Kitabatake Clan, Authority in Tohoku Region built Castle
Namioka Castle was located in what is now Aomori City in the middle of Aomori Prefecture. It is said that the Kitabatake Clan built the castle in the late 15th Century. The Kitabatake Clan was originally a noble family which supported the Southern Court in the 14th Century during the Period of the Northern and Southern Courts. The Southern Court sent Akiie Kitabatake to Tohoku Region to govern the region against the Northern Court. Akiie eventually returned to central Japan, while his relatives remained in Tohoku Region under the Nanbu Clan which also supported the Southern Court.
The illustration of Akiie Kitabatake, owned by Ryozan Shrine (licensed under Public Domain via Wikimedia Commons)
In the first 15th Century during the Muromachi Period governed by the Ashikaga Shogunate, the Nanbu Clan and the Ando Clan often battled over the northern Tohoku Region around what is now Aomori Pref. However, they finally compromised each other and gave evidence for the peace in the late 15th Century. It is thought that The Kitabatake Clan was focused on and set up as a mediator at that time. The area around Namioka Castle was at the middle point between the territories of the Nanbu Clan in the east and the Ando Clan in the west.
The location of the castle
It was also a good place for transportation, so the castle prospered with trade. The authority of the Kitabatake Clan reached a peak in the first 16th Century, as the Imperial Court gave the clan a high court rank as a noble. The other clans in Tohoku Region respected the Kitabatake Clan and called the lord family of the clan “Namioka Palace”.
The imaginary drawing of Namioka Castle, exhibited by the House in the Aomori-shi Middle Ages
Group of Enclosures with certain features
Namioka Castle was on a hilly area alongside Namioka River, so its location was relatively defensive. The castle consisted of a group of enclosures called “Date” like the Nanbu Clan’s home base, Ne Castle. There were eight enclosures such as Uchi-date or the Inner Enclosure and Kita-date or the North Enclosure. The Inner Enclosure was probably the oldest one which was used as the Main Hall for the lord of the castle. The hall had a high-class reception hall called Kokonoma where the meeting between the lord and visitors would be held. The North Enclosure was the largest one in the castle where the warriors and craftsmen under the lord lived. The doubled or tripled water moats divided these enclosures. These moats have the middle earthen walls making the moat doubled which were used for defense in emergency and as a route in general.
The eight enclosures of Namioka Castle (from the signboard at the site)The restored interior of the high-class reception hall, exhibited by the House in the Aomori-shi Middle AgesThe miniature model of the North Enclosure, exhibited by the House in the Aomori-shi Middle Ages
Castle was defeated by Tamenobu Oura
In 1562, an internal trouble among the Kitabatake Clan called the Kawahara Palace Rebellion happened. A relative family of the lord, called Kawahara Palace killed the lord, Tomokazu Kitabatake. Kawahara Palace was also defeated, as a result, the power of the clan declined. Tamenobu Oura, a relative of the Nanbu Clan aimed to be independent from the Nanbu Clan. Taking advantage of the rebellion, he defeated the Kitabatake Clan and captured Namioka Castle in 1578. He sent a local governor to Namioka Castle for a while, but the castle was abandoned when he built Hirosaki Castle in the first 17th Century.
The portrait of Tamenobu Oura, later Tamenobu Tsugaru, owned by Hirosaki Castle Tower (licensed under Public Domain via Wikimedia Commons)The imaginary drawing of the fall of Namioka Castle, exhibited by the House in the Aomori-shi Middle Ages
九戸城は戦国時代終焉の地であり、悲しい歴史を秘めています。
Kunohe Castle was where the Warring States Period ended, and it has a sad history.
九戸城本丸跡～The ruins of Kunohe Castle’s Honmaru
立地と歴史～Location and History
九戸城は、現在二戸市となっている二戸地区にありました。この城は、九戸地区から来た九戸氏によって築かれました。九戸城という名前は土地の名前からではなく、この氏族の名前から来ているのです。
Kunohe Castle was in the Ninohe area now called Ninohe City. This castle was built by the Kunohe clan which came from the Kunohe area. The name Kunohe Castle comes from the clan’s name, not from the name of the land.
二戸市周辺の地図～The map around Ninohe City
九戸氏は、もともと戦国時代の東北地方の有力戦国大名であった南部氏の一族でした。南部晴政が亡くなった後、南部氏の後継をめぐって内紛が起こりました。南部の重臣たちは、晴政の従弟である南部信直を後継に推しましたが、もう一人の候補者を推薦した九戸政実と対立しました。信直は合議により後継に選ばれましたが、それ以来、信直と政実は対立を深めました。そしてついに１５９１年に政実は、信直に対し反乱を起こしました。 Originally, Kunohe clan were relatives of the Nanbu clan, the great warlord in Tohoku district in the Warring States Period. There was internal trouble about the inheritance of the Nanbu clan after Harumasa Nanbu died. The Nanbu’s senior vassals recommended Harumasa’s cousin, Nobunao Nanbu as the successor against another candidate supported by Masazane Konohe. Nobunao was chosen in their meeting, but since then, he and Masazane confronted each other. As a result, Masazane rebelled against Nobunao in 1591.
