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

155.Akagi Castle Part1

The starting point of Takatora Todo as a castle construction master

Location and History

Takatora was seeking his Ideal Master

Akagi Castle was located in the mountain part of Kii Province what is now Wakayama Prefecture. The castle was built around 1589 by Takatora Todo who would be a well-known master of castle construction later. The castle was one of his earliest castles, so it can be seen as the starting point of his castle construction. Takatora came from Omi Province near Kyoto during the Sengoku Period when so many warlords divided the country and often battled with each other. He was well built and distinguished himself in many wars, however, his masters didn’t always survive. As a result, he changed his masters as many as seven times like an excellent business person changes one’s job several times now. In 1576, he found his fourth master, Hidenaga Toyotomi, the little brother of Hideyoshi Toyotomi who would become the ruler of Japan later.

The range of Kii Province and the location of the castle

The portrait of Takatora Todo, private owned (licensed under Public Domain via Wikimedia Commons)

Hedenaga was a nicely balanced leader joining his brother’s unification of Japan. Takatora was promoted by Hidenaga to one of his senior vassals and also learned many elements of the enterprise, one of which was how to build castles. He must have experienced it through many battles under Hidenaga. In 1585, Hideyoshi had conquered Kii Provence which was given to Hidenaga. Hidenaga also gave part of the province to be governed to Takatora. However, it was not easy because many local lords still didn’t want to be ruled by others, who also had guns which were popular weapons in the province at that time. One of Takatora’s answers to the question was to build his new castle called Akagi Castle.

The portrait of Hidenaga Toyotomi, owned by Shungakuin Temple (licensed under Public Domain via Wikimedia Commons)

Matchlock guns which were popular weapons at that time

Mountain Castle with Advanced System

Akagi Castle was a simple mountain castle with its Main Enclosure on a hill and its other enclosures on the three ridges in the north, east, and west. They are similar to many other castles built at that time so far. Takatora added advanced systems with his own ideas and experiences using the current technology. First, the Main Enclosure was basically square shaped and surrounded by high stone walls. The line of the walls was also bended elaborately to make a side attack to enemies. Its entrance was guarded by a small square space called Masugata. These features can be seen in other castles Takatora built later such as Imabari and Tsu Castles. Other enclosures were also surrounded by stone walls and placed wisely. For example, if visitors or enemies wanted to go the Main Enclosure by passing the enclosures on the eastern ridge, they had to go through three alternated entrances called Koguchi.

The layout of Akagi Castle, from the signboard at the site, adding the red letters for the Enclosures’ names

The stone walls of the Main Enclosure at Akagi Castle Ruins

Takatora succeeded in governing the area around the castle. The castle probably provided relief from dangerous battles and Takatora’s authority to the local people. However, his stable governance was not done by only the castle, but also by his strict policy. He executed 160 rebels including local warriors and farmers, called Kitayama Uprising, at Tabirako Mountain Pass near the castle just after the completion of the castle. The reason for the uprising is said that they were against Hideyoshi’s nationwide land survey because the government before Hideyoshi did not recognize how much field people had. People had to pay more tax after the government survey. That was one of the realities in the Sengoku Period.

The relief map around the castle

Castle is followed by Asano Clan before abandoned by One Castle per Province Law

In the first 17th Century, the Asano Clan governed Kii Province. They were based in Wakayama Castle, but also used Akagi Castle as the Kitayama Uprising people rebelled again. The clan executed more people than Takatora. Akagi Castle was finally abandoned due to the Law of One Castle per Province by the Tokugawa Shogunate in 1615.

To be continued in “Akagi Castle Part2”

47.Iga-Ueno Castle Part1

The castle for protecting and attacking Osaka

Location and History

From Home of Ninja to Site for protecting Osaka

Iga-Ueno Castle was located in Iga Province which is now the western part of Mie Prefecture. Iga is probably more well known for being the home of Ninja than for the castle. Actually, before the castle was built in 1585, the province was divided among many small local lords. They gained special knowledge and techniques so that they could protect themselves. They were also often hired by larger warlords in other provinces as spies or Special Forces we now call Ninja. Unfortunately, they were conquered by Nobunaga Oda in 1581. When Nobunaga’s successor, Hideyoshi Toyotomi was organizing his unification of Japan, he sent Sadatsugu Tsutsui to the province as the lord.

