149.Komakiyama Castle Part2

You can see the legacies of Nobunaga and Ieyasu

Features

Mountain and Castle surrounded by Earthen Walls

Now we can still see Mt. Komakiyama covered with the green of the plants noticeable on the plain area. The building on the top is the Komaki City History Museum which looks like a Main Tower. Komaki City has been developing the whole of the mountain as a historical park. The city opened Komakiyama Castle Historical Site Information Center at the foot in 2019.

A view of Mt. Komakiyama from the city area

Leaflet|国土地理院
The aerial photo around the castle

When you get close to the mountain, you can find earthen walls and dry moats surrounding it. They were made by Ieyasu Tokugawa when the Battle of Komaki and Nagakute happened in 1584. From the Miyukibashi Entrance of the eastern side, you can enter the park across the wooden bridge through the alternate earthen walls. The bridge is not original but was built just for tourists to enter the park easily. Inside the walls, there are plain enclosures which were used for the houses of Nobunaga and his retainers, and also used as military posts of Ieyasu’s troops.

The mountain surrounded by the earthen walls
The Miyukibashi Entrance
The inside of the earthen walls

Main Road similar to Azuchi Castle

From the Main Entrance of the southern side, you can walk up the Main Route, which Nobunaga originally created, to the mountain. The route goes up straight to the mid-slope of the mountain and becomes zigzagged in the upper part. This formation is very similar to that of Azuchi Castle which was Nobunaga’s last home base. This meant he had his own ideas about building castles from an early age.

The Main Route of Komakiyama Castle
The Main Route of Azuchi Castle
The Main Route above the mid slope
The Main Route of Azuchi Castle (above the mid slope)

Remaining Huge Stones and Stone Walls on Mountain

The Komaki City History Museum is on the top of the mountain where the Main Enclosure was. Around the top, you can see several huge stones lying down. In fact, these stones originally were built in the stone walls surrounding the Main Enclosure. Part of the stone walls still remain, and they were thought to be built by Ieyasu, not Nobunaga. However, the recent excavation found out that Nobunaga built these stone walls using huge stones. They were made into three tiers to demonstrate his authority. They are now recognized as a very early example of stone walls for a castle built in Nobunaga’s unique way.

The Komaki City History Museum (licensed by Bariston via Wikimedia Commons)
Around the top
One of the lying down huge stones
The remaining stone walls

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

149.Komakiyama Castle Part1

The castle had a very short life but rich history.

Location and History

Nobunaga’s Foothold

Komakiyama Castle was located on an 86m high mountain called Komakiyama, on Nobi Plain in Owari Province, what is now the western part of Aichi Prefecture. The mountain had no castle until Nobunaga Oda built a castle on it in 1563. The reason for it was that he wanted to move his home base from Kiyosu Castle in now Nagoya City to this castle. He aimed to capture Inabayama Castle, what is now Gifu City, which the Saito Clan owned at that time. Komakiyama was much closer to Inabayama than Kiyosu. However, it was very rare for warlords and their retainers to move their home to another. They always continued to live in places where their ancestors had been.

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Komakiyama Castle
Leaflet, © OpenStreetMap contributors
The location of the castle

The portrait of Nobunaga Oda, attributed to Soshu Kano, owned by Chokoji Temple, in the late 16th century (licensed under Public Domain via Wikimedia Commons)

Three Distinct Features

Komakiyama Castle by Nobunaga had three distinct features. First, the Main Enclosure or Honmaru on the top was surrounded by stone walls made using huge stones. Some of the stones were carried from another mountain. At that time, building stone walls for castles was rare, and there was likely no other case like Komakiyama. It was one of the earliest examples of using stone walls as a show of authority.

The remaining stone walls on the mountain

Secondly, the castle had two residences for the lord, one was on the mountain, the other was at the foot. Other warlords who had a mountain castle also often had two residences. They usually lived in the one on the foot and used the one on the mountain when a battle happened. However, in the case of Nobunaga, he seemed to live in his residence on the mountain. He might have considered the mountain as a special place. Another similar example can be seen in Gifu Castle, his next home base.

The excavation site on the mountain

Lastly, the Main Route went straight from the foot to the mid-slope of the mountain like Azuchi Castle, his last home base. It was abnormal for other warlords to have such a route on the mountain, because it was not defensive. The reason is still unsure, but it must have depended on Nobunaga’s idea. In addition, its castle town was built in an advanced way in an area where nothing existed prior. The town was divided orderly to accommodate warriors, merchants, and craftsmen separately. Such a way to develop castle town is commonly seen in those in the next century.

