タグ: dry moat

119.Sugiyama Castle Part2

Let us simulate attacking the castle.

Features

Simulation of Attack from Main Entrance to Main Enclosure

Today, the ruins of Sugiyama Castle are well-developed and maintained for visitors as a historic site. The ruins were once covered with a lot of trees and bushes, but most of them were removed. That means you can see the soil-made layout of the castle clearly. Let us simulate attacking the castle as an enemy.

The entrance of the castle ruins
The location map at the site

For example, if you approach the castle ruins from the south, you will first stand at the Main Entrance or Oteguchi as the starting point. In fact, you will need to pass through five enclosures to reach the Main Enclosure.

The Main Entrance
The enclosures between the Main Entrance and the Main Enclosure with numbering, from the location map adding the red colored letters

From Outer Entrance to Umadashi and Southern Third Enclosures

To enter the first enclosure called the Outer Enclosure, you will have to turn left in front of its entrance. Defenders could make a flanking attack on your left side before you turn.

Turn left to enter the Outer Enclosure
The route to entrance seen from the Outer Enclosure
The route to the Outer Enclosure (the red arrow) and the counterattack from the enclosure (the blue arrow)

After entering the Outer Enclosure, the second one is the Umadashi Enclosure. You will need to go over the dry moat to get to the Umadashi Enclosure. A wooden bridge might have been built on it, but it would have been fallen if a battle occurred. When you cross the dry moat, you would be attacked on your right side from the L-shaped earthen walls of the Southern Third Enclosure.

The dry moat in front of the Umadashi Enclosure
The L-shaped earthen walls of the Southern Third Enclosure
The Southern Third Enclosure seen from the dry moat
The dry moat seen from the Southern Third Enclosure
The route to the Umadashi Enclosure (the red arrow) and the counterattack from the Southern Third Enclosure (the blue arrow)

The Umadashi Enclosure is a small sticking out space from the entrance of the Southern Third Enclosure. The other L-shaped earthen walls of the Southern Third Enclosure also make it possible to defeat the enemy in this area of the castle.

The Umadashi Enclosure
The Umadashi Enclosure and the L-shaped earthen walls seen from the Southern Third Enclosure
The L-shaped earthen walls are nearby on the left if you stand at the entrance of the Southern Third Enclosure
The route to the Southern Third Enclosure (the red arrow) and the counterattack from the Enclosure (the blue arrow)

Strong Defense of Main Enclosure

After that, if you somehow reach the Southern Second Enclosure after the Southern Third Enclosure, you will see the high earthen walls of the Main Enclosure. However, there is no direct route to the Main Enclosure, so you will have to move to the Well Enclosure on the left. (Its enclosure is guarded in a similar way to other enclosures.)

The Southern Third Enclosure
The high earthen walls of the Mani Enclosure seen from the Southern Second Enclosure
The dry moat between the Main Enclosure and the Southern Second Enclosure seen from the Well Enclosure
The Well Enclosure
The routes to the Southern Second and Well Enclosures (the red arrow) and the counterattack from the Enclosures (the blue arrow)

The Well Enclosure leads to the Main Enclosure, which was connected by the wooden bridge over the dry moat. However, you could be counterattacked from the front and from your left side from the Main Enclosure above. The earthen walls of the Main Enclosure are shaped to surround the attacker. Overall, you could suffer damages from the frank attacks as many as the number of the enclosures.

The wooden bridge was built over the dry moat
he L-shaped earthen walls of the Main Enclosure to make a flanking attack enemies in the Well Enclosure
The Well Enclosure seen from the Main Enclosure
The route to the Main Enclosure (the red arrow) and the counterattack from the Enclosure (the blue arrow)

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

119.Sugiyama Castle Part1

A castle which has both an advanced defense system and a mysterious history

Location and History

Simple but Popular Castle

Sugiyama Castle was located in Hiki District, what is now in the western part of Saitama Prefecture. The ruins of the castle recently became popular among history fans in Japan. The ruins are not so large and have no buildings and no stone walls. The ruins are all made of soil. In addition, it is also uncertain when and who built and used the castle. There are no clear records about the castle at all. So, what did the castle become famous for? The answer is that the castle had a surprisingly artful defense system for such a small local castle.

The location of the castle

“Sugiyama Castle Problem”

Historians have tried for a long time to find out when and who built Sugiyama Castle. However, their conclusions became more complicated. When the excavation team researched the castle ruins, they thought the castle was built and used around early 16th Century based on the unearthed relics. The Uesugi Clan, which governed the Kanto Region, had internal conflicts in the area around the castle at that time. The team speculates the clan built the castle. On the other hand, the researchers who study the layout of castles argue that the complex defense systems like Sugiyama Castle should have appeared later, such as in the late 16th Century. They think the Hojo Clan, which governed the Kanto Region after the Uesugi Clan, must have built such an advanced defense system. People call this discussion “Sugiyama Castle Problem”. The problem might even make the castle more popular.

