The Enclosure which was supposed to be a Former Stable is a little far from the main portion of the castle. It was used as a lookout as well.
The map around the castle
The Enclosure which was supposed to be a Former Stable
The castle also had many dry moats dug on the mountain in both vertical and horizontal directions to prevent enemies from attacking. You can still see some of them remained.
A vertical dry moatA horizonal dry moat
The castle ruins now have many routes like network and many enclosures for stop and rest, so you can enjoy walking and relaxing as well as learning history.
Some of the routes going around the castle ruinsA view from the Enclosure which was supposed to be a Former Stable
Later History
After Okoh Castle was abandoned, the Chosogabe Clan was unfortunately fired by the Tokugawa Shogunate. The Yamanouchi Clan from Kakegawa Caste came to govern Tosa Province and lived in Kochi Castle. The remaining Ichiryo-Gusoku group suffered from the Yamanouchi high-class warriors as the low class ones during the Edo Period. However, due to their rebellious spirit, some heroes in the Meiji Restoration such as Ryoma Sakamoto and Shintato Nakaoka appeared from the low class to change Japan later.
The portrait of Ryoma Sakamoto, published in a book called Kinsei Meishi Shashin vol.2 (licensed under Public Domain via Wikimedia Commons)The photo of Shintaro Nakaoka, published in a book called Ishin Tosa Kinnoshi (licensed under Public Domain via Wikimedia Commons)
As for the castle ruins, they were first developed as a normal park with cherry trees planted. The excavation was done between 1985 and 1990. Since then, the ruins have been developing as Okoh Mountain Historical Park. They were finally designated as a National Historical Site in 2008. In addition, Kochi Prefectural Museum of History was built beside the park in 1991, where you can learn more about the castle and the Chosogabe Clan.
The monument of the castle ruins
My Impression
I recommend visiting the three Chosogabe’s home base castles at once because they are close to each other. Kochi Castle basically remains as the Yamanouchi Clan’s legacy now, but the castle’s hill still has many tiers like Okoh Castle, probably it came from Chosogabe’s period. Though the ruins of Urado Castle were mostly destroyed by modern facilities, you can still see the great ocean view of Katsurahama Beach and the famous statue of Ryoma Sakamoto nearby.
Kochi CastleKochi Castle also has many tiersThe ruins of Urado CastleKatsurahama BeachThe statue of Ryoma Sakamoto (taken by 末っ子魂 from photoAC)
How to get There
I recommend using a car when you visit the ruins. It is about 10 minutes away from Nankoku IC on the Kochi Expressway. The park offers a parking lot. If you go there from Tokyo or Osaka, I recommend going there by plane. When you get there, it’s better to rent a car as there are few buses in the area.
Okoh Castle was located what is now Nankoku City, Kochi Prefecture. The prefecture is one of the four prefectures in Shikoku Island, but separated by Shikoku Mountains from the other three northern prefectures. When the prefecture was called Tosa Province in the past, it was not easy to visit there. That’s why the province was sometimes used for one of the places for exile or escape. However, it has been easy to live for local people with a warm climate and abundant food.
The location of the castle
The relief map of Shikoku Island and the range of Tosa Province
Chosogabe Clan settled in Tosa and built Castle
Okoh Castle had been owned by the Chosogabe Clan during all its life. The clan has a very long history and it was said that their founder was a branch of the Hata Clan that came from Korea to Japan in the Ancient Times with advanced technologies such as civil engineering and silk industry. The Hata Clan spread them and moved from central Japan (now Kinki Region) to many local areas of Japan including what is now Nagano Prefecture where the founder of the Chosogabe Clan lived. The founder called Yoshitoshi Hata fought at Kyoto in the 12th Century, but was defeated, so he escaped from his enemies to Tosa Province. He finally settled near the provincial capital in the fertile Kacho Plain and changed his family name to Chosogabe by combining local land names. Okoh Castle was thought to be built on a mountain beside the plain at the same time.
The whole view of Okoh Castle Ruins (licensed by Saigen Jiro via Wikimedia Commons)
One of Chosogabe’s strengths was to have connections to central Japan such as serving the Hosokawa Clan, a senior vassal of the Ashikaga Shogunate and inviting the Ichijo Clan, a high class noble to Tosa Province as the provincial governor. As a result, the Chosogabe Clan became one of the seven ruling clans in Tosa in the first 16th Century. However, the others of the seven ruling clans including the Motoyama Clan were against the Chosogabe Clan, then they attacked and burned Okoh Castle in 1508. The trace of the fire was found in the ruins of the castle. The Chosogabe Clan was once defeated.