The range of Iga Province and the location of the castle

The portrait of Sadatsugu Tsutsui, from a collection of Japanese poems called Giretsu-Hyakuninisshu, owned by National Institute of Japanese Literature (licensed under Public Domain via Wikimedia Commons)

Hideyoshi was based in Osaka Castle, so Iga Province was on the direct route from Osaka to eastern Japan. That’s why he sent Sadatsugu who first built Iga-Ueno Castle in 1585. Therefore, the castle was supposed to prevent enemies from attacking from the east. The three-level Main Tower of the castle was also built in the eastern part of it. Sadatsugu somehow survived when Ieyasu Tokugawa became the final ruler at the beginning of the 17th Century after Hideyoshi died. However, he was fired by the Tokugawa Shogunate in 1608 due to a claim of misgovernment from his retainers. Historians speculate that the shogunate, in fact, wanted to remove Sadatsugu who was doubly loyal to both the shogunate and the Toyotomi Clan still at Osaka Castle.

Toyotomi’s Main Tower of Osaka Castle, from “The summer campaign of the siege of Osaka folding screens”, owned by Osaka Castle Museum (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)

Takatora Todo renovated Castle for attacking Osaka

Instead, the shogunate transferred Takatora Todo from Imabari Castle in Shikoku Island to Iga province. Takatora was not a hereditary feudal lord, which meant he didn’t work under Ieyasu Tokugawa, who was the founder of the shogunate, for a long time. However, he was a well-known master of castle construction through having build Uwajima, Ozu and Imabari Castles. He also helped the shogunate build its famous castles such as Edo, Nagoya, and Nijo in Kyoto. That’s why he was trusted by the shogunate. They expected Takatora to build a strong castle to stand against the Toyotomi Clan at Osaka Castle in the west. Takatora accomplished this by renovating Iga-Ueno Castle. He thought that if the shogunate were to be beaten at Osaka Castle, he could accommodate Ieyasu in Iga-Ueno Castle.

Takatora extended the Main Enclosure, the center of the castle on a hill to the west, towards Osaka Castle. He invited a guild of craftsmen called Ano-shu to build the highest stone walls (at that time) at the western side of the enclosure. It was completed- Takatora’s biography praises him, saying the stone walls were greater then those of Osaka Castle. Takatora also started to build the five-level Main Tower behind the stone walls, however, the tower collapsed due to a windstorm in 1612. The Second Enclosure was built beside the hill in the south, which was used as warriors’ housing. It had two large Main Gates in its western and eastern parts. The construction was ongoing when the battles between the shogunate and the Toyotomi Clan happened in 1614. however, it halted after the shogunate beat the Toyotomi Clan in 1615.

*The illustration of Hachimanyama Castle and Town*, private owned (licensed under Public Domain via Wikimedia Commons)

The old photo of the Western Main Gate (*licensed under Public Domain via Wikimedia Commons)*

Homebase for Wartime

Takatora gave his younger brother Iga-Ueno Castle as his branch castle, and set Tsu Castle as his home base. Tsu Castle was located in a plains area near the sea in Ise Province which was another territory of his. He said that Tsu Castle would be his home base for peacetime while Iga-Ueno Castle would be the other one for wartime. After that, the senior vassals of the Todo Clan governed the castle and Iga Province in the peacetime of the Edo Period. They lived in the official residence where Sadatsugu Tsutsui originally lived. The first Main Tower, which Sadatsugu built, also remained for a while, but it is thought to have collapsed due to another windstorm in 1633 as well.

The ruins of the official residence of Iga-Ueno Castle

The official residence area drawn in the Kanei Era of the Edo Period, exhibited by Iga-Ueno Castle

To be continued in “Iga-Ueno Castle Part2”

83.Uwajima Castle Part1

Takatora Todo built and the Date Clan maintained the castle.

