main enclosure – ページ 23 – 日本200名城バイリンガル (Japan's top 200 castles and ruins)

47.Iga-Ueno Castle Part2

You may tremble when you stand by the top of the high stone walls.

Features

Fron City Area to Official Residence Ruins

Today, Iga-Ueno Castle is part of Ueno Park, which is located in roughly the Main Enclosure. Other enclosures including the Second Enclosure were turned into a suburban area. If you visit the castle from Ueno-shi Station nearby, the area around the station is the former Second Enclosure. For example, you can only see the signpost of the Eastern Main Gate near the station.

The map around the castle

The route straight from the station to the park was the former Eastern Inner Moat of the castle. Then, you can enter the eastern part of the park where Sadatsugu Tsutsui originally built the castle. However, only the signpost for the first Main Tower remains from Tsutsui’s rule. There are mainly the ruins of the official residence surrounded by stone walls from the Edo Period.

The road which was the Eastern Inner Moat

The eastern part of the park or the Main Enclosure

The Main Tower Ruins from Tsutsui’s rule (licensed by ブレイズマン via Wikimedia Commons)

The stone walls surrounding the residence

Rebuilt Main Tower with lots of Exhibitions

You can see the Rebult Main Tower on the remaining stone wall base for the second Main Tower in the western part of the park. The Rebuilt Tower is not original to the castle, and much smaller for the base probably because of budget limitations. However, it was made of wood in 1935 of the Showa Era, and has a traditional Japanese style. It exhibits lots of items about the castle and Takatora Todo, who improved it. You will even see a figure of a Ninja sticking to beams under the ceiling of the building.

The figure of a Ninja sticking to the beams

One of Greatest High Stone Walls in Japan

The highlight of this castle is definitely the remaining high stone walls with the Western Inner Moat at the western side of the park. These stone walls, which are 29.5m high, were said to be the highest single ones in all the castles of Japan. However, when researchers measured them, it was found that the highest stone walls are the ones of the Osaka Castle Main Enclosure’s eastern side, which are 32m high. (The stone walls of Osaka Castle were rebuilt by the Tokugawa Shogunate after those of Iga-Ueno Castle were built and the shogunate beat the Toyotomi Clan). People didn’t know about this because 6m of the lower part is below the surface of the water in the moat. By contrast, the 29.5m of Iga-Ueno Castle’s wall is all above the water’s surface. This may be the reason why people thought it was the highest, but it is still the highest based on appearance.

The high stone walls of the Osaka Castle Main Enclosure’s eastern side (taken by kimtoru from photoAC)

You can get close to the top of the stone walls to look down on them. However, make sure you watch your step very much because there are no guardrails. There are only some signposts that say “Danger” or “Caution” in Japanese, cones, and ropes.

The signpost which says “Danger” in Japanese

*The signpost which says* “Caution” in Japanese

It is dangerous to walk over the corns and ropes

If you stand on the edge of the stone walls carefully and look down, you may tremble, but will see how tall and well-built they are. In fact, the 29.5m is the length from the bottom to the top of the leaning stone walls. Their vertical height is 20.6m, but it’s more than high enough to be impressed by Takatora’s great work.

Getting closer to the edge of the stone walls

Looking down the stone walls from the edge

You may feel weak at the knees looking down the walls

To be continued in “Iga-Ueno Castle Part3”
Back to “Iga-Ueno Castle Part1”

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.

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

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”

157.Hachimanyama Castle Part2

The castle ruins and modern tourist spot could be seen on the mountain.

Features

Going to Top by Cable Car

Today, visitors usually get to the ruins of Hachimanyama Castle by boarding the cable car from the foot of the mountain. The platform of the car at the foot is near the Himure Hachimangu Shrine which was moved there when the castle was built. The Hachimanbori Moats and the old town atmosphere also remain around as a popular tourist spot.

The map around the castle

The Worship Hall of the Himure Hachimangu Shrine *(licensed by 663highland via Wikimedia Commons)*

The Hachimanbori Moats and the old town atmosphere

The cable car will bring you to the platform on the mountain in few minutes. The platform is below the Second Enclosure where the observation platform faces the city area in the southeast. Many people enjoy a good view while you can also see some remaining old stone walls of the enclosure.

The observation platform at the Second Enclosure

The stone walls around the Second Enclosure

Zuiryuji Temple in Main Enclosure

The Main Enclosure, the center of the castle, is now used as the Zuiryuji Temple which Hidetsugu’s mother, Tomo established. In fact, the temple was moved there from Kyoto in 1961 of the present time, however, it is absolute suitable for this castle. The entrance of the temple consists of a defensive square space surrounded by stone walls, called Masugata. That’s because it was also the original entrance of the enclosure. The temple uses the Imperial chrysanthemum crest because Emperor Go-Yozei helped Tomo first build it and some members of the Imperial family became its chief priest.

The aerial photo around the castle

The Zuiryuji Temple at the Main Enclosure

The doors use the Imperial chrysanthemum crests

The defensive square space inside the doors

View Spots in Northern and Western Enclosures

You can go to other enclosures by passing the Belt Enclosure as the route around the Main Enclosure. The high stone walls surrounding the Main Enclosure look old, wild but so great like those of Azuchi Castle. Historians are still not sure if these stone walls were completed by Hidetsugu or the Kyogoku Clan following him. A corner of them becomes round vertically, and it is not uncertain if the condition is original or it was from deterioration.

The stone walls around the Main Enclosure

The vertically round corner of stone walls

If you go to the Northern Enclosure which is another good viewing spot, you can see a view of the mountains with the ruins of Azuchi and Kannnonji Castles in the north.

The ruins of Azuchi and Kannonji Castles

You can also go to the Western Enclosure with a view of Lake Biwa in the west.

My recommended Barbican Enclosure

I recommend you go to the Barbikan Enclosure or Demaru because it was recently re-developed. The trees and bushes around the enclosure were cut down for a better view. You can get there by going down along the trail from the Western Enclosure. You will see a panorama view of the city area and you can imagine this enclosure should have been a good lookout.

You can see the Barbican Enclosure from the city area (inside the red mark)

You can also walk around the stone walls of the enclosure close by, which is about 4m high. However, please watch your step as its foundation is on the steep and rough slope.

The stone walls of the Barbican Enclosure and a view form it

The corner of the stone walls (its round shape is rare)

The stone walls are illuminated at night

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