Inner moat – ページ 7 – 日本200名城バイリンガル (Japan's top 200 castles and ruins)

137.Fukui Castle Part2

A park and office buildings stay together in the castle ruins.

Features

Still active Main Enclosure front gate

Now, the ruins of Fukui Castle have been used as a park and the ground for official buildings including the prefectural office. The area of the ruins is inside the Inner Moat including the Main Enclosure.

The aerial photo around the castle

The public workers commute by entering the front gate of the enclosure in the south, after crossing the Gohonjo Bridge over the Inner Moat, like the warriors of the Fukui Domain used to do. In the past, the front gate consisted of a defensive square space surrounded by two gate buildings and the stone walls, called Masugata. You can climb up to part of the remaining stone walls to look around the gate.

Going to the front gate of the enclosure by crossing the Gohonjo Bridge

The old photo of the front gate, from the signboard at the site

Climbing up to the top of the stone walls

The front gate seen from the top of the stone walls

Must-see Main Tower Base

You can walk around the inside of the Main Enclosure, but only outside the office buildings where the Main Hall was.

The ruins of the Main Enclosure are close to the office buildings

You should check out the remaining stone wall base for the Main Tower at the northwest corner of the enclosure. The base has two tiers, and the upper tier is for the large Main Tower and the small Main Tower. The stone walls look great but appear to have partially collapsed or are misaligned. This is due to the Fukui Earthquake in 1948.

The upper tier on which the large Main Tower was

The restored well, called Fuku-no-i or the Fortune Well, is still on the lower tier. In fact, some people say the name of the well may be the origin of the castle’s later name, Fukui.

Restored Gate and Bridge

At the western entrance of the Main Enclosure near the base for the Main Tower, the gate building called Yamazatoguchi-gomon and the roofed Passage Bridge called Oroka-bashi over the Inner Moat were restored recently in the original method.

The restored Yamazatoguchi-gomon Gate and Oroka-bashi Bridge

The lord of the castle passed the original bridge and gate from his residence called Gozasho outside the enclosure to the Main Hall in the enclosure to govern the domain.

The old photo of the gate and roofed Passage Bridge, from the signboard at the site

You can try walking on the restored bridge and gate as well as entering the second floor of the gate to see its interior and an exhibition for the castle.

The interior of the second floor of the Yamazatoguchi-gomon Gate

Remaining Inner Moat and Main Enclosure stone walls

How about walking around the outside of the Inner Moat as well?

The Main Enclosure seen from the outside of the Inner Moat

For example, you can see the great stone walls for the Tatsumi-Yagura Turret at the southeast corner of the Main Enclosure. It was a three-story turret which was considered the substitute for the Main Tower after the tower was burned. The Main Enclosure originally had the Main Tower or turrets for its four corners.

The stone walls of the Tatsumi-Yagura Turret

The old photo of the Tatsumi-Yagura Turret, from the signboard at the site

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

77.Takamatsu Castle Part1

One of the three greatest sea castles in Japan

Location and History

Chikamasa Ikoma built Castle based on experience

Takamatsu Castle, one of the greatest sea castles in Japan, was located in Sanuki Province which is now Kagawa Prefecture. The name of the prefectural capital, Takamatsu City, actually originates from this castle. Chikamasa Ikoma, who was a warrior in the 16th Century during the Sengoku Period, first built the castle. Chikamasa took part in many battles such as those at Nagashino Castle, Ishiyama Honganji Temple (former Osaka Castle), and Bicchu-Takamatsu Castle under the ruler Hideyoshi Toyotomi. Chikamasa contributed to the unification of the country by Hideyoshi who gave Chikamasa Sanuki Province in 1587.

The location of the castle

The portrait of Chikamasa Ikoma, owned by Kokenji Temple (licensed under Public Domain via Wikimedia Commons)

The present Osaka Castle, which was once Ishiyama Honganji Temple

Chikamasa at first used the existing Hiketa Castle, but he decided to build a new castle as his home base. From his experiences, his concerns about the castle were:
・whether it would be able to get naval support during battles.
・whether it would be able to withstand gun attacks.
・whether it would be able to survive a long siege.
In the end, he devised Takamatsu Castle, which was completed in 1590.

Castle surrounded by Sea and Triples Moats

Takamatsu Castle was built facing the Seto Inland Sea to the north, making it possible to ship directly to the sea. The castle was also surrounded by water moats tripled in the other directions, to which the sea supplied water. The main enclosure which had the three-layer main tower was isolated in the inner moat, connecting to the second enclosure with only a wooden bridge called saya-bashi. The third enclosure was next to the second enclosure, which had the gate opening to the sea. The enclosure also had the main hall for the lord of the castle. Such a castle was classified not only as a plain castle, but also a sea castle. It would be impossible for enemies to completely besiege this castle with technology at that time.

