海の方角に向かって広がっていきました。
Hiroshima is now a city for promoting peace. The city comes from Hiroshima Castle built by the Mori clan. The clan originally lived in a large mountain castle called Yoshida-Koriyama which was specialized for defense in the Warring States Period. But it was not convenient for governance and business. After the unification of the whole country by the Toyotomi clan, Terumoto Mori decided to move his home base to another place by emulating other cases at that time. He started to build a new castle on an island on the delta of Otagawa River in 1589. The area of the castle and its town spread towards the sea in the south.
毛利輝元肖像画、毛利博物館蔵～The portrait of Terumoto Mori, owned by the Mori Museum（licensed under Public Domain via Wikimedia Commons）安芸国広島城所絵図、江戸時代～The illustration of Hiroshima Castle in Aki Province, in the Edo Period（出典：国立公文書館）
徳川幕府が設立されてから後に、福島氏が城を完成させたと言われています。城には５層の天守の他、８８もの櫓がありました。主要な曲輪は水堀により区切られて、橋でのみつながっていました。また、他の川や堀によっても囲まれていました。代わりにこのような環境下では、洪水から被害を受けやすくなります。福島は洪水の度に城を補修せざるを得ませんでした。しかながら、頻繁な工事は幕府に福島が反乱を起こすのではないかと疑念を生じさせ、福島は１６１９年に改易となってしまいます。
After the Tokugawa Shogunate was established, it is said that the Fukushima clan completed the castle. It had a five layer Tenshu keep and 88 turrets. Primary enclosures were separated by water moats, connected by only bridges. They were also surrounded by many other rivers and moats. Instead, in such conditions, it could suffer from flooding. Fukushima had to repair the castle constantly after floods. However, frequent constructions made the Shogunate doubt Fukushima might be against the Shogunate. Fukushima was fired in 1619.
広島城の城主だった福島正則肖像画、東京国立博物館蔵～The portrait of Masanori Fukushima, the lord of Hiroshima Castle, owned by the Tokyo National Museum（licensed under Public Domain via Wikimedia Commons）
その後、浅野氏が広島を２５０年以上統治しました。浅野氏は城をほとんど同じ状態で維持しましたが、市街地や農地を埋め立てにより拡張しました。埋め立て地は、広島市の礎になっています。
After that, the Asano clan governed Hiroshima for 250 years. They had kept the castle almost the same as original. They continued to reclaim land for towns and fields. The reclaimed area is the foundation of Hiroshima City.
広島市周辺の現代の地図～The present map around Hiroshima City
特徴～Features
現在、主に本丸と二の丸の跡地が内堀に囲まれて残っています。そこには現存建物はありません。天守は本丸の北西隅に外観復元されています。その内部は歴史博物館として使われていて、広島市や広島城の歴史を学ぶことができます。二の丸は外部から本丸に向かう途中に、出丸のようになっていて、周りの内堀により独立しています。とても独特なスタイルです。 Now, ruins of mainly Honmaru and Ninomaru enclosures surrounded by the inner moat remain. No remaining buildings are there. The Tenshu has been apparently restored at the north-west corner of Honmaru. Its interior is used as a historical museum where you can learn about the history of the city and castle. Ninomaru is like a barbican on the way from outside to Honmaru, isolated by the inner moat around. It’s a very unique style.
城周辺の航空写真～The aerial photo around the castle 外観復元天守～The apparently restored Tenshu（taken by NR1000 from photoAC）
二の丸では、表御門や太鼓櫓といったいくつかの建物が最近になって元来の工法で復元されています。 Several buildings like the Front Gate and the Drum Turret were recently restored in the original way at Ninomaru.
