good photo spot – 日本200名城バイリンガル (Japan's top 200 castles and ruins)

181.Kokura Castle Part2

The design of the current Main Tower is very different from the original one which had simple roofs. The current tower apparently has many decorations like large hip-and-gables, which the original one didn’t have.

Features

Castle is near Kokura Station

Today, the current Kokura Castle is near Kokura Station, only about a 15 minute walk away from the station. Unfortunately, you can’t see the castle from the station because of the high buildings around. If you first reach a side of Murasaki River and walk on the promenade alongside it for a while, you can see the Main Tower of the castle among the buildings. This is the moment when you can understand the castle was developed together with the rivers.

The map around the castle

The main portion of the castle, including the tower, has been developed as Katsuyama Park. It was once surrounded and divided by many water moats, so there were few gates and bridges such as Tora-no-mon Gate and Nishi-no-mon Gate. However, few of the moats remain, so that’s why visitors can easily access the park now. For example, if you walk from the river to the park by passing the Kitakyushu City Hall beside Otesaki-mon Gate Ruins, you can get close to the Main Tower soon.

The original gates of the main portion (adding their English names by the red letters) in the Illustration of Kokura Castle in Buzen Province, exhibited by the National Archives of Japan

Current Main Tower is apparently very different from Original Tower

The current Main Tower, which was reconstructed in 1959, is 28.7m high, 5.9m higher than the original one. It is also the sixth tallest existing Main Tower in Japan. The total height including the original stone walls is 47.5m. If you stand by the inner moat surrounding the tower and the walls, they look really great; it is certainly a good viewing spot of the castle. However, there is a controversial issue about the tower. The design of the current Main Tower is very different from the original one which had simple roofs. The current tower apparently has many decorations like large hip-and-gables, Chinese styled gables and triangular shaped gables, which the original one didn’t have. It is said that the designer of the current one tried to build a tower with the same design as the original one but he couldn’t. That was because the sponsor requested him to use the current design. People at that time wanted a showy symbol which could attract many visitors.

The top 10 tallest Main Towers of castles in Japan, the No.1 is Osaka Castle on the very left, Kokura Castle is the 6th from the left, exhibited by Kokura Castle Tower

The miniature model of the original Main Tower, exhibited by Kokura Castle Tower

Several Gate Ruins of Main Enclosure

To enter the Main Tower, you have to go to the main enclosure by passing the great stone walls of the Main Gate Ruins. The walls have some huge ornamental stones and form a defensive square called Masugata.

An ornamental stone used at the corner of the stone walls of the Main Gate

After that, you only need to walk up a gentle slope to reach the enclosure and the tower. However, in the past, high-class warriors went through another gate called Keyaki-mon which remains as ruins. Meanwhile, low-class warriors had to enter Kurogane-mon Gate instead. These came from a clear discrimination of how to get the castle even among the warriors.

The Main Gate is marked by the red circle, the Keyaki-mon Gate is marked by the blue circle and the Kurogame-mon Gate is marked by the green circle, in the restored image by CG exhibited by Kokura Castle Tower

The path direct to the Main Tower for the current visitors

In the main enclosure, there was the main hall and there are the ruins of the Imperial Japanese army’s 12th division headquarters.

Renewed Interior of Main Tower

The Main Tower is used as a historical museum whose interior was recently renewed in 2019. Its top floor is used as an observation platform like the original one used to be. The appearance of the floor was also restored hanging out in the Nanban (Western) style, so its interior was built being wrapped in by the outer part.

A view of the Murasaki River from the floor

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

142.Naegi Castle Part3

The warriors maintained the castle for a long time.

Features

Umaarai Rock, Second Enclosure and Photo spot

The map around the castle

If you climb down from the top on another route, you can see the biggest rock around, called Umaarai-iwa, just below the Main Tower base, whose perimeter is about 45m. It should make you feel power of nature.

The Second Enclosure is far below from the top, where the Main Hall for the lord was in the past. The hall was built hanging out from the enclosure by also using the Kake-zukuri method.

The Second Enclosure is far below from the base

In addition, if you want to take in a great whole view of the ruins, you can take another return route to the photo spot.

You can go the side road to the photo spot, near *the soldiers’ barracks* ruins

The photo spot seen from the observation platform

Later History

After the Meiji Restoration, Naegi Castle was abandoned and all the buildings of the castle were demolished. The mountain the castle was located on was returning to nature, being covered with trees. However, the ruins of Naegi Castle were designated as a National Historic Site in 1981 because the foundation of the castle ,including its stone walls, remained intact. The ruins recently became popular due to their unique features, such as the combination of natural rocks and stone walls, and great views. Some trees were cut down to see the main portion of the ruins clearly for visitors.

The corroboration of the Kake-zukuri columns, stone walls and natural rocks at the base

My Impression

It is said that there were six types of stone walls in Naegi Castle, ranging from the oldest one using natural stones to newer advanced ones. That meant the Naegi Domain continued to build or repair them under the severe living condition for over 250 years in the peaceful Edo Period. I was very impressed by that.

The stone walls piled in a way called Tani-zumi or the Form of a Vally, near the entrance of the ruins

The stone walls piled in a way called Uchikomi-hagi like piling roughly processed stones, at the Northern Gate Ruins, in the back of the Large Turret Ruins

The stone walls piled in a way called Kirikomi-hagi like piling precisely processed stones, at the Large Turret Ruins

The stone walls piled in a way called Nozura-zumi like piling natural stones, around the starting point to the top

I remember an example of a similar case to Naegi Castle, called Oka Castle in the Kyushu Region. The castle was likewise built on a rocky mountain. It was very defensive but hard to live in, so the warriors immediately disappeared after the Meiji Restoration.

How to get There

I recommend using a car when you visit the castle ruins.
It is about a 10-minute drive away from Nakatsugawa IC on the Chuo Expressway. There are several parking lots around the ruins.
If you want to use public transportation, you can take the Kita-Ena-Kotsu Bus bound for Tsukechikyo-Kuraya-Onsen or Kashimo-Sogo-jimusho from Nakatsugawa Station and get off at the Naegi bus stop. It takes about 20 minutes on foot from the bus stop to get there.
To get to Nakatsugawa Station from Tokyo or Osaka: Take the Tokaido Shinkansen super express and transfer to the Chuo Line at Nagoya Station.

The parking lot of *Naegi Toyama Historical Museum*

The parking lot in front of the ruins entrance

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