To arrive at the Main Enclosure, you will have to pass three other enclosures on the ridge. The enclosure has its entrance ruins with stone steps and stone walls, and some stone walls surround it. Many other stone walls were found by the excavation but buried again in order to preserve it. It is still uncertain who and when these structures were built. Some historians point out they are similar to those of Odani Castle that the Azai Clan built.
The map around the castle
Going to the Main EnclosureThe entrance ruins of the Main Enclosure (licensed by HikaruKinkakuji via Wikimedia Commons)The Kurogane-mon Gate Ruins of Odani Castle
Later History
After its abandonment, Kamaha Castle had been buried for over 400 years. Maibara Town (now is Maibara City), which manages the ruins of the castle, did the research and excavation between 1996 and 2000. It found that the castle had surprisingly advanced systems for mountain castles at that time. As a result, the ruins were designated as a National Historic Site in 2005.
The stone walls of Kamaha Castle RuinsThe observation platform at the Large Turret Ruins
My Impression
I can honestly say that I regret not having enough time and preparation to visit the castle ruins. I didn’t think visiting them needed real climbing. As a result, I didn’t see all of them. I recommend you visit with a group, if possible, because it is quite risky. In addition, there are other routes for visiting the ruins by using car on a forest road near the ruins. Someday I would like to study it and try visiting all of them.
The trail from the underpasses of Hikone43 of the Meshin ExpresswayWatch out for wild animals
How to get There
I recommend using a car when you visit the castle ruins. It is about a 5-minute drive away from Maibara IC on the Meishin Expressway. There is a parking lot in the old Banba Station near the underpass of Hikone44 of the expressway. If you want to use public transportation, you can take the Kohoku Bus bound for Toray Carbon Magic from JR Maibara Station and get off at the Banba bus stop. To get to Maibara Station from Tokyo: Take the Tokaido Shinkansen super express.
The parking lot for visitors at the old Banba StationThe path from the parking lot to the underpasses of Hikone44
There are so many attractions to see in this castle.
Features
Entering Sawayama Route
Today, Hikone Castle site has well been developed for visitors inside the Middle Moat (the second moat from the Inner Moat). There are three routes over the moat same as the past (Sawa-guchi, Kyobashi-guchi and Funamachi-guchi). Out of them, the Sawaguchi Route is the most popular as it is close from Hikone Station and to the front entrance of the castle. If you choose the route, you will first see the remaining the Sawaguchi-Tamon Turret on the left with a distant view of the Main Tower. The entrance to the castle consists of this turret and the other restored turret on the right. After entering, you will also see the remaining Stable which in the only remaining case in castles in Japan.
The aerial photo around the castle
The Sawaguchi-Tamon Turret on the left with a distant view of the Main TowerThe Sawaguchi EntranceThe inside of the Sawaguchi EntranceThe remaining StableThe inside of the Stable
Lots of Exhibition of Hikone Castle Museum
You can go across the bridge over the Inner Moat to enter the Front Gate Ruins as the front entrance of the castle. Inside the ruins, there is the Hikone Castle Museum which looks like the past Main Hall for the lord at the same place. The museum stores over 90,000 items about the Ii Clan and Hikone Domain and exhibits about 100 items of them.
The bridge over the Inner MoatThe Inner MoatThe ruins of the Front GateThe Hikone Castle Museum
You can see the items such as the unique Ii Clan’s Red Armor, swords, tee things, Noh masks and the remaining Noh stage. In the back of the museum, you should check out the restored part of the lord’s private quarters and Japanese Garden. They were restored in traditional methods using wooden materials based on the records and excavations.
The Red Armor which was said to be used by Naomasa Ii, exhibited by the Hikone Castle MuseumA tea jar called “Setotetsuyu-Shijiko” or “The Seto iron glaze jar with four handles”, exhibited by the Hikone Castle MuseumThe remaining Noh stage, exhibited by the Hikone Castle Museumthe restored chamber of the lord’s private quarters, exhibited by the Hikone Castle MuseumThe Japanese Garden, exhibited by the Hikone Castle Museum
Strong Line of Defense around Large Ditch
Let us next climb up the mountain to the center of the castle. After walking the long, wide stone steps, you will see a huge scale deep ditch with a bridge over it. You will need to go to the Taiko-maru Enclosure on the right side of the ditch to the center. However, you will first have to go on the bottom of the ditch, turn left to the other Kanenomaru Enclosure on the left, and go across the bridge to reach the enclosure. If you were an enemy, you would be counterattacked from both sides of the ditch, and the bridge would be fallen. The remaining Tenbin-Yagura or the Balance Turret also stands behind the bridge to protect the enclosure. It is said that this turret was built by moving the Main Gate of Nagahama Castle.
