main gate – ページ 3 – 日本200名城バイリンガル (Japan's top 200 castles and ruins)

112.Kasama Castle Part2

Features

Walking from Foot is recommended

Today, the ruins of Kasama Castle have been convenient for both drivers and hikers. For example, if you drive to the ruins, you can choose either parking at the foot of the mountain before a long walk or parking at the mid slope near the top. However, if you have enough time to visit there, it may be better to take the former route because there are many more attractions of the castle widely spread throughout.

The map around the castle

Therefore, let us start from the parking lot at the foot to reach the top via the forest road to the mid slope for visiting the ruins by walk mentioned earlier in this article. Please be careful of the many cars that might pass your side. There are several hills around the castle ruins, so you will go on the winding road among the hills. The road eventually turns right at a right angle, which is the entrance to the castle ruins. In addition, if you go straight passing though the spot on the narrow path, you will get to the ruins of the northern gateway called Sakao-no-dorui (meaning the earthen walls of Sakao).

The parking lot at the foot of the mountain

If you turn right, you will get to the castle ruins, or you will be at the earthen walls of Sakao if you go straight

Looking at Mysterious Huge Rock and Outer Dry Moats

Going back to the forest road to the castle, you will see a huge rock which partially blocks the road on the left. It is called Daikokuseki (meaning the Rock of Mahakala) which has an interesting folklore as the following. When Shofukuji Temple fought against Tokuzoji Temple but was outnumbered and was at disadvantage, the huge rock near the top suddenly collapsed. The rock crushed the monk soldiers of Tokuzoji side on the narrow path, which resulted in their withdrawal. Since then, the rock has been called the Rock of Mahakala because it looks like the sack Mahalaka has and brought a fortune to the Shofukuji side which was located on the mountain (Mahalaka is the god of wealth in Japan).

Be careful when you pass through the rock

You will next see a large ditch on the left, which is part of the outer dry moats surrounding the whole castle area. That means this is where the entrance of the castle is. You will then walk on the road with a hill on the left and another hill over the valley on the right. They are all the ruins of the forts, so if you were an enemy, you would be attacked from both sides.

There was a fort on the hill on the left of the road

There was another fort on the right of the road across the valley

Sennin-Damari Enclosure and One Hundred Quarters Ruins at Mid Slope

You will eventually turn right and go across an earthen bridge over the valley before arriving at the parking lot at the mid slope. It was actually a large enclosure called Sennin-Damari (meaning Accommodating Ten Thousand Soldiers), which was probably used as a military post or barracks.

*If you turn right, you will get to Sennin-Damari* Enclosure, and there are the ruins of the One Hundred Quarters on the left

The *Sennin-Damari Enclosure, seen from the ruins of the One Hundred Quarters*

*The Sennin-Damari Enclosure* (the parking lot at mid slope)

There is also the ruin of the One Hundred Quarters of Shofukuji Temple opposite the enclosure across the forest road, where the temple prospered. However, there are no buildings and structures, but only the signboard and leveled ground with few graves, so it may look like another ruins of the castle’s fort.

From Main Gate to Main Enclosure

All visitors have to walk from the Sennin-Damari Enclosure to the center after passing a gate built by alternating stone walls. However, you can easily go on the restricted road to the top beside some castle items such as the Main Gate Ruins and partially remaining stone walls.

Every visitor has to walk from the Sennin-Damari Enclosure

You can easily get to the Main Enclosure along the restricted road

You actually have another option to get to the top by walking on a rough path through the original gates. You can first take the stone steps of the Main Gate and pass its Masugata system. Then, you will once meet the restricted road, but you can find other stone steps to the path on the right.

The map around the castle, the red broken line indicates the route through the original gates

Climbing the stone steps of the Main Gate

You will find other stone steps to the path on the right

If you go on the path crossing the slope, you will pass beside the Second Enclosure and reach the ruins of the Main Enclosure Gate which are similar to the Main Gate. No matter which way you choose, you will arrive at the same place, the Main Enclosure.

There is the Main Enclosure ahead and the Second Enclosure on the right

Arriving at the ruins of the Main Enclosure Gate

The Masugata system of the Main Enclosure Gate remains maybe better than the Main Gate

In the miniature model of Kasama Castle, the gate in the red circle is the Main Gate and that in the blue circle is the Main Enclosure Gate, I think

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

60.Ako Castle Part2

Features

One of Three Major Water Supply systems during Edo Period

Today, the ruins of Ako Castle have been well developed with lots of restored items probably thanks to the Ako Incident and the 47 Ronin. However, the ruins are worth more than its popularity and have distinct perspectives. For example, if you walk from JR Banshu-Ako Station to the ruins along the central street, you will find some explanation boards and relics for the old Ako Water Supply system. The system is considered one of the Three Major Water Supply systems during the Edo Period in Japan. This was due to few wells in the Ako area because of its salt industry.

The water supply pipes exhibited in the turret gate of the Main Enclosure

Third Enclosure, Front of Castle

After walking for a while, you will get to the Main Gate with the Corner Turret at the northern edge of the Third Enclosure. These buildings were restored during the 1950’s and have become a symbol of the castle.

Main Gate[/leaflet-marker]

The castle ruins are at the end of the street

The Corner Turret in the front and the Main Gate in the back

If you enter the gate after crossing the bridge over the moat in front of it, there is a square space surrounded by stone walls, called Masugata system. In the case of Ako Castle, the space consists of connected squares, more complex than a simple one, so the path has zigzag design, which would make the enemies get stuck.

