139.Sagaki-Kuniyoshi Castle Part1

An impregnable castle on the border of Wakasa Province

Location and History

Katsuhisa Awaya reclaims Castle

What is now Fukui Prefecture was divided into Echizen Province in the Northeast and Wakasa Province in the Southwest. In the 16th Century during the Sengoku Period, the Asakura Clan governed Echizen while the Takeda Clan owned Wakasa. Sagaki-Kuniyoshi Castle was in Wakasa Province near the border between both provinces. Sagaki comes from the name of the area around the castle and Kuniyoshi originates from the name of the person who first built the castle sometime before the Sengoku Period. People at that time usually called it “Sagaki Castle” and the other name “Kuniyoshi Castle” became popular later. As a result, historians and history buffs often call it Sagaki-Kuniyoshi Castle, using both names.

The location of the castle

Comparing the Asakura and Takeda Clans, Asakura were much stronger than Takeda. Asakura tried to extend their power to Wakasa Province, in response, Takeda wanted to rely on Asakura. However, Takeda’s retainers, such as one of the senior vassals, Katsuhisa Awaya, rebelled against them. Katsuhisa reclaimed an abandoned castle to prevent the Asakura Clan from invading Wakasa Province, called Sagaki-Kuniyoshi Castle. The castle was built on a steep mountain with a height at 197m near the border of Echizen Provence. People who went in or out of Wakasa Province had to pass a ridge beside the mountain, so the castle was the pivot of defense for the province. The lord of the castle usually lived in the Main Hall on the valley below the mountain, but used the mountain part when a battle broke out.

Asakura Clan′s troops are repelled 5 times

The relief map around the castle

The Asakura Clan attacked Sagaki-Kuniyoshi Castle 5 times between 1563 and 1567 to crush the rebellion. However, all the attacks failed because the rebel army and the castle were so strong. The battles between them occurred as follows. The warriors, their families, and other people around the castle gathered on the mountain carrying ammunition, stones, and wood. Meanwhile, some defenders hid in ambush beside the route to the castle. When the attackers got close to the castle on the route, the defenders made a surprise attack on them. After that, when the attackers climbed up to the mid slope on the mountain, the defenders shot guns and arrows, and threw the stones and wood all together. Many of the attackers were hit and fell into the valley, forcing the rest to withdraw. In addition, when the attackers looted property and crops away from the town and fields near the castle, the defenders made a night attack on Asakura’s positions. As a result, the castle was considered to be impregnable.

The imaginary drawing of Sagaki-Kuniyoshi Castle, exhibited by the Wakasa Kuniyoshi Castle Historical Museum

Castle is involved with Battle over Country

A fortunate opportunity for Katsuhisa came in 1570 when the great warlord, Nobunaga Oda attacked the Asakura Clan. Nobunaga visited Sagaki-Kuniyoshi Castle during his invasion of Echizen and praised Katsuhisa’s military achievement. The battle between Oda and the Asakura lasted until 1573 when the Asakura Clan was defeated. Nobunaga gave Wakasa Province to one of his senior vassals, Nagahide Niwa whom Katsuhisa served. Times rapidly changed after Nobunaga was killed in the Honnoji Incident in 1582. Nobunaga’s former retainers, Hideyoshi Hashiba and Katsuie Shibata were against each other for the initiative. Katsuie was in Echizen Province while Nagahide supported Hideyoshi. That meant Sagaki-Kuniyoshi Castle became a castle at the tense border between two provinces again.

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 Nagahide Niwa, owned by Historiographical Institute the University of Tokyo (licensed under Public Domain via Wikimedia Commons)

Katsuhisa’s boss, Nagahide was responsible for constructing Azuchi Castle, famously built by Nobunaga Oda. That meant Nagahide had advanced techniques for improving castles. Sagaki-Kuniyoshi Castle had basically been made of soil, but was fortified using stone walls. In the end, the battle between Hideyoshi and Katsuie happened in another place before Hideyoshi won. During the unification of Japan by Hideyoshi followed by the Tokugawa Shogunate, the castle changed hands several times. The castle still continued to be improved using stone walls, but the mountain part was eventually abandoned. Instead, only the Main Hall part in the valley was used because it was convenient for the government. In 1634 when the Sakai Clan, the lords of the Obama Domain including Wakasa Province, built the Sagaki magistrate’s office, the castle was entirely abandoned.

