main enclosure – ページ 15 – 日本200名城バイリンガル (Japan's top 200 castles and ruins)

198.Chiran Castle Part3

Very impressive castle to me

Features

Stronger Defense of Main Enclosure

The group of the Main and Kuranjo Enclosures on the right are even more defensive. If you want to go there, you will find the group has two tiers. You will need to pass the first Masugata entrance and reach the first tier before going to the two tops of these enclosures. Each enclosure also has the same defense system as the Imanjo Enclosure mentioned above, which meant enemies had to break the double Masugata entrances.

*The layout drawing of Chiran Castle, quoted by Minami-Kyushu City, the route to the Main and Imanjo Enclosures (the red arrows)*

The inside of the Main Enclosure is also empty where only the stone monument of the castle stands. The Kuranjo Enclosure is the place where the excavation for the castle was mainly done recently. The excavation team found earthen foundations of some buildings and lots of relics such as pottery and porcelain imported from China and Thailand, and used when the castle was active. That’s why partially restored columns of the buildings are exhibited on the ground there. Unfortunately, views from the enclosures are not good because of the trees and bushes around. It may be difficult for the officials to develop them as a view spot due to the fragile natural terrain.

The inside of the Main Enclosure (licensed by Mizushimasea via Wikimedia Commons)

The inside of Kuranjo Enclosure, quoted from the website of Minami-Kyushu City

Some of the excavated relics of Chinese ceramic-ware, from the signboard at the site

Later History

During World War II, Chiran Castle Ruins were used for air-raid shelters by digging into their cliffs. As for the castle ruins, the excavation started in 1992, which found the original moats, the Masugata entrances, some building foundations, and lots of relics. As a result, the ruins were designated as a National Historic Site in 1993. In addition, the excavation re-started again in 1998 before the Kuranjo Enclosure was developed for preservation and exhibition in 2005.

The signboard at the entrance of the castle ruins

My Impression

I didn’t know about Chiran Castle at all before my visit to the ruins. I was really surprised to see that the castle had been built using the special conditions the area had. I think this is one of ancestors’ wisdom we should respect. This is also one of the reasons that I love visiting castles and ruins. In addition, I have actually deleted all my photos of the ruins in my camera accidentally except for few ones in my smartphone. I usually write my castle-visiting articles based on my photos. However, this time, I managed to write my article of Chiran Castle using my strong impressions from some books, leaflets and other website articles.

The ruins of Sadowara Castle, another example of castles which were built on the Shirasu Plateau

How to get There

If you want to visit the castle ruins by car, it is about a 20 minute drive away from Chiran IC on the Ibusuki Sky Line. There is a parking lot around the ruins’ entrance.
If you want to use public transportation, you can take the Kagoshima Kotsu Bus bound for Chiran at the East No.16 platform in front of Kagoshima-chuo Station and get off at the Nakagori bus stop (for those who visit the ruins from the Chiran Samurai Residences side) or the Tokko-Kannnon-Iriguchi bus stop (for visiting them from the former Chiran Airport side). It takes about 20 minutes on foot to get there either form these bus stops.
From Fukuoka to Kagoshima-chuo Station: Take the Kyushu Shinkansen super express.
From Tokyo to Kagoshima-chuo Station: Take the express bus from Kagoshima Airport after using a plane.

That’s all. Thank you.
Back to “Chiran Castle Part1”
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97.Kagoshima Castle Part2

There are plenty of history to see even in the museum.

Features

Main Enclosure still looks like Castle

Today, the ruins of Kagoshima Castle are used like that the Main Enclosure as the Kagoshima Prefectural Center for Historical Material called Reimeikan, the Second Enclosure as other public facilities, and Shiroyama Mountain as the Shiroyama Park. In particular, the Main Enclosure still looks like a castle today because its stone walls are still intact and its front gate was recently restored. If you stand in front of the enclosure, you may feel its pride as the home base of the Shimazu Clan.

The aerial photo around the castle

The stone walls, which are still surrounded by the water moat, are piled precisely by using well processed stones in a method called Kirikomi-hagi. An interesting thing about them is that their one corner has an internal angle of two walls, called Irisumi. This is because the corner faces the northeastern side which was thought to be an unlucky direction, called Kimon or the Devil’s Gate. People who built the castle considered that the specially built corner could prevent misfortunes from the direction.

The Irisumi part at the northeastern corner

The front gate called Goro-mon stands out between the stone walls. It has been said it is one of the largest castle gates in Japan, with its height and width of about 20m. it was restored using wood in April 2020, after 147 years since it had been burned down in 1873, based on its old photos and the remaining stone foundations.

You can enter the gate by going across the original stone bridge over the moat in front of it. Other stone walls stand inside the gate and you will need to turn right and walk on the zigzagged steps or slopes to reach the center of the enclosure. You can see an uncountable number of dents on the stone walls, which were traces of gun shot by the government army in Seinan War. They make us understand how severe the attack of the army was.

Going across the original stone bridge to enter the gate

Some of the dents on the stone walls caused by Seinan War

Wonderful exhibitions in Reimeikan Museum

The Reimeikan is an excellent historical museum, which has huge amounts of historical, folk and art items regarding the Kagoshima Prefecture. You can learn about the history including the castle and culture of the prefecture inside. There may be too many items to see in one day. I also recommend seeing very well designed miniature models of historical buildings such as Kagoshima Castle, Shibushi Castle (a local castle in the prefecture) and Izumi Outer Castle.

The miniature model of Izumi Outer Castle

There are also many dioramas of historical events which helps visitors understand more easily. I hope these good activities of the museum will continue to become more popular.

The diorama of the Tenmonkan street in Taisho Era

The diorama of the Battle of Toba-Fushimi where the Satsuma Domain defeated the Tokugawa Shogunate troops

Shiroyama Mountain like natural park

The Shiroyama Park on Shiroyama Mountain behind the Main Enclosure is easy to go to because the mountain is not so high at only 107m above sea level. You can go up a trail like walking to the top which look like a natural park rather than a historical site. This could be because the Satsuma Domain rarely used the mountain as part of the castle and banned people from entering it during the Edo Period. You can only see the trace of enclosures, which are surrounded by earthen walls, coming from the Kamiyama Clan’s mountain castle before the Shimazu Clan.

The place which is surrounded the earthen walls

Anyway, the top is a very popular view spot of Sakurajima (an active volcano island) and Kagoshima city area, where you can also enjoy the view.

A view from the platform, but Sakurajima Island hides behind the cloud

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

190.Yatsushiro Castle Part2

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

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.

The 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 entrance

The 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 bridge

The Masugata system of the front entrance

The alternating stone walls surround the path to the center of the Main Enclosure

The back entrance on the north also has a similar design.

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 right

*The stone wall base for the Large Main Tower* at the northwestern corner of the Main Enclosure

The 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 Enclosure

It was prohibited to clime the Main Tower base as of December 2022

You cam climb the tops of other stone walls

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