Entering the Main Gate by going across the bridge

There is the Third Enclosure inside, which was used as the senior vassals’ residences, where only Oishi and Kondo’s row-house style gates remain on both sides of the path.

Entering the center of the Third Enclosure

The Oishi’s row-house style gate on the right

The Kondo’s row-house style gate on the left

Oishi’s main residence was turned into Oishi Shrine where he and the Ronin have been worshiped as the heroes of the incident. It may be the most popular spot in the castle. There are also some ruins of other 47 Ronin’s’ residences around.

The ruins of Kataoka’s residence, one of the 47 Ronin

Second Enclosure facing Sea in Past

If you go further to the center of the castle, you will get to the ruins of the Second Enclosure Gate. The enclosure is mostly surrounded by its water moats and surrounds the Main Enclosure.

The water moats and the stone walls surround the Second Enclosure

There was the residence of another Oishi (Tanomo-no-suke, Kura-no-suke’s great uncle) and the Second Enclosure Garden in the northern part inside. The residence’s gate and the garden were recently restored where you can enjoy walking and looking at the beautiful scenery. The partition gate dividing the northern and southern parts was also restored at the edge of the garden and you can use it during opening hours.

The restored gate of Oishi Tanomo-no-suke’s residence

The partition gate dividing the northern and southern parts of the Second Enclosure

The southern part was turned into a modern flower park, which used to face the sea in the past. The sea area was reclaimed to public facilities, so you may not understand what it looked like. However, there are ruins of the pier and gate, and Shiomi (meaning Watching Tide) and Minami-Oki (South Ocean) Turrets on the southern side of the enclosure, where you may understand its location.

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

14.Mito Castle Part3

After seeing the restored Main Gate and Corner Turret, I would like the city to restore the Three-level Turret as the Main Tower of the castle as well.

Features

Only Remaining building in Castle

Back to the central street, you can go further to the Main Enclosure. You may be surprised to see, in front of the enclosure, another but much deeper (22m) dry moat. It is now used as a ground for the Suigun Railway Line. Of course, it is the castle’s original. The enclosure has the only remaining building of the castle, Yakui-mon Gate which was said the Satake Clan had built. If it’s true, the gate might have been used as their Main Gate. Please make sure you don’t enter the school to stay where you are allowed to see it on the designated area around after crossing the Honjo-bashi Bridge over the moat.

The map around the castle, the broken red line shows the Sugiyama Slope and the broken blue line shows the Sakumachi Route

The large dry moat in front of the Main Enclosure

Its bottom has become a ground for the Suigun Railway Line

Going to the Main Enclosure over the bridge

The Yakui-mon Gate, the only remaining building of Mito Castle

Other Attractions in Second and Third Enclosures

There are two original back routes from the Second Enclosure, which we can still use, the Sugiyama-zaka Slope in the north and the Sakumachi Route in the south. Both routes have restored gates called Sugiyama-mon and Sakumachi-Sakashita-mon. If you walk down on the southern route to go back to Mito Station, you will see the large scale plateau on your right side, which is covered by concrete panels today. There was also the large Senba Lake on the left in the past, but it was reclaimed and reduced to the original western part around the Kairakuen Garden.

The restored Sakumachi-Sakashita-mon Gate

If you have time, you should consider visiting the large outer dry moat of the Third Enclosure, at the root of the plateau. It remains as it was and only the earthen walls go across the moat to the prefectural office which was the senior vassals’ residences. Overall, the castle was protected by the three huge moats.

The aerial photo of around the castle

The earthen bridge has become the entrance of the prefectural office

Later History

Even after the severe events in the early Meinji Era, the Three-level Turret in the Second Enclosure of Mito Castle, which was so great that it was once called “One of the 20 remaining main towers in Japan”, had still remained until World War II, but it was burned down by the Mito air raids in 1945. After World War II, the Kodokan area was designated as a Special National Historic Site in 1952. The other items, the earthen walls, dry moats, and Yakui-mon Gate has been designated as historic sites of Ibaraki Prefecture. Mito City has recently restored some castle buildings as we can see now.

The remaining earthen walls around the Yakui-mon Gate at the Main Enclosure

My Impression

After visiting the ruins of Mito Castle, I realized that strong castles don’t always need stone walls. This was proven not only by the past battles, but also by the two dry moats being used for the current transportation. In addition, seeing the restored Main Gate and Corner Turret, I would like the city to restore the Three-level Turret as the Main Tower of the castle as well. This is because the 8 Main Towers, which had been burned down mostly during World War II, were restored except for that of Mito Castle. However, there is no plan for it yet.

A view of the earthen walls and the dry moat in front of the Second Enclosure from the Main Bridge

The explanation board of the Three-level Turret is at a different place from its original position

How to get There

If you want to visit there by car, it is about a 15 minutes drive away from Minami-Mito IC on the Kitakando Expressway or a 30 minutes drive away from Mito IC on the Joban Expressway. There is a parking lot beside the Main Gate.
By public transportation, it takes about 10 minutes on foot to get there from JR Mito Station.
From Tokyo to Mito Station: Take the Hitachi limited express at Tokyo Station.

That’s all. Thank you.
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