90.Hirado Castle Part2

A castle with a unique character

Features

Layout using Yamaga style

Today, if you are close to the present Hirado Castle and look at the Imitation Main Tower and some rebuilt turrets on the hill, you may feel that the arrangement of how they are placed is odd. In other castles in general, the Main Tower and turrets are placed along the natural terrain. However, those of Hirado Castle look like they are facing their own directions. This is probably because these buildings were built along the complex line of the stone walls surrounding the castle, based on the Yamaga style.

The Imitation Tower and rebuilt turrets on the hill

The aerial photo around the castle

If you drive to the castle, you can easily go up to the parking lot in the northern part of the hill near the top. After parking, you can walk on the path to the Main Enclosure on the top. The trail reaches the only remaining castle buildings, which are the North Entrance Gate and the Raccoon Dog Turret. The stone walls beside the gate rise with an acute angle to the neighboring turret called Jizozaka
Yagura. This interesting feature may have come from the Yamaga style as well. After passing the gate, you will go on the zigzagged route surrounded by stone walls to the Main Enclosure.

The path from the parking lot to the top
The North Entrance Gate
The Raccoon Dog Turret
The stone walls rising to the Jizozaka Turret
Going to the Main Enclosure

Main Route to Kameoka Shrine as Approach

You can also access the castle from the south by walking on the Main Route. The route is also the approach to the Kameoka Shrine which is located in the Second Enclosure. The ruins of the Main Gate are on the route. These ruins still have a square space surrounded by strong stone walls, called Masugata, which were built for defense. If you go on to the Second Enclosure Gate’s wide stone steps
of the ruins, you will be in the Second Enclosure. There was the Second Enclosure Main Hall where the lord of the Hirado Domain lived. The three-story Inui Turret was rebuilt in the present time as a souvenir shop. The Kameoka Shrine is at the back of the enclosure below the Main Enclosure.

The Main Route
The ruins of the Main Gate
The square space of the Main Gate
The ruins of the Second Enclosure Gate
The rebuilt Inui Turret
The Kameoka Shrine

Castle, Town and Sea seen from Main Tower

The Main Enclosure has the Imitation Main Tower and two rebuilt turrets. The Main Tower was originally another turret called Okimi-Yagura. It is actually a modern building used as a historical museum and observation platform. From the top floor, you can enjoy a great view of the area around the castle, seeing Hirado Port in the north and Hirado Strait in the east both connect to the
Genkai-nada Sea, and there is the interesting shape of the enclosure below.

The Imitation Tower
A north view seen from the Main Tower
A east view seen from the Main Tower
A view of the Main Enclosure seen from the Main Tower

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

90.Hirado Castle Part1

The castle built with the Yamaga style military ingenuity

Location and History

Matsura Clan builds Former Castle

Hirado Castle is located in Hirado Island in the northwestern part of the Kyushu Region. The area around the island faces the Genkai-nada Sea between Japan and Korea. Because of this reason, the area prospered with sea transportation including overseas trade from the Ancient Times. A warriors’ group, known as the Matsuura Group, was very active using naval forces and sometimes pirates in the Middle Ages. In the 16th Century, one lord of the group, Takanobu Matsura, attained power and became a great warlord. He also supported the ruler, Hideyoshi Toyotomi and succeeded in maintaining his territory around the island.

The location of the castle

The portrait of Takanobu Matsura, owned by Matsura Historical Museum (licensed under Public Domain via Wikimedia Commons)

Takanobu’s son, Shigenobu became the founder of the Hirado Domain in 1600 by supporting the Tokugawa Shogunate. He also began construction of a new castle in 1599, known as Hinodake Castle, the former Hirado Castle, on Kameoka Hill at the edge of Hirado Island. Many of the details of Hinodake Castle are not known, but only an illustration of the castle, drawn by a Dutch missionary, is known to exist. According to the illustration, the castle had a spectacular tall Main Tower. However, the castle was burned down in 1613, probably just after its completion. The cause of the fire is unclear. One theory indicates Shigenobu himself burned the castle to avoid the shogunate’s doubt to Shigenobu that he might still have supported the Toyotomi Clan against the shogunate

The portrait of Shigenobu Matsura, owned by Matsura Historical Museum (licensed under Public Domain via Wikimedia Commons)
The illustration of Hinodake Castle, in the 17th Century  (licensed under Public Domain via Wikimedia Commons)

Rise and Fall of Hirado International Port

On the other hand, the area of Hirado Domain had been prospering as an international trading port since the arrival of Portuguese ships in 1550. When the domain was established, there were both the Dutch and English trading houses beside Hirado Port. In particular, the Dutch merchants brought silk products from Taiwan in exchange for silver in Japan. They made huge profits with this trade, and the Hirado Domain could also maintain their power without the need of the castle to support it. However, the Tokugawa Shogunate ordered the merchants to destroy the trading house and move to Nagasaki in 1641. This was probably because the shogunate aimed to monopolize the trade with foreign countries. It is also thought that the shogunate feared the spreading of Christianity after the Shimabara Rebellion being started by some Christians in Japan in 1637. Anyway, the power of the Hirado Domain declined due to the shogunate’s decision.

