main gate – ページ 2 – 日本200名城バイリンガル (Japan's top 200 castles and ruins)

105.Shiroishi Castle Part2

The restored three-level Main Tower is on the corner of the stone walls of the main enclosure, which looks really great! Not only is it a symbol of the castle but also of the city. It could also had been seen as the authority of the lord as well as a threat to enemies when the original tower was there.

Later History

After the Meiji Restoration, Kuniori Katakura, the last lord of the castle moved to Hokkaido with his some retainers. All the castle buildings and stone walls were demolished and sold to earn their expenses. The vacant castle ruins were turned into Masuoka Park which has became famous for cherry blossoms for some time. In 1987, a NHK drama called “Dokuganryu (one-eyed hero) Masamune” aired and became very popular. The drama featured not only Masamune Date but also the Katakura Clan, so many visitors visited the Shiroishi Castle Ruins but were disappointed at the ruins with few historical items. The mayor of the city saw the situation and decided to restore the castle in 1988.

One of the most important topics about it was that the castle would be restored using the traditional wooden construction. However, there was a big problem with the law. The original Main Tower was 16.7m high. Meanwhile, Japan’s Building Standard Act basically doesn’t allow builders to build wooden buildings which are over 13m tall. According to this law, the tower would not be able to be built. After that, The city negotiated with the central government, and finally got an exemption by the competent minster to build the tower at its original height. The restoration was completed in 1997.

The restored Main Tower of Shiroishi Castle

Features

Many Historical Items in Main Enclosure

Today, the Shiroishi city area still has a traditional atmosphere of Shiroishi Castle and its castle town. This is probably because the Main Tower was restored on the hill and the old waterways are still intact in the city area. There were several enclosures on the hill in the past, but they were turned into shrines, parks, and playgrounds, excluding the main enclosure with the restored items.

Shinmeisha Shrine in the second enclosure

The Masuoka Park in the second enclosure

That’s why most visitors go to the main enclosure by walking on the eastern or northern slopes on the hill. If you take the eastern one, you will see the few remaining original stone walls at the base of the enclosure. The other stones above were all demolished and sold during the early Meiji Era. You will next see the restored stone walls which were piled up using natural large stones in Nozura-zumi method. They look mild rather than wild as most of the stones were round-shaped.

The map around the main enclosure

The walls were piled up using natural stones

Well restored Main Tower and Main Gate

The restored three-level Main Tower is on the corner of the stone walls, which looks really great! Not only is it a symbol of the castle but also of the city. It could also had been seen as the authority of the lord as well as a threat to enemies when the original tower was there. In fact, there were three-generation towers on the walls during the Edo Period, which meant it had been rebuilt twice, according to the excavations. The current tower was restored on the second stone foundations because they remain in the best conditions. In addition, the appearance of the tower came from the third generation which was drawn in some pictures. The second and third ones are probably almost the same or similar since the third one was restored in 1823 after the second one burned in 1819.

Part of the Illustration of Shiroishi Castle, attributed to Unyo Koseki, owned by Shiroishi City, exhibited in the Main Tower

The main gate of the enclosure was also restored at the same time as the Main Tower. The gate consists of two gates and stone walls, which form a defensive space called Masugata. The Masugata systems in other castles are usually a square and closed space but that of Shiroishi Castle is very unique. The first gate is always open with no doors (according to the excavations so far) and the space inside is half occupied by a corner of the stone walls of the enclosure. Visitors can’t clearly see the inside, because it is blocked by the walls. That may be the reason for the first gate having no doors.

The second gate is half blocked by the stone walls

The Masugata system seen from the Main Tower

Other Ruins in Main Enclosure

The inside of the main enclosure is empty with the signboard of the Main Hall which was built there. The other sides of the enclosure look like earthen walls which remained after the covering stone walls had been removed. There are the Back Gate Ruins on the opposite side of the Main Gate. There are also the ruins of Tatumi (southeastern) Turret and Hitsujisaru (southwestern) Turret at other corners of the enclosure.

The Back Gate is marked by the red circle, the Southeastern Turret is marked by the blue circle and the Southwestern Turret is marked by the green circle, in the miniature model exhibited by the Shiroishi Castle History Museum

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

114.Karasawayama Castle Part2

Today, the ruins of Karasawayama Castle have been well developed as Karasawayama Shrine. Many people visit the shrine to pray for something, hike the mountain, see a great view, and recently see lots of friendly cats living in the shrine. Of course, some of the visitors enjoy historical items at the site as well.

Features

Castle Ruins are developed as Karasawayama Shrine

Today, the ruins of Karasawayama Castle have been well developed as Karasawayama Shrine. Many people visit the shrine to pray for something, hike the mountain, see a great view, and recently see lots of friendly cats living in the shrine. These cats seem to have been strayed or abandoned, but are now fed by volunteers and visitors.

Of course, some of the visitors enjoy historical items at the site as well. There are main routes from the foot of the mountain to the top in the south and west, similar to the castle’s period. In addition, the current routes have been developed for both cars and hikers, which means there are at least four routes.

The map around Karasawayama Shrine

The western hiking course (part of the original path)

Past and Current Routes

They are not the same as the original routes to the castle. For example, the two paved roads for cars from the two directions gather at the parking lot on the top. However, part of the road from the south was blocked by huge rocks near a remaining rock called Kagami-iwa (meaning the Mirror Rock). The two original paths to the castle gathered in front of the rocks and went to the Main Gate via zigzagging route.

