dry moat – 日本200名城バイリンガル (Japan's top 200 castles and ruins)

114.Karasawayama Castle Part2

Today, the ruins of Karasawayama Castle have been well developed as Karasawayama Shrine. Many people visit the shrine to pray for something, hike the mountain, see a great view, and recently see lots of friendly cats living in the shrine. Of course, some of the visitors enjoy historical items at the site as well.

Features

Castle Ruins are developed as Karasawayama Shrine

Today, the ruins of Karasawayama Castle have been well developed as Karasawayama Shrine. Many people visit the shrine to pray for something, hike the mountain, see a great view, and recently see lots of friendly cats living in the shrine. These cats seem to have been strayed or abandoned, but are now fed by volunteers and visitors.

Of course, some of the visitors enjoy historical items at the site as well. There are main routes from the foot of the mountain to the top in the south and west, similar to the castle’s period. In addition, the current routes have been developed for both cars and hikers, which means there are at least four routes.

The map around Karasawayama Shrine

The western hiking course (part of the original path)

Past and Current Routes

They are not the same as the original routes to the castle. For example, the two paved roads for cars from the two directions gather at the parking lot on the top. However, part of the road from the south was blocked by huge rocks near a remaining rock called Kagami-iwa (meaning the Mirror Rock). The two original paths to the castle gathered in front of the rocks and went to the Main Gate via zigzagging route.

Attractions along Main Route

If you enter the Main Gate Ruins from the parking lot, you will see the ruins have a typical alternating entrance with stone walls (but mainly built or renovated during the Meiji Era). The main route goes to the center inside the gate, but there are also some attractions from side to side. There is another huge rock called Tengu-iwa (meaning the long-nosed goblin rock) on the right (the southern side), which was a lookout and defensive point, and is a great viewing spot. There is also a hill on the left (the northern side), called Hiraishi-yama (meaning the mountain for avoiding enemies’ arrows). It was named after the armor the Sano Clan passed down from Hidesato Fujiwara, their founder. Therefore, it must have been used as another defensive spot.

The map around the castle

If you go ahead to the center on the main route, you will see a large well called Oi-no-ido on the left. It is 9m in diameter and over 8m deep and it still has spring water inside. The castle ruins have other wells, too. They were essential for the castle to be besieged for a long time. You will next see large and long dry moats, called Yotsumebori (meaning the fourth moat), which divided the main portion and the others. Only the fixed concrete arch bridge, called Shinkyo, goes over the moats. It was said to be originally a draw bridge which would have been fallen when a battle happened. People often say Uesugi Kenshin attacked this point but failed.

Kuruma-ido Well below the main enclosure

Four tiered Major Enclosures

The main route as the shrine’s approach goes on right side of the main portion. The portion consists of four tired enclosures, the belt, third, second and main enclosures from the bottom to the top. In particular, the third enclosure is the largest, which was said to be used as a reception room. You can visit it via a side path. There will be a division point of the approach and the original main route. If you go straight on the approach, you will reach below the stone steps of the shrine on the main enclosure. Otherwise, you can turn left and get to the second enclosure. It is recommended for castle visitors to take the latter because you can see the great stone walls of the main enclosure close by on your right.

The side path to the third enclosure via the belt enclosure

If you turn left, you will see the great stone walls on the right

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

112.Kasama Castle Part1

Kasama is a local city, located in the central part of Ibaraki Prefecture and the northeastern part of the Kanto Region. It is known for Kasama Inari Shrine and Kasama Pottery, which attract many visitors. However, they became popular after the emergence of Kasama Castle.

Location and History

Tokitomo Kasama, Mysterious General builds Castle

Kasama Castle[/leaflet-marker]

It is uncertain how the castle was first built. The only record available is called Kasamajo-ki (meaning the Record of Kasama Castle), later written during the Edo Period. According to the record, the castle was first built in 1219 during the Kamakura Period by Tokitomo Kasama who was a relative of the Utsunomiya Clan, one of the most powerful clans in the region. There was the Shofukuji Temple on Sashiro-yama Mountain where Kasama Castle would be built. The temple prospered on the mountain with the One Hundred Quarters and had many monk soldiers to protect it. A fight broke out with a rival temple called Tokuzoji Temple and they were outnumbered, so it asked the Utsunomiya Clan for help. Tokitomo was sent by the clan and defeated the Tokuzoji Temple. He even banished the Shotokuji Temple from the mountain and built the Kasama Castle.