The imaginary drawing of Azuchi Castle, exhibited by Gifu Castle Museum
The ruins of the Sagaki magistrate’s office

To be continued in “Sagaki-Kuniyoshi Castle Part2”

67.津山城~Tsuyama Castle

難攻不落として作られた城です。
The castle built up with impregnable defenses

立地と歴史~Location and History

森忠政が築城~Tadamada Mori built the castle

津山市は中国地方にある岡山県の北側にあります。過去において、この地域は美作国の中心地に当たりました。1603年、徳川幕府は美作国の国主として森忠政をこの地域に送り込みました。彼の領地は津山藩と呼ばれました。彼は鶴山という50mの高さの山上に、史上最強の城を築こうとしました。それが津山城だったのです。
Tsuyama City is located in the northern part of Okayama Prefecture in the Chugoku Region. In the past, the area where the city was located was the center of Mimasaka Province. In 1603, the Tokugawa Shogunate sent Tadamasa Mori to this area as the lord of the province. His territory was called the Tsuyama Feudal Domain. He tried to build the strongest castle ever on a 50m high mountain called Kakuzan. That was Ttsuyama Castle.

城の位置と美作国の範囲~The location of the castle and the range of Mimasaka Province

幕府は既に設立されていたのですが、大坂にいた豊臣氏との緊張関係が非常に高まっていました。豊臣に対抗するため、幕府の大名たちは城を作り強化することを許されたのです。津山城の建設工事は13年続きました。しかし、1616年には中断されます。豊臣氏が1615年に滅亡したからです。
Though the Shogunate was already established then, its relations with the Toyotomi clan in Osaka were very strained. It allowed its lords to build and improve their castle more against the Toyotomi. The construction of Tsuyama Castle lasted for 13 years, but it was stopped in 1616, because Toyotomi was defeated in 1615.

森忠政の銅像~The statue of Tadamasa Mori

3段積み、60の櫓、5層の天守~Three tiers, Sixty turrets and Five-layer Main Tower

忠政は全山を石垣で覆い、3段積みとしそれは「一二三段」と呼ばれました。上段は「本丸」で、真ん中の段が「二の丸」、そして下段が「三の丸」でした。彼はまた、石垣の上に60もの櫓を建設し、それは日本の城の中では最多の部類に属します。それにより、津山城は難攻不落となり、敵は本丸に達するまでに櫓の下の長い道のりを門をくぐり、曲がりくねりながら進まなければなりません。
Tadamasa covered the whole mountain with stone walls like three tiers nicknamed “Hifumi-dan”. The upper tier is called the Main Enclosure or “Honmaru”, the middle one is called the Second Enclosure or “Ninomaru”, and the lower one is called the Third Enclosure or “Sannnomaru”. He also built 60 turrets on these stone walls, which was one of the largest numbers of turrets Japan’s castles had. That made Tsuyama Castle so impregnable that enemies had to go a long way through a gate, and zigzag under the turrets to reach Honmaru

城周辺の起伏地図、3段がくっきり見えます~The relief map around the castle, you can see the three tiers clearly

更には、この城の本丸には5層の天守がありました。通常天守には、「破風」「華頭窓」といった装飾が施されますが、この城の天守は単純に四角い階層を上に向かって逓減するように積み上げただけで、屋根も最低限のものでした。これは当時としては新しい建築法で「層塔式」と呼ばれました。この方式により天守建築はより容易になり、且つ守り易いものともなったのです。
In addition, the castle had the five-layer Main Tower in Honmaru or also called “Tenshu”. Tenshu usually has decorations such as gables or “Hafu” and bell-shaped windows or “Kato-mado”. It had simply square floors diminished towards the top with minimal roofing. It was because of the new method of building Tenshu called multi-storied type or “Soto-shiki”. The method made building Tenshu more efficient and also made the castle and Tenshu easy to protect.

