The flat square Third Enclosure is outside of the Inner Moat and inside of the Outer Moat. If you walk around it, you will see the great stone walls of the main portion. In particular, the stone wall base for the Main Tower looks so nice, which is about 18m high, built using natural and rough processed stones, instructed by Ano-shu Group, a special stone guild at that time.
The map around the castle
The Third EnclosureThe high stone walls of the main portion seen from the Third EnclosureThe outside view of the stone wall base for the Main Tower
Two individual Umadashi systems
You can also visit the two other entrance ruins of the Eastern and Southern Gates through the enclosure. It is unfortunate that both ruins have lost their Masugata systems, however, their Umadashi systems are still intact. The system for the Eastern Gate remains as a square park, over the narrow straight path among the Inner Moat. It is surrounded by stone walls and another moat in the front and the sides, so you can easily imagine how the system worked in the past.
Going the eastern Umadashi systemThe system became the Eastern Umadashi ParkThe outside view of the Umadashi system
The other one for the Southern Gate also has a square space and is surrounded by earthen walls, not by stone walls. This is actually the only remaining example of the Umadashi system build only using earthen walls.
The ruins of the Southern GateGoing to the southern Umadashi system through a narrow pathThe inside of the Umadashi systemThe earthen walls of the Umadashi system form the square space
If you have time, I recommend walking along the street of Okachimachi warriors’ residences with several remaining their houses which are open to the public, in the west of the castle ruins.
“The Anma Clan’s samurai residence historical museum” is one of the open warriors’ houses
My Impression
I think Sasayama Castle was quite practical for its purpose of construction. That’s why its Main Tower was actually not built. This castle was not so large as other major castles like Osaka, Nagoya and Himeji Castles, but was designed to be able to protect itself by few defenders. My first impression for the castle was that it could be a supply base. I imagine Sasayama Castle could have worked flexibly either when the Tokugawa Shogunate side would be offense or defense.
I think this Third Enclosure was able to accommodate some amount of soldiers and supplies
How to get There
If you want to visit there by car, it is about 10 minutes from Tannan-Sasayamaguchi IC on the Maizuru-Wakasa Expressway. There are several parking lots in and around the castle ruins. By public transportation, you can take the Sinki Green bus bound for Sasayama-eigyosho from JR Sasayamaguchi Station and get off at the Nikaimachi bus stop. It takes about 5 minutes on foot to get there. From Tokyo to Sasayamaguchi Station: Take the Tokaido Shinkansen super express, transfer to the Kyoto Line at Shin-Osaka Station and transfer to the Takarazuka Line at Osaka Station.
The parking lot in the Third EnclosureThe parking lot in front of the Main Gate Ruins
Rare stonewalls made of limestone, The contrast of the white limestone walls compliment the green water
Features
Contrast of White and Green colors
Today, the ruins of Yatsushiro Castle mainly remains as Yatsushiro Shrine including the Main Enclosure. The enclosure doesn’t have castle buildings, but still have its stone walls and the Inner Moat which are in a good condition. The castle was originally built near the sea, but you can’t see it at all around the ruins because of the land reclamation.
The aerial photo around the castle
Yatsushiro Shrine
If you get close to the ruins from the city area, you will find they have a different atmosphere from other castles or ruins. The stone walls of Yatsusiro Castle partially looks white because they were built mainly using limestone, which is rare to see in Japanese castles. These stones have discolored with time like normal ones, so they must have looked much more white when they were new. The water in the Inner Moat comes from Kumagawa River, and it looks green because of algae in the river. The contrast of the white and green colors is unique and beautiful.
Getting close to the castle ruinsThe stone walls use white limestonesThe water in the Inner Moat comes from Kumagawa River
Overhanging Masugata square spaces
The enclosure has three entrances, two of which are original to the castle, and the other one was added when the shrine was established. The front is at the eastern side while the back is on the northern side. If you want to enter the front entrance, you can walk across Rankan-bashi or the Handrail Bridge whose one of its ornamental caps is intact, which has the year and month of when the castle was completed.
The Handrail Bridge at the front entranceThe ornamental cap which has the year and month of the castle’s completion, quoted from the website of Yatsushiro City
The overhanging Masugata square shape is also intact, surrounded by great stone walls. The stone wall base for Migaki-yagura Turret supports its left side and alternating stone walls stand on the back and right sides. You need to walk in and turn right to enter the inside of the enclosure. This design is very defensive.
The Handrail Bridge seen from the stone wall base for Migaki-yagura Turret, the front of the Masugata system overhangs towards the bridgeThe Masugata system of the front entranceThe alternating stone walls surround the path to the center of the Main Enclosure
The back entrance on the north also has a similar design.
The back entrance
Outstanding Main Tower base
The highlight of the ruins is the stone wall base for the Main Tower at the northwestern corner of the Main Enclosure. The base has two tiers for the Large Main Tower and Small one. These towers were burned down by a lightning fire in 1672. After that, only the Small Main Tower was restored. Today, though only their stone wall bases remain, if you look at them from the outside of the Inner Moat, they look so great! The base for the Large Main Tower also supported the back entrance of the enclosure on the right side to prevent enemies form attacking it easily.
