Masugata – ページ 6 – 日本200名城バイリンガル (Japan's top 200 castles and ruins)

57.Sasayama Castle Part1

One of the castles which were built to surround Osaka Castle

Location and History

Tanba, Important Province for Rulers

Sasayama Castle was located in modern day Tanba-Sasayama City, in Hyogo Prefecture. Hyogo is a large prefecture which covers the western part of the Kansai Region. However, the castle was located at that time in Tanba Province which is much smaller than Hyogo Prefecture but was located in mountain areas just behind the northwest of Kyoto, the previous capital of Japan. That meant governing Tanba Province was very important to protect Kyoto and monitor if the lords in western Japan would do something effective to the central political circles.

The range of Tanba Province and the location of the castle

Castle construction is ordered by Shogunate

Ieyasu Tokugawa defeated Mitsunari Ishida supporting the Toyotomi Clan in the Battle of Sekigahara in 1600 and established the Tokugawa Shogunate by becoming the shogun in 1603. However, the situation was still unstable because the Toyotomi Clan was still living in Osaka Castle, which was uncontrollable by the shogunate. In addition, there were many lords in western Japan, who were in favor of the Toyotomi Clan and might have been against the shogunate in the future. The response of Ieyasu to the situation was to build several strong castles around Osaka Castle to contain the Toyotomi Clan and divide the Toyotomi Clan and its favors. They are known as Nagoya, Iga-Ueno, Hikone, Zeze, Nijo in Kyoto, Kameyama and Sasayama Castles. These castles were built as the construction orders by the shogunate, which made lords including the Toyotomi Clan favors join at their own expenses. The side effects of the constructions were to reduce the lords’ money and force them to give up their rebellious split to be against the shogunate by showing the strong network of the castles.

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

The network of the castles around Osaka Castle, which Ieyasu built

The construction of Sasayama Castle launched in 1603, which was instructed by Terumasa Ikeda who was the lord of Himeji Castle, with the help of 20 lords from 15 provinces and was designed by Takatora Todo who was considered as a master of castle constructions. The castle was built on a hill called Sasayama, in the Sasayama Basin. The main portion of the castle was on the hill, using the natural terrain and building high stone walls over the hill. Other than that, the castle had simple flat square enclosures and double water moats surrounding it. That designs made it easier to build the castle, but it would made it weaker to protect the castle instead.

The Portrait of Terumasa Ikeda, owned by Tottori prefectural art museum (licensed under Public Domain via Wikimedia Commons)

The portrait of Takatora Todo, private owned (licensed under Public Domain via Wikimedia Commons)

The main portion of Sasayama Castle, from the miniature model of the castle, exhibited by the historical museum in the Large Study Hall of Sasayama Castle

The castle was surrounded by the double water moats, from the miniature model of the castle, same as above

Castle is designed by Takatora Todo

To prevent enemies from attacking it easily, Takatora designed the castle’s entrances to be strictly protected using the Masugata system. The Masugata refers to a defensive square space which was surrounded by gates and stone walls where enemies would be locked out. Another defensive system that Takatora designed was the Umadashi. It refers to a square enclosure sticking out from the entrance connected by a narrow path among the moat. The enclosure had another moat in front of it, so its entrances were at both sides where the defenders could counterattack from them. Takatora established these structures in his own Imabari Castle which was completed in 1604.

The Umadashi and Masugata systems at the Main Gate of Sasayama Castle, from the miniature model of the castle, same as above

The Masugata system of Imabari Castle, from the signboard at the site

Main Tower is not built

On the other hand, Sasayama Castle didn’t have its Main Tower in the Main Enclosure on the top. In fact, the stone wall base for the tower was built, however, the tower was not built. This was because the shogunate determined the castle would not need it as it would be enough to protect the castle without it. Another reason was that the lords working for the construction also needed to move to the another site for Nagoya Castle. That’s why Sasayama Castle was completed after only a half year of construction. Instead, several turrets were built in the Main Enclosure and the Main Hall for the lord was built in the Second Enclosure, which constituted the main portion of the castle.

The stone wall base for the Main Tower of Sasayama Castle

The Main Enclosure of Sasayama Castle, where its Main Tower was not built, from the miniature model of the castle, same as above

The Large Study Hall, the restored building of the Main Hall in the Second Enclosure of Sasayama Castle

The castle was first owned by Yasushige Matsudaira, a relative of Ieyasu Tokugawa. After the shogunate defeated the Toyotomi Clan in 1615, several hereditary feudal lords followed the castle to monitor non-hereditary feudal lords in western Japan as the Sasayama Domain, such as the Aoyama Clan which governed the area until the end of the Edo Period.

The portrait of Yasushige Matsudaira (licensed under Public Domain via Wikimedia Commons)

A general view of Sasayama Castle, from the signboard at the site

To be continued in “Sasayama Castle Part2”

198.Chiran Castle Part3

Very impressive castle to me

Features

Stronger Defense of Main Enclosure

The group of the Main and Kuranjo Enclosures on the right are even more defensive. If you want to go there, you will find the group has two tiers. You will need to pass the first Masugata entrance and reach the first tier before going to the two tops of these enclosures. Each enclosure also has the same defense system as the Imanjo Enclosure mentioned above, which meant enemies had to break the double Masugata entrances.

