cherry blossom – ページ 5 – 日本200名城バイリンガル (Japan's top 200 castles and ruins)

11.Nihonmatsu Castle Part3

Ruins with the view of beautiful flowers

Later History

After the Boshin War during the Meiji Restoration, Nihonmatsu Castle was abandoned and the few remaining buildings of the castle were all demolished. A silk mill was established in the Third Enclosure at the foot of the mountain and it was operational between 1873 and 1925. After World War II, the castle ruins became what is known today as Kasumigajo Park as a natural park while some buildings of the castle were rebuilt. The investigation and study for the castle have been done since 1990. The stone walls of the Main Enclosure were restored in 1995. The ruins were finally designated as a National Historic Site in 2006. Nihonmatsu City is now considering restoring the Main Hall in the Third Enclosure on the foot of the mountain.

The foot of the mountain at the castle ruins site

My Impression

Nihonmatsu City is known for the Chrysanthemum Figures which means “dolls clothed with chrysanthemum flowers and leaves”. The Chrysanthemum Show is held every autumn at Kasumigajo Park. The park itself is also famous for cherry blossoms, so the mountain of the park is covered with them in spring. In fact, if you look down from the top you will be surprised to see a carpet of flowers. Therefore I highly recommend you visit this castle in Spring and Autumn if possible.

The cherry blossoms like a carpet that can be seen from the top

Chrysanthemum figures exhibited at the Chrysanthemum Show *(taken by happy.mom from photoAC)*

How to get There

If you want to visit there by car:
It is about 10 minutes away from Nihonmatsu IC on the Tohoku Expressway.
The park offers plenty of paking spaces.
By train, it is about 20 minutes away from JR Nihonmatsu Station on foot.
To get to Nihonmatsu Station from Tokyo: Take the Tohoku Shinkansen super express and transfer at Koriyama Station to the Tohoku Line.

If you visit the ruins of Nihonmatsu Castle by train, you have to walk long from Nihonmatsu Station. The Old Oshu Road goes near the station, so turn right at the Nihonmatsu Station Ent. Intersection and go along the street. Then, turn left at the Kubochozaka Ent. Intersection. It’s an easy walk, but it’s on an incline called Kubochozaka on a hill to reach the ruins. This is one of the structures for the castle’s defense system. You will also see the remaining stone walls for the Main Gate on the way. When you go over the top of the hill, you will finally see the mountain where the castle was built.

The route from Nihonmatsu Station to the castle ruins

Nihonmatsu Station *(licensed by D700master via Wikimedia Commons)*

The stone walls for the Main Gate (quoted from the Nihonmatsu Castle Official Site)

You can see the castle ruins after going over the hill

Links and References

・Nihonmatsu Castle Official Site

That’s all. Thank you.
Back to “Nihonmatsu Castle Part1”
Back to “Nihonmatsu Castle Part2”

30.Takato Castle Part3

Ejima lived in the latter half of her life in that land.

Later History

After the Meiji Restoration, all of the buildings in Takato Castle were demolished or sold. In 1875, the castle ruins were turned into Takato Park and the former warriors started to plant cherry blossoms in the park. Since then, the site has been developing as a site famous for cherry blossoms. They were also designated as a National Historic Site in 1973.

Around the Cherry Cloud Bridge in the cherry-blossom season (licensed under Public Domain via Wikimedia Commons)

My Impression

I have learned that Takato Castle was really built using natural materials and the local people made a great effort to continue maintaining the castle ruins into the future generations.

The earthen walls (on the left) and the Middle Moat (on the right) of the Second Enclosure

In addition, if you have time, I recommend that you visit the restored house for “Ejima” at the Takato Historical Museum. Ejima was a senior officer of “Ooku” or the Inner Chambers of Edo Castle, the home base of the Tokugawa Shogunate in the Edo Period. She was banished to the Takato Domain because she was late for the closing time of the castle after seeing a Kabuki play. It is said the incident was caused by an internal conflict of Ooku. She was confined in a quarantined room of the house for 27 years before her death. She was also not given any writing materials, so she was devoted to reading a sutra. People in Takato eventually respected her and the lord of the domain invited her to Takato Castle to educate the women in the castle in her last years.

The entrance of the restored house for Ejima

The house was strictly surrounded by the fences.

Ejima drawn in a Ukiyo-e Painting, she was thought that she was late for playing with a Kabuki actor. *(licensed under Public Domain via Wikimedia Commons)*

How to get There

If you want to visit there by car:
It is about 30 minutes away from Ina IC on the Chuo Expressway.
There are several parking lots around the park and in the Takato Historical Museum.
By public transportation, take the JR bus (Takato line) from JR Inashi Station, and get off at the Takato bus stop. The ruins are about 15 minutes away on foot.
To get to Inashi Station from Tokyo: Take the limited express Azusa or Kaiji at Shinjuku Station, and transfer at Okaya Station to the Iida Line.

Links and References

・Noble ruin of the castle park, Ina City Official Website

That’s all. Thank you.
Back to “Takato Castle Part1”
Back to “Takato Castle Part2”

30.Takato Castle Part2

A castle with natural hazard that became a site famous for cherry blossoms

Features

Now, the ruins of Takato Castle has become Takato Castle Site Park which is very famous for cherry blossoms. For this reason, the park is crowded with lots of people. There are entrance fees and opening hours during the cherry-blossom season. In contrast, it is silent, free, and always open during the off seasons. This is to control the number of visitors during the peak season, as the park has only two gates in the north and south. So, it is up to you to decide when you would like to visit the park.

The map around the castle

Route to North Gate

The North Gate is the former entrance of the Second Enclosure. If you come from the town area, it would be convenient to use this entrance. After climbing up the slope to the ruins, you will see the stone walls for the Main Gate which was probably built in the Edo Period. The present route goes through the Third Enclosure to the ruins of the Back Gate.

Climbing up the slope to the ruins of the Main Gate

You can see the structure of the Main Gate which was once moved and reduced in scale on the left, but now returned to the present position.

The Third Enclosure still has a building for the Domain School called Shintoku-kan.

Then you will reach the North Gate behind the Middle Moat. There is a large old rest house for visitors called Takato-taku which was built in 1936 inside the gate.

Route through South Gate

The map around the castle

The South Gate is the former entrance of the Hodo-in Enclosure outside the Outer Moat, which was originally a temple. If you come from the Takato Historical Museum, it would be convenient to use this entrance. From the museum, you can look up the ruins and understand how the castle was built using natural materials. The cliff of the mountain was a natural hazard for enemies in the past, but the route to the ruins is developed now.

Looking up the castle ruins from around the museum

After entering the gate, you will go across a bridge called Hakuto-bashi or the White Rabbit Bridge on the Outer Moat.

You will also walk from the South Enclosure inside the moat to the Second Enclosure passing another earthen bridge.

Main Enclosure where Cherry Blossoms will be wonderful

You need to enter the Second Enclosure to reach the Main Enclosure due to the defensive layout. The Main Enclosure is the center of the castle and still surrounded by the Inner Moat. The moat is even deeper now, but mostly dry, so you can stand on the bottom of it.

The Oun-kyo or Cherry Cloud Bridge is in front of the entrance over the Inner Moat. It is said that the spot around them is the best for taking a photo in the cherry-blossom season.

Its entrance gate has a traditional structure called Tonya-mon which was moved from the town area.

You can see a very good view of the area around from the inside of the enclosure.

The enclosure has the Taiko Yagura or Drum Turret which was originally built beside the Back Gate letting people know the time. It was moved to the present position in 1877, and rebuilt in 1912.

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