The Second Tier, one of the enclosures which include the trace of the fire
Motochika Chosogabe ruled Shikoku based in this Castle
The next lord of the clan, Kunichika Chosogabe came back to Okoh Castle in 1518 with the support from the Ichijo Clan. He got his power by organizing a soldier group called Ichiryo-Gusoku who were usually farmers, but also soldiers with a Set of Armour in emergency. After that, he took revenge on his enemies by taking them as relatives or battles with the Ichiryo-Gusoku group. Kunichika’s son, Motochika Chosogabe was succeeded in governing the whole Tosa Province in 1575. Okoh Castle had been the home base of the clan. It was a typical mountain castle with many tiers covering the mountain. However, it had some unique features coming from the Chosogabe Clan. It was thought that some turrets were built on stone foundations, using roof tiles made by craftsmen from Izumi Province (now part of Osaka Prefecture). Stones were piled inside the earthen walls of the Third Tier. Such structures were still rare at that time in the whole cuntory and were done by Motochika’s connection to central Japan.
The figure of a Ichiryo-Gusoku soldier, exhibited in Kochi CastleThe portrait of Motochika Chosogabe, owned by Hada Shrine (licensed under Public Domain via Wikimedia Commons)The stone walls of the Third Tier
Abandoned after Unification of Japan by Hideyoshi Toyotomi
Motochika finally achieved the unification of Shikoku Island in 1585. However, the ruler, Hideyoshi Toyotomi was processing his unification of Japan at the same time. Hedeyoshi sent over 100,000 of modernized troops to Shikoku Island in the same year while Motochika had about 40,000 soldiers including farmers. Motochika had no other option but to surrender and was allowed to govern just Tosa Provence by Hideyoshi. He also moved his home base from Okoh Castle to Otaka-sakayama Castle (now Kochi Castle) in 1588 and finally Urado Castle beside Urado Bay in 1591. it was said that this transfer was instructed by Hideyoshi to prepare his Invasion of Korea in 1592. Okoh Castle was abandoned then.
The Portrait of Hideyoshi Toyotomi, attributed to Mitsunobu Kano, owned by Kodaiji Temple (licensed under Public Domain via Wikimedia Commons)The present Kochi CastleThe ruins of Urado Castle
掛川城天守と二の丸御殿（The Tenshu and Ninomaru Mail Hall of Kakegawa Castle）
Location and History
掛川市は静岡県の中央に位置しています。日本の主要街道である東海道が古代よりこの地を通っています。掛川城は最初は戦国時代の初期に築かれ、すぐに戦国大名にとって重要な城となりました。それ以来、今川氏、武田氏、徳川氏といった戦国大名が、この城を手に入れ周りの地域を支配するために鎬を削りました。Kakegawa City is located in the middle of Shizuoka prefecture. Tokaido, one of the major routes in Japan passes through this city since the Ancient Ages. The Kakegawa Caste was first built in the Civil War Period, and quickly became an important site for warlords. Since then, warlords such as the Imagawa, Takeda, Tokugawa clans battled each other to get the castle and govern the area around it.
掛川城の位置（The location of Kakegawa Castle）
戦国時代末期になって、天下人の豊臣秀吉によって、山内一豊がこの城に移されてきました。一豊は、城の大改修を行い、天守を建築し、合わせて城下町も整備しました。最盛期には、この城は総延長で３４５０メートルもの水堀に囲まれていました。 At the end of the Civil War Period, Kazutoyo Yamanouchi was transferred to this castle by Hideyoshi Toyotomi, the ruler of the whole country. Yamanouchi renovated the castle including the build of the keep “Tenshu” and the castle town. At its highest point, the castle was surrounded by water moats of 3450m long in total.
遠州掛川城絵図部分、江戸時代（Part of the illustration of Kakegawa Castle in Enshu Province in Edo Period）｜出典：国立公文書館
一豊はこの城に１０年間居ましたが、今度は土佐国、今の高知県に移されました。彼は再び現在の高知市に高知城を築いたのですが、その天守は「御城築記」という古書によれば、掛川城に似せて作られたといいます。 He stayed at the castle for about 10 years, and was transferred again to Tosa Province, now Kochi prefecture. He also built Kochi castle in now Kochi City and its Tenshu was designed similar to Kakegawa’s design according to an old document called “Oshiro-Chikuki”.
山内一豊肖像画、土佐山内家宝物資料館蔵（The Portrait of Kazutoyo Yamanouchi, ownd by Tosa Yamauchi Family Treasury and Archives）licensed under Public Domain via Wikimedia Commons
その後、掛川城の城主は何回も変わったのですが、城主たちは江戸時代を通じて城を維持してきました。ところが、１８５４年に安政地震が発生し、天守を含む城のほとんどの建物が崩壊しました。掛川藩の藩士たちは、天守を再建せず、その代わりに藩庁として二の丸御殿を造営しました。 After that, though the lords of Kakegawa castle ware changed many times, they all kept the castle through the Edo Period. However, the Ansei Great Earthquakes happened in 1854, and most of the castle’s buildings collapsed including Tenshu. Warriors of the Kakegawa domain didn’t rebuilt Tenshu instead of building the Ninomaru main hall for their government office.