The straight Main Route from the foot
The miniature model of the castle town distribution at the site

Ieyasu’s Stronghold

The life of the castle by Nobunaga was just four years, as he was successful in capturing Inabayama Castle in 1567. He moved his home base again to Inabayama castle and renamed it Gifu Castle. Komakiyama Castle was abandoned right away. In 1584, the castle was reused by Ieyasu Tokugawa when he fought with the ruler Hideyoshi Toyotomi in the Battle of Komaki and Nagakute. Ieyasu reinforced earthen walls and dry moats surrounding the castle to establish a stronghold there against Hideyoshi at Inuyama Castle. This battle resulted in a dead heat and Ieyasu showed his great presence towards the founder of the Tokugawa Shogunate later.

The Portrait of Ieyasu Tokugawa, attributed to Tanyu Kano, owned by Osaka Castle Museum (licensed under Public Domain via Wikimedia Commons)
The earthen walls built by Ieyasu

To be continued in “Komakiyama Castle Part2”

40.Yamanaka Castle Part2

A beautiful historical park, now with a view of Mt. Fuji

Features

Third Enclosure as Entrance

Now, the ruins of Yamanaka Castle have been well developed and maintained as the Yamanaka-jo Castle Park by Mishima City, though the ruins have only earthen foundation. The entrance of the ruins is alongside the old Tokaido Road, and you can park at the parking lot inside when you visit the ruins by car. The entrance was also once that of the Third Enclosure which is now the town area. So, you will walk to the center of the castle by passing through the ruins of the moats for the enclosure. Most of the moats are dried, but part of them remains as a pond called “Tajiri-no-Ike”.

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Entrance
Leaflet, © OpenStreetMap contributors
The map around the castle

The entrance of the castle ruins
The dry moat of the Third Enclosure
Tajiri-no-Ike Pond

Second Enclosure as Pivot of Defense

From the pond, you have to walk up the stairs and winding slope to reach the Second Enclosure. The Second Enclosure was large and the connecting point with the center of the castle and the other parts. You can see good views of the area around, including Mt. Fuji from the enclosure. It is surrounded by high, thick earthen walls. It was the important point to protect the castle. Two more enclosures, including the North Enclosure, have been built to protect the Main Enclosure.

The slope to the Second Enclosure
The entrance of the Second Enclosure
A view from the Second Enclosure

Main Enclosure as Center of Castle

You have to walk up more and across the bridge to the center of the castle, the Main Enclosure. The bridge, which is made of half wood and half earth, looks very interesting. The part of woods could be destroyed when a battle happened. The Main Enclosure is the highest place in the castle and has two tiers. It is thought that a high turret called “Tenshu Turret” stood on the upper tier. The enclosure is surrounded by deep valleys.

The slope to the Main Enclosure
The bridge made of half wood and half earth
The ruins of Tenshu Turret at the Main Enclosure
The dry mort surrounding the Main Enclosure
The North Enclosure

Group of Western Enclosures

On the west of the Second Enclosure, there are the West Enclosure and the West Turret over another small enclosure called the former West Turret. Though they were all connected by wooden bridges in the past, we can now go to these enclosures through wooden or earthen bridges. The West Turret is also a kind of enclosures, but once had buildings for defense as the frontline of the castle. Actually, the severe battle between Hojo and Toyotomi occurred there. Many of the latticed dry moats called Une-bori and Shoji-bori remain around the West Turret and the West Enclosure. They were originally deeper and the soil was exposed. The original surfaces have been buried and planted to protect them, as a result, the moats look very beautiful like a waffle with a great view of Mt. Fuji.

The group of western enclosures
Going to the Former West Turret
The inside of the West Enclosure
A view from the West Enclosure
The West Turret
The latticed dry moat called Shoji-bori between the West Enclosure and the West Turret
the latticed dry moat called Une-bori around the West Turret

Taizaki-demaru defense strongpoint, others

Going back to the entrance of the ruins, you can also visit Taizaki-Damaru defense strongpoint to the south. This is a long and gently sloped enclosure which is also surrounded by earthen walls and Une-bori dry moats. The severe battle also occurred there, but it has a good atmosphere to walk around now. It may be a good idea to have lunch with a beautiful view of Mt. Fuji. You can also walk on the stone pavement of the old Tokaido Road below Taizaki-Dmaru. If you have time, I recommend that you visit the Sokan-ji Temple in the former Third Enclosure town area. There is the tomb of Naosue Hitotsuyanagi, a Hideyoshi’s commander, together with other tombs of Hojo’s soldiers.

Taizaki-Damaru defense strongpoint
A view from Taizaki-Damaru defense strongpoint
the latticed dry moat called Une-bori at Taizaki-Damaru defense strongpoint
A view of Mt. Fuji
The stone pavement of the old Tokaido Road
The old Tokaido Road through the Third Enclosure
The tomb of Naosue Hitotsuyanagi

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

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