dry moat – ページ 3 – 日本200名城バイリンガル (Japan's top 200 castles and ruins)

14.Mito Castle Part2

You can visit the castle ruins from Mito Station through the road which goes on the big valley between the left and right hills. Surprisingly, it is artificial.

Features

Dry Mort becomes Car Road

Today, the ruins of Mito Castle are easy to go to because JR Mito Station is nearby. There are roughly two routes from the station to the castle ruins. One is the path that involves climbing the slope to the Third Enclosure on the left hill and the other is the road which goes on the big valley between the left and right hills. Surprisingly, it is artificial. If you choose the latter one, you can see the scale of one of the former dry moats of the castle. You can also see the restored Corner Turret on firm earthen walls of the Second Enclosure on the right. You will eventually reach under the Main Bridge between these enclosures.

The aerial photo of the castle, the broken red line shows the route through the dry moat from Mito Station

The road through the valley which was the dry moat between the Second and Third Enclosures

The restored Corner Turret of the Second Enclosure

This is where Battle happened

You can climb the steep stairways from the bottom to the tops of the enclosures on both sides, which are about 12m high. In fact, this area is where the second battle between the Shosei and Tengu Parties happened. The Shosei Party tried to break the Main Gate but failed, so they stayed in the Kodokan domain school. The Tengu attacked and destroyed them. However, that resulted in most of the domain school’s buildings being burned down. Only its front gate and the other few buildings remain as a historical site and museum.

The front gate of the Kodokan domain school

Restored Main Gate

The Main Gate survived in the battle but was also burned down by an arson in the early Meiji Era. The current Main Gate was just restored back in 2020 as the same as it was in the traditional method. It is very large, which is about 10m high and 20m wide, and suitable for the front of the castle. One of its original features was to use tile walls which refer to being piled by roof tiles and clay alternating. This was completely restored in the current gate, which look very beautiful. In addition, some of the excavated original ones can be seen in the window below on the left side of the gate.

The restored tile walls of the Main Gate

The excavated original tile walls can also be seen

Second Enclosure becomes School areas

The inside of the Second Enclosure had the Main Hall, the Three-level Turret and the Shokokan institute but has become school areas, which may follow the educational policy of the Mito Domain. The street going through the enclosure is along the white mud walls on both sides, which look as if castle buildings are still there. However, visitors are available to enter only the designated areas. For example, if you want to see a view of Nakagawa River to the north of the hill, you need to go and return to the same path. the view itself is good and you can understand the river was a natural hazard of the castle.

The map around the Second Enclosure, the broken red line shows the route to the observation platform and the broken blue line shows the route to the Corner Turret of the Second Enclosure

The central street of the Second Enclosure

The route to the observation platform in the north

A view of the Nakagawa River in the north

Similarly, you can see the interior of the Corner Turret by going through another but much longer single path.

The Corner Turret seen from the inside of the Second Enclosure

To be continued in “Mito Castle Part3”
Back to “Miro Castle Part1”

96.Obi Castle Part2

A perfect harmony of artifacts and nature

Features

Main Gate, Face of Castle

Today, many tourists visit the Obi Castle ruins and the former castle town. Because of the nature of the Shirasu plateau, the enclosures of the castle were naturally made independently. Many of them were turned into a shrine, schools, playgrounds, and residential areas. The remaining enclosures, which were the main portion of the castle, are open to visitors.

The aerial photo around the castle

Tanoue Hachiman Shrine, the former Hachiman Shrine

A playground which was around the Middle Castle

Obi Second Primary School was the enclosures which were collectively called the Second Enclosure

Visitors usually first walk on the Main Route to the restored Main Gate on the original stone walls, which is a popular image for the ruins. In fact, the details of the original gate were unclear, but people restored it using a traditional method and Obi Cedar wooden materials. That’s why the gate matches the original items as if it is also original. The inside of the gate is a square defensible space surrounded by great stone walls, called Masugata, which builds up the gate’s character.

The Masugata system inside the Main Gate

The Masugata system of the Main Gate seen from the top of the earthen walls of the Third Enclosure

Third Enclosure, protected by Earthen walls and Dry moats

The Main Gate is the entrance of the very large third enclosure which is surrounded by earthen walls and dry moats except for the gate. If you enter the gate and go to the inside of the enclosure, you will see the 4m high earthen walls which are the older part of the castle. According to the signboard at the site, the walls were originally about 16m high, from the bottom of the dry moat in front of them.

