Main tower – ページ 9 – 日本200名城バイリンガル (Japan's top 200 castles and ruins)

4.Hirosaki Castle Part3

Park with beautiful cherry blossoms

Features

There is one more remaining gate building at the North Enclosure, the northmost one in the castle. It had originally been the Main Gate before the route to the castle was changed. That’s why the gate is larger than other remaining gate buildings. If you visit all the remaining buildings in the castle, you can see how large the castle is.

The remaining North Gate of the North Enclosure

Later History

After the Meiji Restoration, Hirosaki Castle was abandoned and many residential buildings such as the Main Hall for the lord were demolished. However, The Main Tower, the turret and gate buildings fortunately remained, though some of them were accidentally burned. In 1895, the castle ruins were turned into Hirosaki Park. Since then, cherry trees have been planted little by little, and the number of them reached about 2,600 by now. The first cherry blossom viewing party was held as early as in 1918. Its 100th event was held in 2021.

The Main Tower of Hirosaki Castle with cherry blossoms

As for historical issues, the Main Tower, three Three-story Turrets and five gate buildings lastly remain and all designated as the Important Cultural Properties.

The Second Enclosure Ushitora Turret, one of the three Three-story Turrets

The Second Enclosure East Gate, one of the five gate buildings

My Impression

When I compared the old drawing of Hirosaki Castle in the Edo Period with the recent map of Horosaki Park, I was really surprised to see that they are very similar. I also felt like that the castle remains as it is when I visited the park because many castle buildings are still there.

The map around the castle

Part of the illustration of Hirosaki Castle in Tsugaru District, in the Edo Period, exhibited by the National Archives of Japan

I hope that the repair of the stone walls will be completed and the Main Tower will go back to the original location soon. I also think we can enjoy the castle and park in all seasons – cherry blossoms in spring, the Neputa Festival in summer, autumn leaves in fall and snow in winter.

The Main Tower before the stone wall repairing

The Second Enclosure East Gate with autumn leaves (taken by まさあき from photoAC)

How to get There

If you want to visit there by car:
It is about 10 minutes away from Owani IC on the Tohoku Expressway.
There are several parking lots around the park.
By train, it is about 30 minutes away from Hirosaki Station on foot, or you can take the “100-yen Dotemachi Loop Bus” from the station and get off at the Shiyakusho-mae bus stop.
To get to Hirosaki Station from Tokyo: Take the Tohoku Shinkansen super express and transfer at Shin-Aomori Station to the Ohu Line.

Links and References

・Hirosaki Park, Hirosaki Castle

That’s all. Thank you.
Back to “Hirosaki Castle Part1”
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4.Hirosaki Castle Part2

The castle remains in nearly its original range.

Features

From Outer Moat to Third Enclosure

Surprisingly, almost all the range of Hirosaki Castle remains as Hirosaki Park.

The aerial photo around the castle, it looks almost the same as the old illustration of the castle below.

If you visit the park from the south such as Hirosaki Station, you will enter the Main Gate at the Third Enclosure surrounded by the earthen walls and the Outer Moat. You will also find huge amount of cherry trees planted on the earthen walls and can imagine beautiful cherry blossoms even if it is not spring.

Around the Outer Moat with cherry trees planted

The gate is one of the two remaining gate buildings at the enclosure. You may also find the gate turning to the other side not facing you. This is because other castles built in the same period as Hirosaki Castle usually have a gateway with two gate buildings. The first one is facing the visitors and the second one is turning to other the side. The two buildings form a square space with other walls to protect the castle, called “Masugata”. In the case of Hirosaki Castle, the first one was omitted, which has a very unique style.

An example of the Masugata style from the restored Yamanote-mon Gate of Kofu Castle

There is an Information Center in the enclosure.

Second Enclosure still has all its Gates and turrets

The aerial photo of around the Second Enclosure

You will walk inside, then see the Second Enclosure surrounded by the earthen walls and the Central Moat. It is also amazing that the two gates and three Three-Story Turrets of the enclosure all remain now. These turrets have cooper plate roof tiles, which make them look thin. The combination of the turrets and the earthen walls also look very good. There is an Information Center in the enclosure.

The remaining Second Enclosure South Gate

The remaining Second Enclosure Tatsumi Turret

The remaining Second Enclosure Hitsuji-saru Turret

Main Enclosure where Main Tower was once moved

The aerial photo around the Main Enclosure

You will soon reach the Main Enclosure with the remaining Main Tower inside the Inner Moat. In fact, the stone walls on the eastern side of the enclosure are being repaired (as of Sep 2021). This is because the surface of the stone walls are inflated that might collapse if there’s an earthquake.

The stone walls of the Main Enclosure which are being restored

For this reason, the Main Tower was once moved from the stone wall base at the southeast corner to the center of the enclosure. Therefore, you can see the Main Tower close by. The two sides of the tower that faces the outside are much decorated. On the other hand, the other sides facing the inner part are very simple. It might be for that the tower was at first built as a substitute, anyway it’s so interesting.

The present stone wall for the Main Tower without it

The sides of the Main Tower which are decorated

The sides of the Main Tower which are very simple

You can also see the large stone base for the first five-layer Main Tower at the southwest corner in the enclosure. If the weather is fine, you can see a great view of Iwaki-san Mountain from there.

The stone wall base for the first Main Tower

The view could be like this if the weather is fine (taken by u**m from photoAC)

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

130.Takashima Castle Part2

The Main Enclosure of the castle was developed as a park.

Features

Main Enclosure as Park and rebuilt Main Tower

Now the ruins of Takashima Castle became the modern day Takashima Park. The park includes the Main Enclosure and the water moat of the northern and eastern sides of it. Other enclosures were turned into the city area. Suwa Lake is now about 400m away from the park, so it is difficult to imagine “the floating castle”. The stone walls of the enclosure and the moat are original, and some buildings such as the Main Tower were rebuilt.

The aerial photo around the castle

The rebuilt Main Tower is actually a modern building which looks similar to the original one. The building has a cooper plate roofing, not wooden strip roofing from the original, but they probably resemble each other. The inside of the tower is used as a historical museum and an observation platform. You can see a view of Suwa Lake in the distance from the top. You may also have a feeling of the passage of time.

Three Entrances of Main Enclosure

The Main Enclosure has three entrances. The Kabuki-mon Gate was rebuilt on the heavy stone walls at the northern side of the enclosure. It was also the front gate of it, connected to the Second Enclosure, and only high class people were allowed to use the gate.

The Kawado-mon Gate is at the western side of the enclosure. The remaining building was actually used as the back gate of the Main Hall at the Third Enclosure, and moved to the present position. When the castle was beside the lake, it was possible to take a ship to the lake from this gate.

The ruins of Tsuchido-mon Gate is at the southern side of the enclosure. It was the side gate for people who couldn’t use the front gate, Kabuki-mon.

The Main Hall for the lord was inside the enclosure where a Japanese garden and Suwa-Gokoku Shrine are now.

The Japanese garden in the Main Enclosure

Remaining items and Rebuilt ones

The remaining stone walls surrounding the Main Enclosure still look great today. Three turrets were originally on the stone walls, and only one of them, the Sumi-yagura or the Corner Turret was rebuilt.

The rebuilt Corner Turret on the remaining stone walls

You can see the combination of the Main Tower, the Kabuki-mon Gate, and the Sumi-yagura Turret with the water moat and bridge at the northern side of the enclosure. In my opinion, this is the best spot to take photos.

A view of the northern side of the Main Enclosure

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