The current Shofukuji Temple at the foot of the mountain

The signpost of the One Hundred Quarters Ruins

However, historians say, using fragments from other records, Tokitomo might have actually not been so radical. He was not only a warrior but also a medium class noble which other warriors rarely became. He was also highly educated and famous as a poet. There are also several remaining Buddha statues and sutras he donated to temples, which proved he was rich and religious. Overall, Tokitomo might have built the castle in a more coordinated manner. As a result, the Kasama Clan governed the castle and the area around for over 300 years until the Sengoku Period. The castle was thought to be a simple mountain castle, made of soil.

The Buddha statue Tokitomo donated to a local temple called Ishidera, quoted from the Kasama City Website

Rengeoin Temple at Kyoto where Tokitomo donated two other Buddha statues *(licensed by Akonnchiroll via Wikimedia Commons)*

Satonari Gamo renovates Castle

The situation changed in the end of the 16th Century during the unification of Japan by Hideyoshi Toyotomi. The Kasama Clan declined and the Utsunomiya Clan was fired by Hideyoshi. Kasama Castle was followed by Satonari Gamo, a senior vassal of the Gamo Clan in 1598. The Gamo Clan served Hideyoshi for a long time and became one of the greatest lords in Japan. The clan also built or improved many castles like Matsusaka and Wakamatsu by building advanced items, such as high stone walls and Main Towers. The lord of the clan, Hideyuki Gamo lived in Utsunomiya Castle and one of his branch castles was Kasama Castle. Satonari improved Kasama Castle using the techniques and resources that the clan used. The Main Tower was built on the top of mountain with three-tier stone walls, called the Main Tower Enclosure. The Main and Second Enclosures were developed below the top and the route from the Main Gate to the top through these enclosures was built. Other stone walls were constructed along the route and each gate and enclosure was protected by an altered entrance or the Masugata system which refers to a square defensive space in the gate. The lord of the castle lived in the Main Hall in the Main Enclosure which also had several other turrets.

The miniature model of Kasama Castle, exhibited by Kasama History Exchange Center “Izutsuya”

Satonari developed Kasama Castle more in 1600 during a decisive battle when all the lords of Japan joined the Eastern Alliance or the Western Alliance. He joined the Eastern Alliance while the Satake Clan at Mito Castle in the neighboring area to the east of Kasama joined the Western Alliance. That’s why he needed to prepare to avoid the Satake Clan from invading. It is thought that Satonari built forts on three hills around the mountain and deep dry moats surrounding all the castle and the forts. The Eastern Alliance, which would be the Tokugawa Shogunate, finally won after nothing happened to Kasama Castle fortunately.

The dry moats surrounding the castle are put on the miniature model above as well

Other Clans like Asano and Makino follow Castle

The shogunate transferred the Gamo Clan to another in 1601. Since then, Kasama Castle and the area around it were considered as the Kasama Domain, but the lord’s clan changed 8 times. A major event for the castle happened when the Asano Clan governed the domain between 1622 and 1645. The second lord, Naganao Asano built suburban residences, in fact a new Main Hall, at the foot of the mountain, for the convenience of the government. An episode about it was that the residences were very large and surrounded by earthen walls and white mud walls, which looked like a new castle that the shogunate banned from being built. Naganao conveted the mud walls to hedge fences to hide and not to make it look like a castle before the shogunate heard about it. He was transferred to Ako Castle in 1645 and renovated it, so he seemed to like castle constructions. His grandchild was Naganori Asano who would cause the Ako Incident which is one of the most popular events of Japanese history.

*The portrait of Naganao Asano, owned by Kagakuji Temple (licensed under Public Domain via Wikimedia Commons)*

The last clan to rule the Kasama Domain was the Makino Clan between 1747 and 1871, the longest and most stable period among the others. The Kasama Pottery started to be made and developed with the help from the domain during this period. In addition, the Kasama Inari Shrine also became popular during the Edo Period, which was visited by several clans governing the domain.

Part of the Illustration of Kasama Castle in Hitachi Province, exhibited by the National Archives of Japan

Kasama Potteries in the Kasama Pottery Cooperative Selling Center

The Worship Hall of Kasama Inari Shrine *(licensed by On-chan via Wikimedia Commons)*

To be continued in “Kasama Castle Part2”

18.Hachigata Castle Part3

I climbed Kuruma-yama Mountain to its top to confirm that the idea of the attackers firing upon the castle in the battle in 1590 would was realistic.