天守を含む津山城の古写真、明治初期、松平国忠撮影~The old photo of Tsuyama Castle including Tenshu, in the early Meiji Period, taken by Kunitada (licensed under Public Domain via Wikimedia Commons)

森氏は1697年に時の領主の個人的問題で改易となってしまいました。その後は松平氏が津山藩と城を幕末まで統治しました。
The Mori clan was removed from the castle in 1697 due to a lord’s personal nature. After that the Matsudaira clan governed Tsuyama Domain and the castle until the end of the Edo Period.

美作国津山城絵図部分、江戸時代~Part of the illustration of Tsuyama Castle in Mimasaka Province, in the Edo Period(出典:国立公文書館)

特徴~Features

城周辺の航空写真~The aerial photo of around the castle

本丸への長い道のり~The long way to Honmaru

現在、津山城跡は、桜で有名な鶴山公園になっています。観光客は通常、南側の入口から公園に入り、石造りの階段を上がっていきます。右の方に曲がると、冠木門跡があります。ここは三の丸の入口であり、第一段目に当たります。実はこの門には過去においても建物はありませんでした。1616年に工事が中止となった後、ここに建物を作ることが許されなかったからです。
Now, the ruins of Tsuyama Castle is used as Kakuzan Park which is also known for cherry blossoms. Visitors usually enter the park from the entrance in the south going up stone stairs. Turning to the right, there are the ruins of Kabuki-mon Gate, the entrance of Sannnomaru, and the first tier. In fact, the gate had no buildings even in the past, as making them were not allowed after the construction stopped in 1616.

鶴山公園の入口~The entrance of Kakuzan Park
冠木門跡~The ruins of Kabuki-mon Gate
三の丸~Sannonaru

次には、二の丸の入口、第二段目に当たる表中門跡へと上っていきます。ここには大きな門の建物がありました。この曲輪に入るには180度曲がって進む必要あります。続く四足門跡は反対向きになっているからです。このように、敵は容易には城に攻め込めないようになっていました。
Next, you can go up to the ruins of Omotenaka-mon Gate, the entrance of Ninomaru, the second tier. There was a huge gate building. You have to turn 180 degrees to enter the enclosure, because the following gate ruins Shisoku-mon are set reversed. That way, enemies were not able to attack the castle easily.

表中門跡~The ruins of Omotenaka-mon Gate,
二の丸入口、もう90度左に曲がる必要があります~The entrance of Ninomaru, you have to turn left at 90 degrees to enter

本丸に達するには、二の丸の狭い敷地を通っていかなければなりません。ここから本丸にある美しく復元された備中櫓を仰ぎ見ることができますが、過去には敵にとって大変な脅威だったことでしょう。
To reach Honmaru, you have to go through a narrow area in Ninomaru. You can look up at the beautiful restored Bicchu Turret of Honmaru. Although it is beautiful, it should have been a threat to enemies in the past.

二の丸から見た備中櫓~Bicchu Turret from Ninomaru
狭い二の丸を振り返って見る~Looking back the narrow Ninomaru

本丸には二の丸のように二つの門と曲がりくねった通路がありましたが、更に強力なものでした。その切手門と表鉄門跡を見ることができます。
Honmaru also had two gates and a zigzagged route like Ninomaru, but could be more defensive. You can also see the ruins of the gates, Kitte-mon and Omote-Kurogane-mon.

切手門跡~The ruins of Kitte-mon gate
本丸の入口、表鉄門~The ruins of Omote-Kurogane-mon gate, the entrance of Honmaru

本丸の見どころ~The highlights of Honmaru

三段目の本丸は広大です。過去には御殿がひしめいていましたが、今は広場になっています。60あった櫓のうち、備中櫓だけが元通りに復元され、一般に公開されています。その内部は意外にも住みやすい感じで、領主か高貴な女性が住んでいたからだろうとのことです。この櫓は、他の櫓とは随分と違っていたようで、だからこそ最初に復元されたのです。
Honmaru, the third tier is spacey. It was packed with a lot of halls, and is an open space now. Only Bicchu Turret out of the 60 turrets has been restored to its original state and is now open to the public. The interior is unexpectedly livable because the lord himself or notable women might have used it. Such a turret was very different from other turrets. That’s why the turret was first restored.