*The layout drawing of Chiran Castle, quoted by Minami-Kyushu City, the route to the Main and Imanjo Enclosures (the red arrows)*

The inside of the Main Enclosure is also empty where only the stone monument of the castle stands. The Kuranjo Enclosure is the place where the excavation for the castle was mainly done recently. The excavation team found earthen foundations of some buildings and lots of relics such as pottery and porcelain imported from China and Thailand, and used when the castle was active. That’s why partially restored columns of the buildings are exhibited on the ground there. Unfortunately, views from the enclosures are not good because of the trees and bushes around. It may be difficult for the officials to develop them as a view spot due to the fragile natural terrain.

The inside of the Main Enclosure (licensed by Mizushimasea via Wikimedia Commons)

The inside of Kuranjo Enclosure, quoted from the website of Minami-Kyushu City

Some of the excavated relics of Chinese ceramic-ware, from the signboard at the site

Later History

During World War II, Chiran Castle Ruins were used for air-raid shelters by digging into their cliffs. As for the castle ruins, the excavation started in 1992, which found the original moats, the Masugata entrances, some building foundations, and lots of relics. As a result, the ruins were designated as a National Historic Site in 1993. In addition, the excavation re-started again in 1998 before the Kuranjo Enclosure was developed for preservation and exhibition in 2005.

The signboard at the entrance of the castle ruins

My Impression

I didn’t know about Chiran Castle at all before my visit to the ruins. I was really surprised to see that the castle had been built using the special conditions the area had. I think this is one of ancestors’ wisdom we should respect. This is also one of the reasons that I love visiting castles and ruins. In addition, I have actually deleted all my photos of the ruins in my camera accidentally except for few ones in my smartphone. I usually write my castle-visiting articles based on my photos. However, this time, I managed to write my article of Chiran Castle using my strong impressions from some books, leaflets and other website articles.

The ruins of Sadowara Castle, another example of castles which were built on the Shirasu Plateau

How to get There

If you want to visit the castle ruins by car, it is about a 20 minute drive away from Chiran IC on the Ibusuki Sky Line. There is a parking lot around the ruins’ entrance.
If you want to use public transportation, you can take the Kagoshima Kotsu Bus bound for Chiran at the East No.16 platform in front of Kagoshima-chuo Station and get off at the Nakagori bus stop (for those who visit the ruins from the Chiran Samurai Residences side) or the Tokko-Kannnon-Iriguchi bus stop (for visiting them from the former Chiran Airport side). It takes about 20 minutes on foot to get there either form these bus stops.
From Fukuoka to Kagoshima-chuo Station: Take the Kyushu Shinkansen super express.
From Tokyo to Kagoshima-chuo Station: Take the express bus from Kagoshima Airport after using a plane.

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

198.Chiran Castle Part2

You can experience a castle on the Shirasu Plateau.

Features

Walking down to Maintain Castle

Today, the ruins of Chiran Castle are accessible either from the Chiran Samurai Residences side at the foot the plateau or from the former Chiran Airport (where Chiran Peace Museum for Kamikaze Pilots is located) side on the plateau. If you choose the latter route, you may get an interesting experience.

The map around the castle, the blue broken line is the route from Chiran Samurai Residences to the castle, and the red broken line is the route from the former Chiran Airport to the castle

When you want to go to a mountain (or hill) castle, you will usually go up or at least go on flat ground close to the castle. However, in the case of the route from the plateau to Chiran Castle, you will go down towards the castle and eventually reach the bottom of the deep dry moats. This is because of the special location and the construction method of this castle on the edge of the plateau. You will also look up at the tall enclosures looking like mountains from the ruins’ entrance which is actually the moat’s bottom.

Arriving at the past bottom of the moat, the plateau in on the right

The enclosures on the plateau look very tall

Walking on Bottom of Deep Dry Moat

The dry moat is still about 20m deep which was filled in naturally by the collapsing volcanic ash since the period of the castle being active. Visitors first need to walk on the bottom of the moat which was also used as a path in the past. If you walk on the bottom from the entrance, two of the four primary enclosures, the Main and Kuranjo Enclosures are on the right, and the other two enclosures, Imanjo and Yunbajo Enclosures are on the left, as the signposts at the site show.

The map around the castle including the four primary enclosures

The bottom of the dry moat (licensed by PIXTA)

the signpost for Imanjo and Yunbajo Enclosures at the site (licensed by PIXTA)

Protected Route to Enclosure

For example, if you want to go to the Imanjo Enclosure, you need to turn left and go up the path to it. However, the path doesn’t go directly to its entrance. Attackers first need to reach the wall of the enclosure and go along the side to reach it. That means the defenders of the castle would attack enemies from above before they reach the entrance. The entrance also had the defensive Masugata system. The inside of the enclosure is a flat square which has no buildings now, but you can see the earthen square shape of Masugata and earthen walls around.

The layout drawing of Chiran Castle, quoted by Minami-Kyushu City, the route to Imanjo Enclosure (the red arrow) and the counterattack from the enclosure (the blue arrow)

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