南部晴政肖像画、もりおか歴史文化館蔵～The portrait of Harumasa Nanbu, owned by Morioka History and Culture Museum（licensed under Public Domain via Wikimedia Commons）南部信直肖像画、もりおか歴史文化館蔵～The portrait of Nobunao Nanbu, owned by Morioka History and Culture Museum（licensed under Public Domain via Wikimedia Commons）九戸政実の掛け軸～The scroll of Masazane Kunohe（二戸市商工会 Web Site から引用）
ちょうどそれは豊臣秀吉が天下統一を進め、１５９０年の「奥州仕置」といわれる、秀吉による東北地方の領地所有権再設定が行われた直後でした。この反乱はこの奥州仕置によって引き起こされたのかもしれません。なぜなら、政実は強制的に信直の配下にさせられてしまったからです。信直は秀吉に助けを求め、秀吉は蒲生氏郷と浅野長吉に約６万の兵を預け、九戸城に派遣しました。そこにいた政実方の守兵はわずか約５千人でした。１５９１年の９月のことです。 That happened during the unification of the whole country by Hideyoshi Toyotomi, just after the reassessment of his territorial ownership in Tohoku district called “Oshu-Shioki” in 1590. The rebellion might have been caused by Oshu-Shioki because Masazane was forcibly put under Nobumasa. Nobumasa asked Hideyoshi for help, then Hideyoshi sent about 60 thousand troop led by Ujisato Gamo and Nagayoshi Asano to Konohe Castle where Masaane was with about only 5 thousand defenders in September, 1591.
蒲生氏郷肖像画、会津若松市立会津図書館蔵～The portrait of Ujisato Gamo, owned by Aidu Wakamatsu Library（licensed under Public Domain via Wikimeidia Commons）浅野長吉肖像画、東京大学史料編纂所蔵～The portrait of Nagayoshi Asano, owned by Historiographical Institute the University of Tokyo（licensed under Public Domain via Wikimeidia Commons）
九戸城は河岸段丘上の天然の要害であり、川や谷に周りを囲まれていました。「九戸党」と呼ばれた守兵も強力で、最初の攻撃を撃退しました。攻撃側は強引な攻撃による兵の損耗を憂え、政実に降伏するよう勧告しました。彼は数日のうちに、女性子どもを含む城内人員の生命の保証を条件に受け入れました。しかしながらその約束は破られ、攻撃側が城を確保した後、多くの人たちが虐殺されました。政実もまた斬首されたのです。発掘により、二ノ丸から処刑された男女の骨が見つかっています。この九戸政実の乱は戦国時代最後の戦いであると言われています。 Kunohe Castle formed a natural fortress which was on river terraces surrounded by rivers and valleys. The defenders called “the Kunohe Party” were also so strong that they repelled the first attack. Attackers were worried about casualties from aggressive attacks, so they suggested Masazane to surrender. He accepted it in a few days in exchange for the safety of the people in the castle including women and children. However, the promise was broken and many people were executed after the attackers got the castle. Masazane was also beheaded. The excavation shows bones of executed men and women buried in the second enclosure “Ninomaru”. It is said that the Kunohe Rebellion is the last battle of the Warring States Period.
城周辺の地図～The normal map around the castle
城周辺の起伏地図～The relief map around the castle
城周辺の航空写真～The aerial photo around the castle
特徴～Features
現在、城の本丸と二ノ丸が主に史跡として整備されています。 Now, the ruins of the main enclosure “Honmaru” and Ninomaru mainly remain developing for a historic site.
二ノ丸と空堀で隔てられた本丸～Ninomaru and Honmaru devided by a dry moat本丸の空堀～The dry moat surrounding Honmaru本丸の南虎口～The south entrance of Honmaru
東北地方では一番古い石垣がありますが、実は蒲生氏郷により築かれたものです。The oldest stone walls in Tohoku region were actually rebuilt by Gamo.
本丸追手門にある石垣～The stone walls at the main entrance of Honmaru二ノ丸から本丸に渡る橋～The bridge between Ninomaru and Honmaru
「若狭館」「外館」といった他の曲輪は、九戸にもともとあった形を残しているようです。 Other enclosure ruins such as “Wakasa-Date” and “To-Date” are more likely in the original way of Kunohe.