The earthen walls of the Third Enclosure, seen from its inside

The dry moat of the Third Enclosure, seen from its outside (in front of the Main Gate)

Main Enclosure, surrounded by Stone walls

There are high and long mud walls on top of stone walls opposite the earthen walls, which surround the main enclosure. The enclosure also has long and wide stone steps and another Masugata system. Many tall Obi Cedar trees planted around make them look more majestic. Overall, you will understand that the castle was built by combining the older earthen walls and newer stone walls over time.

The stone walls surrounding the Main Enclosure

The Obi Cedar trees around look majestic

The Main Enclosure includes the Obi Castle Historical Museum where you can learn the history of the castle, and Obi Primary School, which visitors can not enter. The Matsuo-no-maru Enclosure is next to and little above the Main Enclosure, which has a rebuilt traditional hall. The hall was not original for the castle, but was built using designs of other remaining halls including a traditional Japanese steam bath.

The Obi Castle Historical Museum (licensed by Kthrk25 via Wikimedia Commons)

Former Main Enclosure, with wonderful Obi Cedar trees

The former Main Enclosure is at the highest spot in the castle. You can walk up long stone steps and will see it is also surrounded by great stone walls and has another Masugata system. This enclosure had once been destroyed by the earthquakes in the early Edo Period, but the Obi Domain seem to have rebuilt this enclosure firmly. However, since then, the inside of it has been having no buildings as the Main Hall for the lord was moved from it to the new Main Enclosure.

The Masugata system of the former Main Enclosure

Instead, there are plenty of Obi Cedar trees growing on the ground with a moss-like carpet, which looks amazing! If they started to be planted when the enclosure was rebuilt, they may be nearly 350 year old.

The Obi Cedar trees in the former Main Enclosure

The enclosure also has the restored back gate where you can go out from to visit other attractions of the castle.

You can go out of the back gate to the Second Enclosure area

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

101.Shinori-Tate Part2

A relaxing place for visitors

Features

Hakodate City partially restores Hall

Today, the ruins of Shinori Tate have been developed by Hakodate City. They are a relaxing place on the hill above the Shinori Fishing Port in the south. They still have the square space in its center, but with no buildings, which is surrounded by the earthen walls and dry moats outside. They are also covered with lawn, which look beautiful.

The ruins of Shinori Tate are above the town

There is the memorial monument of the battle between the “Japanese” and the Ainu people and a rest station in front of the ruins entrance. The entrance at the western side of the ruins, have double of the dry moats. If you want to enter the ruins, you can go across the bridge over the first moat and the earthen bridge over the second moat. They were restored by the city in the present time to show the late stage of the hall.

The aerial photo around the castle

The memorial monument in front of the ruins entrance

The ruin entrance where you can see the double moats over there

Center of Ruins

The center of the ruins is a square surrounded by the earthen walls, which just looks like one of the Japanese style castles’ enclosures which developed after Shinori Tate was built. According to the excavation team, there were three generation houses. The second or third ones were probably rebuilt after the hall was first captured by the Ainu people. How the first-generation houses were built is marked on the ground. The place of the former well is surrounded by four-sided plates. Many Chinese ceramic ware and Japanese potteries were found during the excavation. There are also two monuments of the hall, which were built by local people who first tried to preserve the ruins in the Taisho Era, about 100 years ago.

The center is surrounded by the earthen walls

Enjoying Great View

I recommend you stand or sit on the southern side of the earthen walls. You can enjoy a great view of the Tsugaru Channel on the front and a distant view of Hakodate Mountain on the right. If the weather is fine, you can also see the mainland over the channel. It must be a good experience for you to relax and refresh. If you have time, you should consider walking the path outside the earthen walls on the bottom of the dry moats. For example, the eastern side of the moats uses a stream, so you can see the hall was built using natural terrain as well.

The view of the Tsugaru Channel and the Shinori Fishing Port

The northeastern corner of the earthen walls

To be continued in “Shinori-Tate Part3”
Back to “Shinori-Tate Part1”