Features

Well-Restored Dry Moats

Zigzagged large dry moats with wooden fences between the Third and Second Enclosures, which allowed the defenders to attack enemies’ sides, have also been restored. Only two routes were available between them – the one via the Main Route and the other via the well restored Umadashi system. Also, if you compare the two enclosures, you will find the Third is higher than the Second. In other castles, the Second (which is closer to the Main Enclosure) is usually higher than the Third. However, in the case of Hachigata Castle, it is the other way around. In addition, the Third Enclosure had strong defense systems with four Umadashi which are originally designed by the Hojo Clan. That’s why author, Jun Ito says the Hojo Clan might have moved the center of the castle from the Main Enclosure to the Third in the final stages of the castle.

The aerial photo around the castle. the red markers indicates the four Umadashi systems

The dry moats between the Third and Second Enclosures

The Umadashi system connecting the Third and Second Enclosures

The Third Enclosure is higher than the Second one

Panorama of Main Enclosure

A paved car road goes between the Second and Main Enclosures, so it may be difficult to imagine what it used to look like. According to information at the Hachigata Castle History Museum, there used to be a large gate to the Main Enclosure and a wooden bridge over the deep dry moat in front of the gate.

The map around the castle

The paved car road between the Second and Main Enclosures

The part of the entrance to the Main Enclosure in the diorama

The enclosure has the other peak of the castle, standing beside a 30m tall cliff. no castle buildings remain, and it is purely made of soil, but the ground is still leveled so you can imagine the Main Hall for the lord as it was in the past. You can enjoy a great view of the Arakawa River and the surrounding area from the peak. You can also understand how the castle was naturally protected.

You will finally reach the Sasa Enclosure, near the tip, which is lower than the Main Enclosure. It is another entrance to the castle ruins, beside Shoki-bashi Bridge.

The Shoki-bashi Bridge beside the castle ruins

The tip area is a private area where visitors can’t enter, so you can only see this area from the opposite side of the river. If you cross to the opposite, you should check out another great view of the castle ruins on the cliff from the Tamayodo riverbed beside the bridge.

The tip area seen from the opposite side

The castle ruins seen from the Tamayodo riverbed

Later History

At the beginning of the Showa era (around 1930), the JR Hachiko line was planned to be constructed through the ruins. Locals argued the plan needed to be changed and asked the government to preserve the ruins. They were successful and the ruins was designated as a National Historic Site in 1932. Yorii Town excavated and researched the Second, Third and Sasa Enclosures between 1997 and 2001. Based on these achievements, the town developed the Hachigata Castle Park and restored some structures of the castle. It also opened the Hachigata Castle History Museum in 2004 to display and educate people about the history of the castle and the studies into it.

My Impression

I climbed Kuruma-yama Mountain to its top to confirm that the idea of the attackers firing upon the castle in the battle in 1590 would was realistic. It is widely accepted that General, Tadakatsu Honda brought large guns, fired upon the castle, and broke the Main Gate. The mountain is 227m above sea level and about 100m above the castle, which is about 1km away (the Third Enclosure). A view of the castle ruins from above was actually not good because of the trees surrounding. My conclusion is that not all of the wildly accepted lore is correct. I think the firing itself is the fact, because a large gun shell of several cm in diameter was excavated from the Outer Enclosure of the castle. However, I don’t think shooting from the mountain would have been useful. In the winter campaign of the siege of Osaka in 1614, Ieyasu Tokugawa borrowed the large Western guns and fired upon Osaka Castle from his stronghold on a river delta , about 500m away the castle. Considering this case, shooting at the castle using (probably) Japanese guns 24 years previously, from more than 500m away, even from a mountain could not be done. My speculation is that Tadakatsu put his stronghold on the mountain but fired upon the castle from a place much closer to it than the mountain.

The Kurumayama Mountain seen from around the southern entrance of the ruins

I could just see part of the Main Enclosure from the top due to the trees surrounding

The portrait of Tadakatsu Honda, owned by Ryogenji Temple (licensed under Public Domain via Wikimedia Commons)

The relief map around Hachigata Castle

The relief map around Osaka Castle, using the same reduced scale as above

How to get There

I recommend using a car when you visit the castle ruins because there are only a few buses available. It is about a 20-minute drive away from Hanazono IC on the Kanetsu Expressway. There are several parking lots in the park.
If you want to use public transportation, it takes about 30 minutes on foot to get there form Yorii Station.
From Tokyo to Yorii Station.: Take the Tobu-Tojo line from Ikebukuro Station, or take the Joetsu Shinkansen super express from Tokyo Station to Kumagata Station, and transfer to Chichibu Railway.

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