外館跡を見上げる～Looking up the ruins of Todate若狭館跡～The ruins of Wakasadate
今でも歩き回れば、この城が自然の地形により守られていたかがわかります。一例として、以前三の丸だった所にあるガイドハウスから本丸を見上げてみましょう。 Even now you can understand how the castle was protected by natural landscape when walking around. For example, you can look up at Honmaru from the guide house on the former Sannomaru enclosure.
本丸を囲む空堀の底～The bottom of the dry moat srrounding Honmaru三の丸から本丸を見上げる～Lookin up Honmaru from Sannomaru
その後～Later Life
九戸政実の乱の後、城は蒲生氏郷によって再建され、南部信直に引き渡されました。そして九戸城から福岡城に名前が変えられました。しかし二戸の人々は「九戸城」と呼び続けました。南部がすぐに盛岡城に移転したことと、九戸への懐旧の念もあったからでしょう。城は１６３６年に廃城となり、畠となりました。近代になって、１８９３年に農業試験場がここに開設されました。最終的に１９３５年に国の史跡に指定されました。 After the Kunohe Rebellion, the castle was reconstructed by Gamo, and owned by Nanbu, and it was renamed from Kunohe to Fukuoka. But people in Ninohe area have been calling it “Kunohe” because of Nanbu moving to Morioka Castle soon after as well as their nostalgia for Kunohe. The castle was abandoned in 1636, turned into a farm. In the Modern Ages, an agricultural experiment station was opened in 1893, it was lastly designated as a national historic site in 1935.
農業試験場の記念碑～The monument of the agricultural experiment station
私の感想～My Impression
九戸城のいきさつは今だ謎めいています。なぜ政実は、守るには有利な冬を前にしてすぐ降伏してしまったのでしょう（旧暦の９月は現在の１０月に相当します）。なぜ秀吉は中央から彼方にある場所に、このように少数の反乱者のためにこんなにも多くの兵士（後衛を含めると１５万人）を送り出したのでしょうか。そして九戸党は豊臣方の暴挙に対して成す術がなかったのでしょうか。 The story of Kunohe Castle is still mysterious. Why did Masazane surrender in a moment before the winter that would be an advantage for defenders (September in the lunar calendar is similar to October now)? Why did Toyotomi send so many soldiers (150 thousand including the rear) for such a small number of the rebels to the place far away from the center? And, did the Kunohe Party do noting against Toyotomi’s violence?
二の丸脇の大空堀跡～The ruins of the large dry moat beside Ninomaru
作家たちは、その作品において推測し、仮説を立てています。例えば高橋克彦は、政実は自分を犠牲にして南部の諸族を救ったのだと言います（信直は別として、一族の津軽為信は大名として生き延びました）。安部龍太郎は、秀吉は１５９２年の朝鮮侵攻のために、寒さに強い東北地方の人々を徴発しようとしたとしています。政実はそれを知り、九戸城を犠牲にし戦いを終わらせ、その実行を防いだとしました。そして両方の作家とも抜け道を使って多くの人が逃れ出たはずだと推測しています。歴史の謎について考えるのはとても興味深く、また真実に至る道なのかもしれません。 Some writers speculate and offer their assumptions in their novels. For instance, Katsuhiko Takahashi says Masazane sacrificed himself to save the Nanbu relatives (Beside Nobunao, another relative Tamenobu Tsugaru, once supported Masazane, survived as a lord.). Ryutaro Abe wrote Toyotomi might have aimed to draft Tohoku people being strong in the cold for his invasion of Korea in 1592. Masazane had known it, then he has ended the war to prevent it from happening at the sacrifice of Kunohe Castle. Both writers also speculate many of people should have escaped from the castle by a secret path. Thinking about mysteries of history is very interesting, and it may be a key to finding the fact.
現地にある城の地形モデル～The terrain model of the castle at the site
ここに行くには～How to get There
車で行く場合：八戸自動車道一戸ＩＣから約１５分かかります。ガイドハウスに駐車場があります。 二戸駅からバスで行く場合：ＪＲバス（県立二戸病院または軽米病院行き）または岩手県北バス（伊保内営業所行き）に乗り、呑香稲荷神社前バス停で降りてください。城跡はバス停から歩いて５分です。 東京から二戸駅まで：東北新幹線に乗ってください。 If you want to go there by car: It takes about 15 minutes from the Ichinohe IC on Hachinohe Expressway. The guide house offers a parking lot. If you want to go there by bus from Ninohe station: Take the JR bus bound for Kenritsu-Ninohe-Byoin or Karumai-Byoin, or the Iwate-Kenpoku bus bound for Ibonai-Eigyosho , and take off at the Tonko-Inari-Jinja bus stop. The ruins are a 5 minute walk away from the bus stop. From Tokyo to Ninohe st.: Take the Tohoku Shinkansen super express.