The restored Dutch trading house in Hirado  (licensed by Hkusano via Wikimedia Commons)
Part of the folding screens of Shimabara Rebellion, owned by Asakura City Akizuki Museum, from the exhibition of Arima Christian Heritage Museum

5th Lord, Takashi Matsura rebuilds Hirado Castle

Takashi Matsura, the 5th lord of the Hirado Domain, wanted to be an influencer in the Japanese political world. The Matsura Clan was one of the non-hereditary feudal lord families who were basically not able to have important roles in the central government. However, Takashi became the first commissioner of temples and shrines from the non-hereditary feudal lords in 1691. This was due to a harmonious relationship between the 5th Shogun, Tsunayoshi Tokugawa, and him. Then, his next objective was to rebuild his clan’s own castle again. Constructions of castles were basically not allowed by the shogunate to be against it. Nevertheless, the re-building of the castle was approved probably because of the good relationship with the shogun as well.

The portrait of Takashi Matsura, owned by Chojuji Temple (licensed under Public Domain via Wikimedia Commons)
The portrait of Tsunayoshi Tokugawa, attributed to Mitsuoki Tosa, owned by Tokugawa Art Museum (licensed under Public Domain via Wikimedia Commons)

Takashi rebuilt the castle named Hirado Castle at the same place as Hinodake Castle between 1703 and 1707. It was built using an advanced military ingenuity known as Yamaga style. One of the features of the castle from this style was the use of complex formed perimeters. The castle had three enclosures from the top of the structure to the foot of the hill; the Main, Second and Third Enclosures. Each enclosure was surrounded by stone walls which bended elaborately. The reason for it is thought to eliminate blind spots for the defenders in the event of an attack. The sea facing the north, east and west sides of the castle presented a natural hazard. The Main Gate was open to the south, where there was a deep dry moat in front of the gate to prevent attacks from this direction. The rebuilt castle had no Main Tower, but instead there was the three-story turret called Inui-Yagura as the symbol of the castle in the Second Enclosure. The Matsura Clan governed the castle and the Hirado Domain until the end of the Edo Period.

The illustration of Hirado Castle in Hizen Province, in 1703, owned by Matsura Historical Museum, The copy of the one submitted to the Tokugawa Shogunate, exhibited by Hirado Castle
The zoomed part of the Main Enclosure on the illustration above
The restored Inui-Yagura Turret

To be continued in “Hirado Castle Part2”

87.Hizen-Nagoya Castle Part2

Spectacular traces of Hideyoshi’s ambition

Features

From Main Route to Third Enclosure

Today, the ruins of Hizen-Nagoya Castle are well-developed as a historical park. If you drive to the ruins, you can use the parking lot of Saga Prefectural Nagoya Castle Museum beside the park. Visitors usually first visit the ruins by walking on the Main Route. You will see how large the ruins are at first sight. You will also see the large-scale stone walls still surrounding the ruins. However, many of them collapsed like a V letter. In fact, the collapse was done intentionally. If you walk to the Eastern Barbican Enclosure, the route turns back at almost 180 degrees to the Third Enclosure.

The castle ruins seen from around the Main Route
The Main Route
The stone walls being destroyed like a V letter
The Eastern Barbican Enclosure
The Main Route seen from the Eastern Barbican Enclosure
The route turns into the Third Enclosure
The Main Route written on the picture of the miniature model of Hizen-Nagoya Castle exhibited by the Saga Prefectural Nagoya Castle Museum

Third Enclosure as Pivot of Defense

The Third Enclosure should have been the defense’s pivot because the enclosure is next to the Main Enclosure, and both the Main Route and Back Route gather in it. The entrance to the Back Route is still surrounded by the ruins of a large-scale turret and stone walls using many huge stones. The inside of the enclosure has the ruins of a well which could have been used for a siege.

The Third Enclosure
The Third Enclosure drawn in “The folding screen of Hizen-Nagoya Castle”. from the signboard at the site
The entrance to the Back Route
The Back Route seen from the entrance
The ruins of the well

Main Enclosure as Center of Castle

You can walk on stone steps through the alternate Main Gate ruins surrounded by stone walls into the Main Enclosure. The enclosure is very large but empty now except for the monument of the castle. There are some flat exhibitions which indicates what buildings were built, such as the Southwestern Corner Turret and the Hall Turrets, by using stone foundations, gravel, paved areas.

The map around the Main Enclosure

Going to the Main Enclosure
The Main Enclosure
The ruins of the Southwestern Corner Turret
The ruins of the Hall Turrets

The stone wall base for the Main Tower is located in the northwestern corner of the enclosure. Though there are only a few stone walls left, you can enjoy see a great view of Genkai-nada Sea and the castle area around.

The stone wall base for the Main Tower
Only a few stone walls remain on the base
A view from the base

To be continued in “Hizen-Nagoya Part3”
Back to “Hizen-Nagoya Castle Part1”