The family crest of the Uesugi Clan called the Uesugi Bamboo Grass (licensed by Mukai via Wikimedia Commons)
The portrait of Ujityasu Hojo, the lord of the clan in the 16th Century, owned by Odawara Castle (licensed under Public Domain via Wikimedia Commons)

“Textbook for Building Castles”

Sugiyama Castle was built on a hill. The hill measured 42m high from the base. The castle had 10 enclosures, including one in the center of the castle. The enclosures spread into three directions in the south, north and east. These enclosures were built to protect the center of the castle called the Main Enclosure. The west of the castle was a steep cliff with a river flowing below, which was a natural hazard. All the enclosures were surrounded by earthen walls and dry moats and connected by earthen or wooden bridges. The most important feature of its defense system was that all the entrances of the enclosures were protected by the frank attacks or Yokoya. Protection was provided by the clever layout of the L-shaped earthen walls and the route to the enclosures. The design of the castle was highly sophisticated, so it is now often called “a textbook for building castles”.

The miniature model of the castle ruins, exhibited in the Ranzan Town Office

Castle may be Temporary

The excavation found that Sugiyama Castle didn’t have permanent buildings such as halls, turrets, and gates. It probably only had temporary buildings like huts and fences. It was also found that the castle was used for a short time because it was not modified before it was destroyed by fire. This means that the castle could have been built for a single purpose or battle. There were many other castles around Sugiyama Castle, which were also built probably for a single purpose. Many of these castles, such as Ogura Castle, had distinct features. Many battles happened around this area in the 16th Century during the Sengoku Period. It is thought that the warlords in this area built residential castles as well as single-use castles to survive. Even though Sugiyama Castle may have been one of the latter, it had a surprisingly technical defense system.

The whole view of Sugiyama Castle Ruins, from the signboard at the Ranzan Town Office
The ruins of Ogura Castle, this castle has stone walls which were rare in the Kanto Region when it was built

To be continued in “Sugiyama Castle Part2”

125.Kozukue Castle Part1

The castle in the center of the popular Kozukue Territory

Location and History

Castle along one of Kamakura Roads

Kozukue Castle was located in what is now the northern hilly area in Yokohama City, Kanagawa Prefecture. In the present Japan, Tokyo is the center of Japan including the Kanto Region. For that reason, many major roads gather in or spread from Tokyo. Some of them also go through the eastern seaside area of Yokohama City. However, before the Edo Period which started in the 17th Century, the center of the Kanto Region was Kamakura, called the Warriors’ Capital. Many major roads, called the Kamakura Roads, at that time also gathered in or spread from Kamakura. Kozukue Castle was near one of the Kamakura Roads and alongside Tsurumi-gawa River, which was an important spot for transportation.

The location of the castle

The present road network of the Kanto Region going to and from Tokyo (Source: Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport)
The past road network of the Kanto Region going to and from Kamakura (Source: Tama City, adding the positions of Kozukue Castle and Kamakura)

“Kozukue Territory” and “Kozukue Group”

It is uncertain when Kozukue Castle was first built. The first appearance of the castle was after the Rebellion of Kageharu Nagao, who was against his master, the Uesugi Clan in 1478. The Toshima Clan who supported Kageharu used the castle, and Dokan Ota, a senior vassal of the Uesugi Clan beat them. After a while, the Hojo Clan, a great warlord used the castle again as a bridgehead for invading the Kanto Region in the 16th Century during the Sengoku Period. Even after the Hojo Clan was succeeded, they still considered the area around the castle as one of their important territories. They called the area “Kozukue Territory” like we call the area today, Yokohama City. They also called the group of the warriors who lived in the area “Kozukue Group”. Kozukue Castle was the center of the area and the group, and one of Hojo’s branch castles, which must have been more popular than we assume.

The portrait of Dokan Ota, owned by Daijiji Temple (licensed under Public Domain via Wikimedia Commons)
The portrait of Ujitsuna Hojo, the lord of the clan when they invaded the Kanto Region, owned by Odawara Castle (licensed under Public Domain via Wikimedia Commons)

Castle has Simple Layout

Kozukue Castle was built on the edge of a hill sticking out from the south towards Tsurumi-gawa River to the north. The layout of the castle was simple, having the large Western and Eastern Enclosures, divided by the slender Connecting Enclosure. They were all made of soil. However, these enclosures were surrounded by large deep dry moats. What kinds of buildings stood on the enclosures is still uncertain, but it is thought that some turrets were built on the earthen bases. In addition, some barbicans were built along the hill around the main portion.

The relief map around the castle

The imaginary drawing of Kozukue Castle (from the signboard at the site, adding comments)

Development and Abolition of Castle

In 1590, when the ruler, Hideyoshi Toyotomi invaded Hojo’s territory for his unification of Japan, Hojo ordered their branch castles to gather the warriors to their home base, Odawara Castle. That meant the branch castles including Kozukue Castle had to protect themselves with fewer defenders. The lord of Kozukue Castle decided to draft farmers to protect it. It is thought that the dry moats of the castle were also developed making them larger and deeper to protect the castle with fewer warriors and untrained defenders. This is what we can now see as the ruins of the castle. However, no battles happened then. The castle was open and finally abandoned after Hojo surrendered to Hideyoshi.

The Portrait of Hideyoshi Toyotomi, attributed to Mitsunobu Kano, owned by Kodaiji Temple (licensed under Public Domain via Wikimedia Commons)
The dry moat of Kozukue Castle

To be continued in “Kozukue Castle Part2”