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

158.Fukuchiyama Castle Part3

As long as looking at the stone wall base for the Main Tower of Fukuchiyama Castle, Mitsuhide Akechi seems to have followed a policy of Nobunaga Oda’s castle constructions. That means Mitsuhide was a follower of Nobunaga.

Features

Views from Restored Main Tower

The current Main Tower is actually a restored modern building which is used as a historical museum and an observation platform, where you can learn about Mitsuhide Akechi and the history of the castle. You can also enjoy a view of the city area around the castle from the top floor. For instance, you can see the Third Enclosure which is used as the City Hall on the right and the Hoki-maru Enclosure which has become a park on the left, over the residential area of the former Second Enclosure in the west.

The map around the castle

The Third Enclosure has become the City Hall

In the northern direction, you can see the Yuragawa River and the bank along it that Mitsuhide built, and it’s called Akechi-yabu or Akechi-bush. Mitsuhide planted bamboos along the river bank to make it durable.

Only remaining building of Castle

Akagane-mon Bansho or the Guardhouse for the Bronze Gate, which is located in the Main Enclosure, is the only remaining part of the building and is one of its attractions. It had been originally built in the Second Enclosure, but was moved to the current position because the said Second enclosure was removed. In addition, the building of the Bronze Gate was moved to Shogenji Temple in the city and is used as its front gate.

The map around the castle

The Guardhouse for the Bronze Gate in the Main Enclosure

The front gate of Shogenji Temple, quoted from the Fukuchiyama City Website

Later History

After the Meiji Restoration, Fukuchiyama Castle was abandoned and most of the castle buildings including the Main Tower were demolished or moved. It is said that the 20th Infantry Regiment of the Imperial Japanese Army destroyed the Second Enclosure for the convenient of the transit between their station and maneuvering ground. On the other hand, people in Fukuchiyama wanted to restore the Main Tower as a symbol of the city for a long time. The restoration launched since 1968 when the illustration of the castle in the Edo Period was found. It is once faced with a budget problem, but it was completed in 1986 with lot of donation from the citizens, which was more than a half of the final budget.

The Second Enclosure was removed and became the city area

My Impression

One of the popular assumptions of the reason for Mitsuhide’s rebellion has been the difference of Nobunaga and Mitsuhide’s characters. It is said that Nobunaga was radical while Mitsuhide was traditional. However, as long as looking at the stone wall base for the Main Tower of Fukuchiyama Castle, Mitsuhide seems to have followed a policy of Nobunaga’s castle constructions. It refers to using anything including Buddhism items to build their castles immediately. I honestly say that the stone walls using the tomb stones looks little strange. There is no telling how people at that time felt. I think Mitsuhide was definitely a follower of Nobunaga. A new assumption recently came that Mitsuhide’s position became weak during the discussion about how Nobunaga would invade the Shikoku Region. Mitsuhide’s opinion about it was rejected and his rival, Hideyoshi’s one was taken by Nobunaga. The Honnoji Incident occurred just before the invasion would be done. I’m wondering if the real reason for Mitsuhide’s decision will be uncovered.

The joint of the newer stones on the left and the older ones on the right for the stone wall base of Fukuchiyama Castle’s Main Tower

The portrait of Nobunaga Oda, attributed to Soshu Kano, owned by Chokoji Temple, in the late 16th century (licensed under Public Domain via Wikimedia Commons)

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

How to get There

If you want to visit there by car, it is about 3 kms away from Fukuchiyama IC on the Maizuru-Wakasa Expressway. There is a parking lot beside the castle hill.
By public transportation, it takes about 15 minutes on foot to get there from JR Fukuchiyama Station.
From Tokyo to Fukuchiyama Station: Take the Tokaido Shinkansen super express and transfer to the Sanin Line at Kyoto Station.

The parking lot of the Fukuchiyama Castle Park

That’s all. Thank you.
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158.Fukuchiyama Castle Part2

The southwestern side of the stone wall base of the Main Tower is covered with many diverted stones and some of them are used for its corners. Why did Mitsuhide use them for the important part of the tower?

Features

Main Enclosure as Fukuchiyama Castle Park

Today, the current Fukuchiyama Castle remains as a historical park. The original castle includes the Main, Second and Third Enclosures in a line on a hill. However, the park has only the Main enclosure at the edge of the hill because the Second Enclosure’s part was cut down and turned into residential areas. Therefore, the Fukuchiyama Castle park looks like a castle on a small mountain, which stands out in the city.