The folding screen of Takamatsu Castle and the castle town, owned by Kagawa Prefectural Museum (licensed under Public Domain via Wikimedia Commons)

Matsudaira Clan followed and developed Castle

The Ikoma Clan was allowed to maintain their territory of Sanuki Province for a while by supporting the Tokugawa Shogunate in the battle of Sekigahara in 1600. However, the clan was forcibly moved by the shogunate in 1640 due to their internal strife. After that, the Shogun’s relative, Yorishige Matsudaira was sent to Takamatsu Castle as a replacement for the Ikoma Clan. Though lords were basically not allowed to renovate their castles at that time, he developed and improved Takamatsu Castle by rebuilding the main tower and adding the northern and eastern enclosures. This was because he was also responsible for monitoring non-hereditary feudal lords in Shikoku Island, who might have been against the shogunate.

The old photo of the Main Tower Yorishige rebuilt

Part of the whole illustration of Old Takamatsu Castle, the illustration drawn after Yorishige developed the castle, from the signboard at the site

The Matsudaira Clan governed the castle and the area around as the Takamatsu Domain until the end of the Edo Period. In the peaceful time of the Edo Period, the beautiful view of the castle became a famous attraction for people. A guide book at the time says that the castle looks as if it is a floating castle on the waves from the Seto Inland Sea. The castle has also been said to be one of the three greatest sea castles in Japan.

The miniature model of Takamatsu Castle and the castle town, exhibited by Tamamo Park Museum

To be continued in “Takamatsu Castle Part2”

78.Marugame Castle Part2

Great stone walls, great view and the remaining Main Tower

Features

Today, Marugame Castle is open to the public as Marugame Castle itself or the Kame-yama Park. The range of the park is inside the Inner Moat. When you stand in front of the moat, you would be surprised to see the amazing high stone walls with the remaining Main Tower on them. The high stone walls are about 60m which is said to be the highest stone walls among other multiple tiers in Japan. (the highest in single tier is the stone walls of Osaka Castle which is about 33m high).

The aerial photo around the castle

From Main Gate to Third Enclosure

Visitors usually enter the castle through the remaining Main Gate after crossing the bridge over the moat from the north. This gate has a typical defensive gate building style called Masugata. It consists of a square space surrounded by two gate buildings, mud walls, and stone walls.

Then, you will walk up on the long steep slope called Mikaeri-zaka or the Look-back Slope to the eastern direction. On the way of the slope, you will see the highest single tier stone walls in this castle which is 22m high of the Third Enclosure. In particular, the corner of the stone walls is very beautiful called the Slope of a Folding Fan which means its lower part is not steep, but its upper part becomes vertical.

The high stone walls of the Third Enclosure

You will eventually arrive at the eastern part of the Third Enclosure. You can see a great view of the Sanuki-Fuji from the ruins of Tsukimi-Yagura or the Moon Watching Turret.

The ruins of the Moon Watching Turret at the Third Enclosure

A view of the Sanuki-Fuji from the ruins of the Moon Watching Turret

From Second Enclosure to Main Enclosure

After that, you will enter the Second Enclosure between the Main and the Second Enclosures. The enclosure once had several turrets connected with mud walls like the Main Enclosure, now has a square with cherry trees and which local people are familiar with.

You will finally enter the Main Enclosure at the highest in the castle. A 360-degree view from there is so great. You can see not only the Sanuki-Fuji but also the islands and the Great Seto Bridge on Seto Inland Sea.

A view of Marugame City area and Seto Inland Sea from the Main Enclosure

The Great Seto Bridge on Seto Inland Sea

Devised Remaining Main Tower

The enclosure now has only the Main Tower, one of the twelve remaining main towers in Japan. It is a kind of three-story turret and, in fact, the smallest one among the twelve main towers.

The back side of the remaining Main Tower that can be seen from the Main Enclosure

However, it was improved in some points to look bigger than it is when looking up it from the foot of the mountain. The first point is the reduction rate to the top of the tower is relatively large. The second one is that the decorations of the tower like the hip-and-gable roof and the Chinese styled gable are facing outside. They help the Main Tower looks big from below.

The front side of the remaining Main Tower that can be seen from the foot of the mountain

You can also enter the tower and may feel it was made practical as a turret. The steps to upstairs are very steep. It equips machicolations and loopholes for battles. It also exhibits the historical explanation and miniature model of the castle now.

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