The stone steps to the center of the castleThe Large Ditch in front of the Balance TurretThe area around the Large Ditch drawn in the signboard at the site, with the additional red arrow which indicates the routeTurning left to the Kanenomaru EnclosureCrossing the bridge to the Balance TurretLooking down the bottom of the ditch from the bridgeLooking down the bridge from the Balance Turret
Contrasting Exterior and Interior of Main Tower
After passing the Taiko-maru Enclosure, you will reach the remaining Taiko-mon Yagura or the Drum Gate Turret, as the entrance of the Main Enclosure. There is only the Main Tower in the enclosure, but it looks very elegant.
Going to the Main EnclosureThe remaining Drum Gate TurretA view from the Main EnclosureThe remaining Main Tower in the Main Enclosure
This is because this three-level tower has a lot of decorations such as Chinese styled gables with gold work, hip-and-gables, gable ends, bell-shaped windows and the decorated veranda.
Chinese styled gableHip-and-gableGable endBell-shaped windows and the decorated veranda
You can enter the tower to look around from the first to the top which is the third floor. The interior of the tower is practical in contrast with its exterior. You can find many hidden loopholes for guns which would be used by breaking the outside walls. The holes have been left hidden because no battles occurred. It was also found that the tower was built by moving the four-level Main Tower of Otsu Castle and reducing to three levels.
The iron doors of the Main Tower EntranceThe first floor of the towerhidden loopholes on the wallThe second floor of the towerGoing to the top floorThe top floor of the towerYou can’t go out to the veranda at the top floor of the tower
You will finally reach the Main Enclosure on the top. The enclosure is also partly surrounded by stone walls. The southwestern corner stone walls are said to be part of the base for the Main Tower. However, it is still uncertain if the castle had the tower.
The map around the castle
The imaginary drawing of the Southwestern corner Turret (or Main Tower?) in the past, from the signboard at the siteThe present stone walls at the southwestern cornerThe remaining stone walls around the Main Enclosure
The inside of the enclosure is a square now, but stone foundations and roof tiles for some buildings were discovered by researchers.
The imaginary drawing of the Main Enclosure in the past, from the signboard at the siteThe present path to the Main EnclosureThe inside of the Main EnclosureYou can see some remaining stone foundationsThe ruins of the original Main Enclosure entrance
From there, you can see great views of the Kiso-gawa River in the north and the Nobi Plain in the west, like the lord of the castle did in the past. You will also realize the castle had a good location.
A view of the Kiso-gawa River from the Main Enclosure in the northA view of the Nobi Plain River from the Main Enclosure in the west
Later History
After Mino-Kaneyama Castle was abandoned, many of its stone walls were destroyed and its buildings were demolished as waste materials. In the Edo Period, the Owari Domain which owned the mountain including the ruins banned people from entering it. After the Meiji Restoration, the mountain was preserved as an Imperial Forest or a government-owned forest. Even after the castle was abandoned, it was still difficult for people to enter it many years later. The mountain was sold to the local government which is now Kani City. The city researched the ruins between 2006 and 2010 and found that they still have the features of a Shokuho style castle. The castle ruins were designated as a National Historic Site in 2013.
The monument for the mountain being sold to the local government
My Impression
When I visited the ruins of Mino-Kaneyama Castle, I pictured Tsuyama Castle which Tadamasa Mori finally built after he became the founder of the Tsuyama Domain in Mimasaka Province. Tsuyama Castle was built on a mountain with three tiers all surrounded by high stone walls. The castle was often considered impenetrable. I think Tsuyama Castle resembles Mino-Kaneyama Castle in the way that the stone walls were built. I also speculate that Tadamasa might have tried to build the strongest castle based on his experience of Mino -Kaneyama Castle.
The ruins of Tsuyama Castle
How to get There
I recommend using a car when you visit the castle ruins. It is about a 15-minute drive away from Kani-Mitake IC on the Tokai-kanjo Expressway. There are several parking lots including the Barbican Enclosure around the ruins If you want to use public transportation, you can take the YAO Bus from Akechi Station on Meitetsu-Hiromi Line and get off at the Moto-Keneyamacho-yakuba-mae bus stop. It takes about 15 minutes on foot from the bus stop to get there. To get to Akechi Station from Tokyo or Osaka: Take the Tokaido Shinkansen super express, transfer to the Meitetsu-Inuyama Line at Nagoya Station and transfer to the Meitetsu-Hiromi Line at Inuyama Station or Shin-Kani Station.