備中櫓の入口~The entrance of Bicchu Turret
備中櫓の内部~The inside of Bicchu Turret

天守については、石垣の天守台が残っています。天守台の天辺からの景色は素晴らしく、最近では石垣の中のハート型の石が有名になっています。
As for the Tenshu, the base stone walls for it still remain. Views from the top of the base are very good, and a heart shaped stone among the stone walls has become popular recently.

天守台~the stone wall base for Tenshu
天守台からの眺め~A view from the base
ハート型の石~The heart shaped stone

本丸の背後もまた石垣になっていて、粟積櫓跡などがあります。山の裏側には自然の地形も残っているように見えます。
The back of Honmaru also has stone walls for turret ruins like Awazumi Turret. It looks like natural terrain remains in the back of the mountain.

山の背後部分~The back of the mountain

その後~Later History

明治維新後、津山城は廃城となり、城の全ての建物は撤去されました。四足門の建物だけが神社に移築され現存しています。その後しばらくして残っていた石垣が崩落し始めました。そこで、津山町は城跡を1900年に所有し、鶴山公園とし、そこに桜を植えたのです。城跡は1963年に国の史跡に指定されました。2005年、備中櫓の建物が元通りに復元されました。
After the Meiji Restoration, Tsuyama Castle was abandoned and all of its buildings were demolished. Only the building of Shisoku-mon Gate was moved to a shrine and remains there to this day. After a while, the remaining stone walls started to collapse, so Tsuyama Town who owned the ruins in 1900 as Kakuzan Park, planted cherry blossoms there. The ruins were designated as a National Historic Site in 1963. In 2005, the building of Bicchu Turret was restored in its original form.

備中櫓と桜~(Bicchu Turret and cherry blossoms (taken by しばやん from PhotoAC)

私の感想~My Impression

このような堅牢な石垣がよい状態で残っていることに驚きました。しかしそれは津山市が石垣を維持するために大変な努力を払っているからなのです。歴史家は、桜の木も石垣を痛めていると言い、いくらかは伐採すべきだと指摘しています。桜の花は観光客にはとても有名であり、解決するには大変悩ましい問題であります。いつかこの問題が解決され、城跡がより良く整備されるよう望みます。
I was so surprised to see that such tough stone walls remain so well. That’s because Tsuyama City has been putting great resources into maintaining the stone walls. Historians point out that the cherry trees also damage them, so some of the trees should be removed. It is too controversial to solve because of their blossoms being very popular for tourists. I hope these issues will be fixed and the ruins will be developed more.

本丸からの眺め~A view from Honmaru

ここに行くには~How to get There

車で行く場合:中国自動車道の津山ICまたは院庄ICから約15分かかります。公園に駐車場があります。
電車で行く場合:JR津山駅から歩いて約10分です。
東京、名古屋または大阪から津山駅まで:新幹線で岡山駅まで行き、津山線に乗り換えてください。
If you want to go there by car: It takes about 15 minutes from the Tsuyama IC or the Innosho IC on Chogoku Expressway. The park offers a parking lot.
If you want to go there by train: It takes about 10 minutes on foot from JR Tsuyama Station.
From Tokyo, Nagoya, or Osaka to Tsuyama Station: Take the Shinkansen super express and transfer to Tsuyama local line at Okayama Station.

リンク、参考情報~Links and References

津山城について(津山市公式サイト)Sightseeing in Tsuyama(Tsuyama City Official Website)
・「石垣の名城完全ガイド/千田嘉博著」講談社(Japanese Book)
・「よみがえる日本の城5」学研(Japanese Book)