Location and History

Takatora Todo builds Castle

Uwajima Castle is located in Uwajima City in the southern part of Ehime Prefecture which was called Iyo Province in the past. The province was divided by many warlords during the Sengoku Period between the late 15th and 16th Century. The Saionji Clan lived in Itajima-Marugushi Castle on the mountain where Uwajima Castle would be built later. When Hideyoshi Toyotomi was processing his unification of Japan, Takatora Todo who served under Hideyoshi, became the lord of the southern Iyo in 1595. For Takatora, who would be known for a master of castle construction, that was the first time to be an independent lord. He chose the mountain, the former Itajima-Marugushi Castle as his home base, and started to build Uwajima Castle on it in 1596.

The range of Iyo Province and the location of Uwajima Castle

Itajima-Maruguchi Castle had been a simple mountain castle. Takatora changed it to a modernized castle using advanced technology and his ideas. The mountain faced Uwajima Bay in the north and west, then he built moats filled with sea water also in the south and east. The line of the seaside and moats were shaped like a pentagon, which might have made enemies upset when they would attack the castle. He also built stone walls like covering the mountain, and some castle entrances using Masugata style which had a square space to prevent enemies’ attack. Moreover, the three-leveled Main Tower was built on natural rocks at the top. The castle construction was completed in 1601.

The illustration of Uwajima Castle and Town in 1703, owned by Uwajima Date Bunka Hozonkai, from the signboard

On the other hand, the castle had many small enclosures on the mountain, such as Main, Second, Third, and Nagato-maru. This is one of the features old mountain castles including Itajima-Marugushi Castle had, which Uwashima Castle had to follow. The Main Tower, which was built using waste materials, became too old about 60 years after completion. According to Takatora’s biography, the Main Tower of Kagomori Castle, a branch castle of Takatora’s territory, was moved to Uwajima Castle in 1604 and used as a turret. Considering these situations, Takatora might not have had enough resources to complete his ideal castle. He eventually moved to Imabari Castle in his new territory in 1600.

The location map of the gathered enclosures around the mountain, from the signboard adding comments by myself

Main Tower is replaced

In 1614, the Date Clan became the lord of Uwajima Castle and the Uwajima Domain until the end of the Edo Period. The second lord, Munetoshi Date renovated the castle in the 1660s because of aging and the damage from an earthquake. In particular, the Main Tower was replaced completely with a new one. The new Main Tower had three levels same as the old one, but its appearance was very different. The old one was the lookout-tower type, while the new one was the multi-storied type. However, the most important point of the new one is that it was built in the peace time. It was built on the stone wall base at the center of the Main Enclosure independently, not connected to other buildings. It had many decorations just for appearance, and had few equipment for battles. Overall, it has often been called “Main Tower for the symbol of peace time”, which we can now see.

The old tower on the right and the new tower on the left, from the signboard

The remaining Main Tower of Uwajima Castle

Many talented people together in Uwajima

The eighth lord, Munenari Date was very active in Japanese politics at the end of the Edo Period. With the arrivals of strong Western steam warships to Japan, which was a treat to the country, Munenari tried to build his domain’s own steamship. He invited people with unusual power to achieve this, such as Zoroku Murata, a doctor who would be the leader of the first Japanese Army, Choei Takano, another doctor, who were running away from the Tokugawa Shogunate, and low-class craftsmen. He finally succeeded. He might have thought Uwajima Castle was not suitable in that situation and create the steamship like a moving castle to deal with the new situation.

The photo of Munenari Date, from a Japanese book “徳川慶喜公伝” *(licensed under Public Domain via Wikimedia Commons)*

The portrait of Zoroku Murata from a Japanese book called Kinsei Meishi Shashin vol.2 (licensed under Public Domain via Wikimedia Commons)

The portrait of Choei Takano, owned by Choei Takano Memorial Hall *(licensed under Public Domain via Wikimedia Commons)*

To be continued in “Uwajima Castle Part2”