The base for the Large Main Tower on the left and the base for the Small Main Tower on the rightThe stone wall base for the Large Main Tower at the northwestern corner of the Main EnclosureThe Large Main Tower base also supports the back entrance on the left
Unfortunately, you can’t climb up these Main Tower bases from the inside of the enclosure because of partially collapsing walls as of December 2022. Alternatively, you can climb up other stone walls to sit and rest, see a view around the castle, and understand how the castle was protected.
Looking up the Large Main Tower base from the inside of the Main EnclosureIt was prohibited to clime the Main Tower base as of December 2022You cam climb the tops of other stone walls
You can enjoy both of real buildings and stone walls.
Features
Main Compound and Main Tower on it
The highlight of the castle is the Main Compound including the Main Tower in the back of the Main Enclosure. It looks so great as it was by mixing the remaining and restored buildings.
The front side of the Min Compound
The map around the Main Compound
To reach the tower, you need to pass the zigzagging inner route again through the remaining First, Second and Third Gates. There are also remaining mud walls with loop holes on the way. You can see other visitors though the holes.
The First GateThe Second GateThe Third GateThe remaining East Wall of Sujigane GateYou can see other visitors though a loop hole
Then, you will eventually arrive at the inner court of the Main Tower. Its style is called the Tower Grouping, so the court is surrounded by the Large and Small Towers and other turrets. Enemies would be destroyed if they could pass through that complex route earlier on.
Sujigane Gate, the entrance to the buildings of the tower groupingThe inner court
Visitors today first enter the Cellar, basement of the Large Tower, and walk around the other buildings like a corridor, seeing the exhibitions about the castle. In fact, the buildings there except for the Large Tower were all restored after the arson in 1933. They were built the same as the original one, so you may think they were not restored.
The Cellar of the Large Main TowerVisitors first walk around the other buildings of the tower groupingThe stairs to the top of the restored Small Main TowerThe second floor of the Small Main TowerThe attic of the Small Main TowerA view of the inner court from the Small Main Tower
After walking around, you will eventually enter the remaining Large Tower again. You can climb up the steep wooden steps to the top third floor. The floor is open and you can enjoy an even more great view there.
The first floor of the Large Main TowerThe second floor of the Large Main TowerThe stairs to the topThe interior of the top floorA view from the western side of the Large Main Tower (the buildings of the tower grouping in front, the city area and the Seto Inland Sea in back)A view from the southern side of the Large Main Tower (the Main Enclosure in front, the city area in back)
Great Stone Walls
If you have time. I recommend seeing the back side of the Main Enclosure, as there are also several remaining or restored buildings. For example, Nohara Turret is said to be one of the oldest buildings in the castle, which is the only remaining example of a two-tier Lookout Tower style turret.
The map around the Main Enclosure
The back side of the Main Compound (the Northern Corner Turret on the left and the Southern Corner Turret on the right)Nohara Turret
If you also get out of the restored Inui-mon or Northwest Gate, which is the back gate, and go back to the Main Gate Ruins, you can see the long, great, high stone walls of the Main Enclosure along the way. They look very beautiful having vertical curves like a folding fan and horizontal lines like a folding screen. However, they were originally built to attack enemies efficiently.
The Northwest GateThe stone walls of the northwestern side of the Main Enclosure, Nohara Turret is over there The stone walls of the northeastern side of the Main Enclosure, one of the oldest in the castleThe stone walls the Main Enclosure near the Main Compound, you can see the building of the Second GateContinuous stone wallsThe great stone walls of the Southeast Turret
Finally, I recommend you using the Kencho-ura Route when you return to the foot, because the route is well developed and you can see the remaining Southern Climbing Stone Walls close by. Though the Northern Climbing Stone Walls were unfortunately mostly destroyed, the southern stone walls were still intact, which is over 230m long covering the slope. It is said to have the best condition among the other remaining climbing stone walls such as in Sumoto, Hikone and Yonago Castles.
Kencho-ura RouteThe Sothern Climbing Stone Walls along the routeThe continuous Climbing Stone WallsThe Climbing Stone Walls of Hikone Castle
My Impression
Matsuyama Castle has become one of the most famous symbols of Matsuyama City. If you walk around the city area, you can see the castle buildings on the mountain from almost anywhere. In addition, if you visit and see them, you can still find and re-experience how to build and use the castle like people in the past used to do. This is because the city made great efforts not only for maintaining the original items but also for restoring many buildings like the original ones. I learned a lot from the castle and recommend you visiting and seeing it.
The Main Tower with the Main Compound of Matsuyama Castle
How to get There
If you want to visit there by car, it is about 30 minutes from Matsuyama IC on the Matsuyama Expressway. There is a parking lot in the park. By public transportation, you can take the city tram bound for Dogo-Onsen from JR Matsuyama Station or Matsuyama-shi Station on the Iyo Railway and get off at the Okaido stop. It takes about 5 minutes on foot from the stop to get to the park. From Tokyo or Osaka to Matsuyama City: I recommend traveling by plane and you can take the bus or rent a car to get there.