二の丸御殿全景（A whole view of Ninomaru Main Hall）licensed by shikabane taro via Wikimedia Commons
Features
現在では、二の丸御殿と天守の両方を見ることができます。二の丸御殿は、日本でわずか４つしか残っていない大名御殿の一つとなります（他には二条、高知、川越）。この御殿が完成した直後に明治維新を迎えてしまい、武士による統治の時代が終わってしまいました。そして御殿は、学校、役場、農協、更には消防署にまで転用されてきました。御殿が史跡として認知されたのは比較的最近で、１９８０年に重要文化財に指定されました。 Now we can see both of the Ninomaru main hall and the Tenshu. Ninomaru main hall is one of the only four remaining lords’ main halls in Japan. (The others are Nijo, Kochi and Kawagoe.) Immediately after the completion of the hall, the Meiji Restoration had come and the governance of warriors ended then. The hall was turned into a school, a city hall, an agricultural cooperative, and even a fire station. It is relatively recent that the hall was regarded as a historical site, and designated as an important cultural property in 1980.
現存する二の丸御殿と復元天守（The remaining Ninomaru Main Hall and restored Tenshu）
Later Life
一方でこの城は安政地震以来、天守のない状態が長く続きました。その代わりに１９０７年に日露戦争の戦死者を弔うために、天守台に観音菩薩像が設置されました。掛川市の行政と市民たちは、天守の再建を熱望してきましたが、予算不足のために実現できませんでした。しかし突然状況が変わりました。約３０年前にある婦人がこの市に移住してきたのですが、市の方針である「生涯学習都市」に共感し、多額の寄付を申し出ました。これをきっかけに市は、天守をただ再建するだけではなく、それを伝統的な木造建築で復元することを決断しました。 On the other hand, the castle had no Tenshu for a long time since the Ansei Earthquakes. Instead the statue of Kannon Bodhisattva was placed on the ruin of Tenshu base in 1907 to pray for fallen soldiers of the Russo-Japanese War. The city officials and citizens longed to rebuild the Tenshu, but they couldn’t because of a lack of funds. The situation suddenly changed when a woman moved to the city about 30 years ago. She agreed with the city’s policy of “Lifelong Learning City”, and donated a large sum of money. This made the city officials decide to not only rebuild Tenshu but also restore it in traditional wooden style.
復元された掛川城天守（The restored Kakegawa Castle Tenshu）taken by Oshiro-man from photo AC
その復元にはいくつか問題がありました。一つには、天守を描いた絵図はいくつかあったのですが、詳細は不明だったことです。この問題を解決するために、設計者は掛川城と似ているであろう現存している高知城の設計を参考にしました。また、好条件だったのは、天守周辺の地区は史跡に指定されていなかったため、新しい天守を比較的に自由に設計することができました。建築基準に適合するため、石垣を作り直し、基礎構造の強化を行いました。反面、残っていた元の石垣は撤去されてしまいました。 There were some problems about it. One of them was that several drawing pictures of the Tenshu remain, but details are unclear. To solve the problem, the designers use the plan of the remaining Kochi castle Tenshu that should be similar to Kakegawa. In addition, the good news were that they were able to design the new Tenshu comparatively freely, because the area around Tenshu was not designated as a historical site. They were able to both build it to code and remake the stone walls to strengthen the general structure. Whereas, the ruin of original stone wall were removed unfortunately.
現存する高知城天守（The remaining Kochi Castle Tenshu）taken by 眠鯨 from photo AC
これは明治時代以来、最初の木造による天守復元の事例で、１９９４年に完成しました。この復元により、掛川市にすばらしいシンボルがもたらされ、毎年約１０万人の観光客を呼び込んでいます。 This was the first case of the restoration for wooden Tenshu since the Meiji Era with the completion in 1994. The campaign was successful to have the great symbol of the city, and attract around 100,000 tourists into the city every year.
天守遠景（A distant view of Tenshu）
My Impression
１つの場所で天守と大名御殿の両方を見ることができるのは珍しく、その場所は掛川城と高知城のみです。掛川城の天守と二の丸御殿は１枚チケットを買えば両方入れます。天守はまだ新しいですが、大型木造建築の優れた技巧を見ることができます。 It is very rare to see both of a Tenshu and a lord’s main hall at one site. Only Kakegawa and Kochi castles can offer them. You can enter both of Kakegawa Castle’s Tenshu and Ninomaru main hall for one ticket. The Tenshu is still new, but you will see the great technique of a large wooden building.
天守近景（A close view of Tenshu）天守の内部（An inside view of Tenshu）
二の丸御殿は古くて重要な遺産なのですが、リラックスした雰囲気があります。庭園に面していくつか畳の間がありますが、座れる所があります。多くの伝統的な日本家屋がそうであるように、この御殿にもとても心地いい自然の風通しがあります。特に、夏の間はとても涼しく心地よく感じます。 The Ninomaru mail hall is old and an important heritage, but it has a relaxed atmosphere. There are several tatami rooms facing its garden where you may partly be seated. The hall has a good natural ventilation like many other traditional Japanese buildings. In particular, you can feel cool and comfortable during the summer.
ＪＲ掛川駅から歩いて１０分程です。 東京から掛川駅まで：東海道新幹線に乗れば、直接掛川駅に着きます。 It takes about 10 minutes on foot from the JR Kakegawa station. From Tokyo to the station: Take the Tokaido Shinkansen super express direct to Kakegawa st.