Attractions along Main Route

If you enter the Main Gate Ruins from the parking lot, you will see the ruins have a typical alternating entrance with stone walls (but mainly built or renovated during the Meiji Era). The main route goes to the center inside the gate, but there are also some attractions from side to side. There is another huge rock called Tengu-iwa (meaning the long-nosed goblin rock) on the right (the southern side), which was a lookout and defensive point, and is a great viewing spot. There is also a hill on the left (the northern side), called Hiraishi-yama (meaning the mountain for avoiding enemies’ arrows). It was named after the armor the Sano Clan passed down from Hidesato Fujiwara, their founder. Therefore, it must have been used as another defensive spot.

The map around the castle

If you go ahead to the center on the main route, you will see a large well called Oi-no-ido on the left. It is 9m in diameter and over 8m deep and it still has spring water inside. The castle ruins have other wells, too. They were essential for the castle to be besieged for a long time. You will next see large and long dry moats, called Yotsumebori (meaning the fourth moat), which divided the main portion and the others. Only the fixed concrete arch bridge, called Shinkyo, goes over the moats. It was said to be originally a draw bridge which would have been fallen when a battle happened. People often say Uesugi Kenshin attacked this point but failed.

Kuruma-ido Well below the main enclosure

Four tiered Major Enclosures

The main route as the shrine’s approach goes on right side of the main portion. The portion consists of four tired enclosures, the belt, third, second and main enclosures from the bottom to the top. In particular, the third enclosure is the largest, which was said to be used as a reception room. You can visit it via a side path. There will be a division point of the approach and the original main route. If you go straight on the approach, you will reach below the stone steps of the shrine on the main enclosure. Otherwise, you can turn left and get to the second enclosure. It is recommended for castle visitors to take the latter because you can see the great stone walls of the main enclosure close by on your right.

The side path to the third enclosure via the belt enclosure

If you turn left, you will see the great stone walls on the right

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

108.Tsurugaoka Castle Part2

Today, the ruins of Tsurugaoka Castle have been developed as Tsuruoka Park. The site seems to have a different atmosphere from other castles or castle ruins. One of the reasons may be that the castle originally had water moats and earthen walls but few stone walls, giving the park a more scenic look for the visitors.

Features

Site looks Scenic and Retro-Modern

The map around the castle

Another reason is that there are several historical modern buildings around the park, most of which are in the Chido Museum. The museum is in the former Third Enclosure of the castle, where the lord’s residence was built. That’s why there is the Sakai Clan Garden which probably originates from the residence inside. The garden has also been designated as a National Place of Scenic Beauty. In addition, the current residence beside the garden was part of the retreat for the 9th lord, Tadaaki Sakai during the end of the Edo Period. The modern historical buildings, such as the former Tsuruoka Police Office built in the Meiji Era, were collected from somewhere in the city. Surprisingly, the museum director is a descendant of the Sakai Clan, who still live in the city.

The Chido Museum on the left and the Tsuruoka Park on the right

Entrances of old and current site

The park consists of the Main Enclosure in the center and partially the second enclosure surrounding. It has five entrances, the same number as in the past, but each has a different appearance or location. For example, the eastern entrance of the park was the Main Gate in the second enclosure, which was protected by the Masugata system. However, the system was removed and turned into the city area. The current path from the entrance goes straight to the center but past visitors had to go around to Naka-no-mon Gate (meaning the Middle Gate) at the southern side of the Main Enclosure after crossing Naka-no-hashi Bridge (meaning the Middle Bridge) over the Inner Moat.

The part of the Main Gate in the miniature model exhibited by the Chido Museum

The eastern entrance of the park (the Main Gate Ruins)

Past visitors had to go around from the Main Gate on the right to Naka-no-mon Gate in the front, according to the miniature model above

Current visitors can go straight to the center using the approach to Shonai Shrine

Meanwhile, the current southern entrance may be similar to the original Naka-no-mon Gate, where you can go across a bridge over the moat like the visitors used to cross the Naka-no-hashi Bridge. There is another traditional and beautiful modern building, called Taihokan Museum, behind the bridge, which was originally built in 1915 as a commercial museum, but has now become another historical museum. Therefore, you may feel a retro-modern atmosphere rather than from the castle’s period.

The part of the Naka-no-mon Gate in the miniature model above

The current southern entrance of the park, *taken by FRANK211 from photo AC*

The Naka-no-hashi Bridge was built near the current bridge

The Naka-no-mon Gate was built at the current Taihokan Museum

Shonai Shrine and Corner Turret Ruins in Main Enclosure

There are no castle buildings in the park. Instead, Shonai Shrine is in the Main Enclosure, which worships four ancestors of the Sakai Clan including Tadakatsu Sakai, the founder of the Shonai Domain. The shrine was established in 1877 in a part of a trend at that time of establishing shrines at abandoned castle sites. If you want to see something of castle-like items, you can go to the back of the shrine at the northern side of the enclosure. There are still surrounding earthen walls and also the ruins of the Corner Turret which was the substitute for a Main Tower.

The earthen walls surrounding the Main Enclosure

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