The map around the castle

The park has been well developed for visitors so that they can easily walk up on the paved slopes to the top of the hill. You will climb the slope along the remaining stone walls and the restored stone one’s of the Main Enclosure where you can see a diverted stone being used as fillings for the gaps on the wall.

You can access the Main Enclosure by entering the restored Tsurigane-mon or the Hanging Bell Gate after climbing the stone steps or by going on the slope. There is a large well called Toyoiwa-no-i, which is 50m deep and still has 37m deep water.

The slope on the left and the stone steps to the Hanging Bell Gate on the right

Main Tower Base uses lots of Diverted Stones

The restored Main Tower is on the original stone wall base which has a complex shape in a plane view because the original tower was extended several times. The entrance of the tower is at the eastern side which has a newer part of the original base.

The aerial photo around the Main Enclosure, there are lots of deverted stones at the lower left of the red lines

The restored Main Tower of Fukuchiyama Castle

The entrance at the eastern side of the Main Tower

If you walk around the base to the southern side, you will find the base uses a lot of diverted stones. Diverted stones refer to the stones which had originally been processed and used for other purposes, such as tombstones, stone statues, and stone mills, but were collected and used for rapid castle constructions. Other examples of using them can be seen in castles like Yamato-Koriyama, Matsusaka and Himeji Castles.

The southern side a lot of diverted stones

A diverted stone used in Yamato-Koriyama Castle (little above the middle)

A diverted stone used in Matsusaka Castle

You may be surprised to see that the southwestern side of the stone wall base is covered with more diverted stones. The view of the restored Main Tower is good, but you should also check out how the stones are used. The stone wall base was mainly piled using natural stones in a method called Nozura-zumi. The diverted stones in other sides are used to fill gaps between these natural stones. However, the diverted stones at the southwestern side are used to form the corners of the base, the most important part of it. Basically, the corners of stone wall bases must support most of the weight of the tower, even in a case of emergency, such as an earthquake.

A view of the Main Tower of Fukuchiyama Castle from the southwest

What is Mitsuhide’s intention?

For example, in 2016 many earthquakes happened in Kumamoto, the Iidamaru-five-level Turret of Kumamoto Castle was once supported by only one corner stone even though other stones around had collapsed. Around the southern part of the Fukuchiyama Castle’s Main Tower was said to be the oldest, so Mitsuhide Akechi probably built it. Why did he use so many diverted stones and installed them into the important part of the tower?

Iidamaru-five-level-turret and the miracle lone stone walls in July,2016, quoted from the Sankei Photo

One possible reason is purely technical. The diverted stones in the corner are cuboid ones which look like tombs or carved Buddha status. Collecting them might have been useful for Mitsuhide to build the castle efficiently and rapidly. On the other hand, a local tradition says that Mitsuhide’s troops destroyed the temples which were against his orders and took the tomb stones away from them to build the castle. If it is true, using the stones might have meant the new lord showing the conquest and the authority to people. Other historian argued that it must have symbolized the contribution of people to the castle’s construction or taking Buddha’s power in the castle. Overall, only Mitsuhide can answer this question.

Why did Mitsuhide use these diverted stones for the important part of the tower?

So far, about 500 diverted stones were found in the stone walls of the castle or excavated in other places. The excavated ones lie down in vacant spaces in the Main Enclosure.

The diverted stones lying down in the Main Enclosure

To be continued in “Fukuchiyama Castle Part3”
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158.Fukuchiyama Castle Part1

Mitsuhide Akechi spent 5 years to get Tanba Province back. What he did after the conquer of the province was to build Fukuchiyama Castle.

Location and History

Mysterious younger age of Mitsuhide Akechi

Fukuchiyama Castle was located in the northern part of Tanba Province which is modern day part of Kyoto Prefecture. Tanba Province is not popular for the present generation because the province was not large and finally merged to Kyoto and Hyogo Prefectures. However, it was very important in the past because of its location just behind north of Kyoto, the capital of Japan. Especially, in unquiet times like the Sengoku Period, it was a critical area for Kyoto. That’s why the shoguns and rulers of Kyoto always tried to have the province governed by them directly or by their senior vassals. Nobunaga Oda, the ruler during the 1570’s to the 1580’s, did the same way as others by sending his senior vassal, Mitsuhide Akechi, who built Fukuchiyama Castle.

