タグ: medieval city

102.Kaminokuni-Katsuyama Date Part3

These ruins deserve a long journey to visit.

Features

Main Gate as Pivot of Defense

You will finally reach the front of the main portion, the Main Gate Ruins. If you go out of the ruins, you can see how well the gate was protected. There is another enclosure in front it, divided by a long and deep dry moat. The moat has double ditches and you need to go across them on a small bridge and a large one. These bridges are zigzagged so that enemies would sometimes be stuck when they attacked the hall. There are thick and high earthen walls with restored wooden fences around the gate ruins, where you can imagine defenders could counterattack with arrows.

Arriving at the Main Gate Ruins
Looking at the ruins form the outside
The two bridges were built being zigzagged
The restored wooden fences on the earthen walls around the gate
Around the Main Gate of the Kaminokuni-Katsuyama-Date miniature model, exhibited by the Katsuyama Castle Guidance Facility

Later History

Kaminoyama-Katsuyama Date Ruins were the place of ancestor worship for the Matsumae Domain during the Edo Period. As castle ruins, they were designated as a National Historic Site in 1977, considered one of the “Kaminokuni Hall Ruins” including Hanazawa Tate, one of the Dounan 12 Halls. After that, they have been excavated and researched since 1979. That’s why the new discoveries about the mainland and Ainu people were found.

the miniature model of Kaminokuni-Katsuyama-Date, exhibited by the Katsuyama Castle Guidance Facility
The ruins of the Main Gate

My Impression

I think Kaminokuni-Katsuyama Date deserves not only a hall, but definitely a castle or a medieval city, too. That was the destination of the halls which the mainland people going to Ezo built. That also created a unique way of life where the mainland and Ainu people lived together. I recommend visiting the ruins even though it may take a long time for you to get there.

The Iouzan Tombs seen from the Katsuyama Castle Guidance Facility
The ruins of the Stable

How to get There

I recommend using a car when you visit the castle ruins because there are only a few buses available.
It is about 70km drive away from Shin-Hakodate-Hokuto Station. From Hakodate Airport or the center of Hakodate City, it takes about 90km to get there. You can use the parking lot beside the Katsuyama Castle Guidance Facility. It may be a good idea to rent a car at the station or the airport.
To get to Shin-Hakodate-Hokuto Station from Tokyo: Take the Hokkaido Shinkansen super express at Tokyo Station.

The parking lot beside the Katsuyama Castle Guidance Facility

Links and References

・Katsuyama Castle Guidance Facility, Kaminoyama Town

That’s all. Thank you.
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37.Ichijodani Castle Part2

You can imagine and see the medieval city.

Features

Unending Ruins of Ichijodani

If you visit the ruins of Ichijodani Castle by driving or walking on the route along the valley, you will be surprised to see unending residence ruins on both sides of the route. The area of 278 hectares was designated as a National Special Historic Site named the Ichijodani Aasakura Clan Ruins. Over 2,300 unearthed items from the site were also designated as Important Cultural Properties.

The aerial photo around the castle

The ruins along the valley
The ruins of the castle town

You can also see the ruins of fortress entrances at both edges of the site. The ruins of the Outbound Fortress Entrance still have an alternate entrance using huge stones. The entrances resemble a castle gate. The Inbound Fortress Entrance was restored in 1990 and it is 105m long and 5m tall earthen walls.

The ruins of the Outbound Fortress Entrance
The alternate entrance using huge stones
The restored Inbound Fortress Entrance

Restored Castle Town of Sengoku Period

Thanks to the achievement of excavation, you can visit the about 200m long restored streets and residences at the center of the ruins. If you stand in the streets, you will feel like you were in a real medieval city.

The restored streets and residences

You can also enter these restored residences. For example, in a merchant house, the mannequins of merchants sell something like potteries.

The inside of the restored merchant house

In a warrior’s house, the male mannequins play Japanese chess in the Japanese style drawing room, while the servant mannequins prepare a meal in the kitchen. These items were all restored based on the relics from the site, the remaining pictures, and buildings in other sites.

The restored warrior’s house
The mannequins playing Japanese chess in the Japanese style drawing room
The inside of the kitchen

Asakura Clan Hall Ruins in Center

You should check out the ruins of the Asakura Clan Hall Ruins which is located on the opposite side of the restored streets separated by the Ichijodani River. The hall was largest building in Ichijodani, which was used by the lord of the clan. The ruins are about 120m square, and still have earthen walls and water moat surrounding them. The ruins also have a Chinese style gate building in front of them. The remaining gate is that of the Shounin Temple which was built on the ruins in the Edo Period after the hall was burned. The ruins and the temple gate fit in with each other very much.

The Asakura Clan Hall Ruins surrounded by the earthen walls and water moat
The Chinese style gate building at the ruins entrance

Inside the ruins, the location of each building is shown as a flat exhibition, so you can understand what buildings were built in the past.

The inside of the hall ruins
A view of the hall ruins from the upper back side

Actual Special Places of Scenic Beauty Gardens

There are also several hall ruins for the Asakura Clan’s relatives. Moreover, four of the ruins of the clan’s gardens around the halls have also been designated as Special Places of Scenic Beauty since 1991. It is surprising that the gardens as they were in the 16th Century, still impress people in the present time.

The ruins of Nakanogoten Hall, one of the hall ruins for the Asakura Clan’s relatives

For example, Yudono Garden Ruins above the Asakura Clan Hall Ruins have the combination of wild rocks. It is said that the atmosphere of the garden is similar to that of the Sengoku Period.

The Yudono Garden Ruins

It is said that Suwa Residence Garden, now called the Suwa Residence Garden Ruins, was originally built for Yoshikage Asakura’s wife. It is a beautiful waterfall garden made using huge stones. The largest stone in the garden is said to be the largest one for a waterfall garden in Japan.

The Suwa Residence Ruins
The Suwa Residence Garden Ruins
The garden was made using huge stones

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