復元された二の丸の表御門～The restored Front Gate at Ninomaru（taken by NR1000 from photoAC）復元された二の丸の太鼓櫓～The restored Drum Turret at Ninomaru（taken by acworks from photoAC）
その後～Later Life
この城の近代の歴史はより過酷だったかもしれません。明治維新後、城跡は日本陸軍の広島鎮台の用地に転用されました。多くの城の建物は軍施設に置き換わりました。特に、１８９４年の日清戦争時には大本営が移ってきました。明治天皇が東京からここに来て、直接軍隊を指揮したのです。近くの宇品には大きな軍港もあり、広島は第二次世界大戦までは軍都として繁栄したのでした。
The modern history of the castle might be stormier. After the Meiji Restoration, the ruins of the castle were turned into the ground for Hiroshima Chindai of the Japanese Army. Many castle buildings were replaced with military facilities. In particular, the Imperial Headquarters was relocated there during the Sino-Japanese War in 1894. Emperor Meiji moved there from Tokyo to order his soldiers. There was a large navy port called Ujina nearby, and Hiroshima had been a military-based city until World War II.
右側が広島大本営の建物～The building of the Imperial Headquaters on the right（licensed under Public Domain via Wikimedia Commons）
１９４５年８月、広島の人たちはなぜ大きな空襲がここにはないのか訝しんでいました。それは、広島が原子爆弾の標的の一つだったからでした。８月６日の朝、８時１５分、原爆は非戦闘員、婦女子を含む約１５万人もの人たちを殺し、市街地のすべての建物を破壊しました。現存していた広島城の天守は、原爆の爆風により一瞬のうちに倒壊し、それから燃え出しました。 In August 1945, people in Hiroshima were wondering why they didn’t suffer from large air raids. That was because the city was one of the targets of the atomic bombs. At 8:15 AM on August 6, the bomb killed around 150,000 people including non-combatants, women and children as well as all of the buildings in the city area. The remaining Tenshu keep of Hirosima Castle collapsed in an instant by the bomb blast before burning out.
第二次世界大戦まで現存した天守～The remaining Tenshu until World War II（licensed under Public Domain via Wikimedia Commons）
戦争直後の城周辺の航空写真～A aerial photo of around the castle just after the World War II
戦後になって、人々は焼土となった城跡をどう扱うべきか議論を行いました。１９５１年の広島国体の間のみ仮の天守が作られました。そのとき人々は広島の平和と復興のシンボルとして天守が必要だと気付いたのです。そのため、現在の天守が１９５８年に外観復元されました。
After the war, people discussed how they should treat the burned ruins of the castle. When the temporary Tenshu was built in 1951 just during a National Sports Festival in Hiroshima, they realized that they need to rebuild the Tenshu as a symbol of peace and restoration for the city. That’s why the present Tenshu was apparently restored in 1958.
復元された天守～The restored Tenshu
私の感想～My Impression
広島城は、城の存在意義が戦争から平和のためにと変わっていった典型例でしょう。日本のプロ野球球団、広島東洋カープの「カープ」という名前は、この城の愛称「鯉城」から来ています。この城が末永く平和と繁栄のシンボルであり続けるよう願ってやみません。
Hiroshima Castle is a typical example of a castle’s role being turned from war into peace. Hiroshima Toyo Carp is a Japanese pro baseball team. The name “Carp” comes from the castle’s nickname, the Carp Castle “Ri-Jo”. I hope that the castle will be a symbol of peace and prosperity now and forever.
広島城の堀にいる鯉～Carps in the water moat of Hiroshima Castle（taken by tomo3368 from photoAC）
ここに行くには～How to get There
広島駅から：徒歩で約２５分かかります。市内電車の場合１・２・６番電車に乗り、紙屋町東停留所で降りてください。バスの場合は広島駅南口バスターミナルで７・８・９番乗り場から乗り、合同庁舎前バス停で降りてください。 車で行く場合：山陽自動車道の広島ＩＣから約１０分かかります。城の周りにいくつか駐車場があります。 From Hiroshima station: It takes about 25 minutes on foot. Or take the tram line 1, 2, or 6, and take off at the Kamiyacho-Higashi stop. Or take the bus line 7, 8, or 9 at Hiroshima Station south exit bus terminal, and take off at the Godochosha-Mae bus stop. If you want to go there by car: It takes about 20 minutes from the Hiroshima IC on San-yo Expressway. There are several parking lots around the castle.