The range of Tanba Province and the location of the castle

*The Portrait of Mitsuhide Akechi, owned by Hontokuji Temple (licensed under Public Domain via Wikimedia Commons)*

Mitsuhide is a mysterious person to many history fans. It is still uncertain where he came from though his family name, “Akechi” is said a member of the Toki Clan, one of the noble Minamoto families. One of the few certain things about his younger age was that he was a relative of Nohime, Nobunaga’s legal wife. He became a vassal of a prospective shogun, Yoshiaki Ashikaga, when they met in Ichijodani of Echizen Province. It was a turn of fate that Mitsuhide introduced Yoshiaki and Nobunaga to each other before they went to Kyoto in 1568 to become the Shogun and the Ruler. He was not only a well-connected person, but also an excellent politician and an intelligent general so he eventually joined Nobunaga, an avatar of the merit system.

The sttue of Nohime at Kiyosu Park in Kiyosu City

The statue of Nobunaga Oda at Kiyosu Park

*The gate of the Ichijodani Asakura Clan Hall Ruins*

*The seated statue of Yoshiaki Ashikaga, owned by Tojiin Temple (licensed under Public Domain via Wikimedia Commons)*

Mitsuhide builds Fukuchiyama Castle after Invasion of Tanba Province

Mitsuhide was ordered by Nobunaga to invade Tanba Province in 1575, which was divided by many local lords such as the Naito Clan in Yagi Castle, the Hatano Clan in Yagami Castle, and the Akai Clan in Kuroi Castle. Moreover, they had been against Nobunaga since he banished Yoshiaki from Kyoto in 1573. At first, everything was going good so far, where Hideharu Hatano became Mitsuhide’s supporter. However, when he began to siege Kuroi Castle, wherein a strong general, Naomasa Akai stayed, Hideharu switched side. Mitsuhide was defeated and had to withdraw. As a result, he spent 5 years to get the province back by building new castles like Kameyama Castle, hence making the Hatano Clan surrender again – waiting for Naomasa’s death and captured Kuroi Castle in the end. What Mitsuhide did after the conquer of Tanba Province was to build Fukuchiyama Castle in 1579.

*The portrait of Hideharu Hatano, from the database of Historiographical Institute, the University of Tokyo (licensed under Public Domain via Wikimedia Commons)*

Yagami Castle Ruins seen from Sasayama Castle Ruins

*The illustration of Naomasa, from the signboard at* Kuroi Castle Ruins

The castle was originally called Yokoyama Castle, which a local Lord built and was located on the edge of the hill in the Fukuchiyama Basin where the Lord was able to overlook the area around. It was also surrounded by rivers, which meant it was defensive. Mitsuhide renovated the castle by introducing current advanced techniques of castle construction like high stone walls and building the Main Tower to show Nobunaga’s authority. Other than that, Mitsuhide governed the area well for the people’s lives by providing tax exemptions and building banks beside the rivers to avoid flood. People in Fukuchiyama City still remember them. Mitsuhide placed his son-in-law -Hidemitsu- at the castle while he stayed in the Kameyama Castle near Kyoto.

The miniature model of Fukuchiyama Castle, exhibited by the current Main Tower of the castle

*The old photo of the Main Tower of Kamayama Castle (licensed under Public Domain via Wikimedia Commons)*

Castle becomes Homebase of Fukuchiyama Domain after Honnoji Incident

The most mysterious thing about Mitsuhide is why he killed Nobunaga who is staying in Kyoto in the Honnoji Incident on the 2nd of June by the lunar calendar of 1582. Mitsuhide with about 13 thousand soldiers, which was ordered by Nobunaga to help Hideyoshi Hashiba, another senior vassal, who invaded the Chugoku Region, made a surprise attack on Nobunaga who was staying in Honnoji Temple with few attendants. That meant Nobunaga had fully relied on Mitsuhide. Mitsuhide was also beaten by Hideyoshi who made an incredible quick return from the Chugoku Region, only 11 days after the incident. No colleagues helped Mitsuhide. That also meant his action had not been planned. It is one of the biggest mysteries in Japanese history, seeking the reason for his rebellion as he did without giving any reasons.

*The picture of the Honnoji Incident, attributed to Nobukazu Yousai, in 1896 (licensed under Public Domain via Wikimedia Commons)*

Fukuchiyama Castle was ruled by several relatives of Hideyoshi who became the next ruler and changed his family name to Toyotomi. After the Tokugawa Shogunate got the power in the 17th Century, several family-lineage feudal lords such as the Arima and Kuchiki Clans governed the castle and the area around as the Fukuchiyama Domain. This meant that the Fukuchiyama area was still important for the Rulers and Shoguns. The Arima Clan completed the castle in the beginning of the 17th Century and the Kuchiki Clan owned the castle from the late 17th Century to the end of the Edo Period.

The illustration of Fukuchiyama Castle in Tanba Province, exhibited by the National Archives of Japan

To be continued in “Fukushiyama Castle Part2”