盛岡城跡はまるで石作りの鎧をまとった武者のようです。
Morioka Castle Ruins look like a warrior wearing an amour made of stone.
盛岡城の石垣（The stone walls of Morioka Castle）
Location and History
岩手県の県都である盛岡市は、この城から始まりました。盛岡はまた、この城の城主であった南部氏により名付けられました。この城はもともと北上川と中津川の合流地点の北側にある丘の上に築かれました。（現在、北上川は西の方角に付け替えられています。）
Morioka City, the capital of Iwate Prefecture, started from this castle. Morioka was also named by the lord of the castle, the Nanbu clan. The castle was originally located on a hill in the north of the meeting point of Kitakami River and Nakatsu River (Now, Kitakami River has been replaced in the western direction).
南部領盛岡平城絵図部分、江戸時代（Part of the illustration of Morioka Castle in Nanbu Domain in Edo Period）｜出典：国立公文書館
最新の城周辺の地図（The latest map around the castle）
南部氏は、北東北地方の有力な戦国大名の一族で、その運営は一族の合議によりなされてきました。三戸城の南部信直がやがて力を持ち、天下人の豊臣秀吉に南部氏の頭領であると認められました。 Nanbu clan had been a great warlord group in the north Tohoku region with their operations run by the relatives’ council. In the end of the Civil War Period, Nobunao Nanbu in Sannohe Castle had an influence, and he was allowed to be the head of the clan by the ruler, Hideyoshi Toyotomi.
南部信直像、もりおか歴史文化館蔵（The portlait of Nobunao Nanbu, owned by Morioka History and Culture Museum）licensed under Public Domain via Wikimedia Commons
彼は、豊臣の配下である蒲生氏郷や浅野長吉らの助けを借り、九戸城で反乱を起こした一族の九戸政実を滅ぼしました。そして彼は一旦九戸城に移り、そこを「福岡」と名付けました。しかし福岡は南に広がっていた南部領にとって北にありすぎました。そこで蒲生や浅野は再度南の方に移るよう提案しました。それが不来方（盛岡の前の名前）だったのです。そこで信直は１５９８年から新しい城造りを始めました。 He beat a rebellious relative, Masazane Kunohe in Kunohe Casle with the help from Toyotomi’s men such as Ujisato Gamo and Nagayoshi Asano. Then, he once moved to Kunohe Castle and renamed it “Fukuoka”. But Fukuoka was too much on the north because Nanbu’s territory spread to the south. So, Gamo and Asano suggested Nobunao to move again to another southern place. That was Kozukata (the former name of Morioka) where Nobunao started to build a new castle in 1598.
九戸城跡（The ruins of Kunohe Castle）
蒲生と浅野は更にその城を、西日本で一般的であった総石垣作りとするよう提案しました。その当時の東日本おいては、より強い防御力を持つ特別な城となったのです。城の建設には長い時間を要し、信直の息子、利直の代の１６１５年に完成しました。利直はそのとき不来方を盛岡と改名したのです。 Gamo and Asano also suggested to build the castle made up entirely of stone walls that was popular in the western Japan. That style would be more defensive and special in the eastern Japan at the point. The construction took a long time before its completion in 1615 by Nobunao’s son, Toshinao who renamed Kozukata, Morioka then.
本丸（右）と二の丸（左）（Honmaru on the right and Ninomaru on the left）
南部氏は、江戸時代を通して盛岡城とその城下町を支配しました。城はしばしば火事、地震そして洪水の被害を受けましたが、その度に修復され、部分的には拡張されました。
Nanbu clan governed Morioka Castle and town all through the Edo Period. The castle sometimes suffered from fires, earthquakes and floods, but were repaired and partly improved.
腰曲輪の石垣（The stone walls of Koshi-Guruwa）
Features
現在、盛岡城跡には、たった一つ現存している「彦御蔵」を除いては、建物がない石垣だけが残っています。それでも石垣の存在は際立っています。城跡のどこに行っても素晴らしい石垣が見れます。全てが地元産の白花崗岩を使っています。それではいくつか代表例を見てみましょう。
Now, the ruins of Morioka Castle remain stone walls without buildings except for only one warehouse called “Hiko-Okura”, but they are even more outstanding. Wherever you get around the ruins, you can see amazing stone walls. They are all made of white granite locally produced. Let’s look at some typical stone walls we can see in the ruins.
現存する「彦御蔵」（The remaining Hiko-Okura）
盛岡城跡の地図、マーカーは以下の写真を撮った位置
（The map of Morioka Castle Ruins, Markers show the points pictures below were taken）
･本丸周りの石垣：基本的に自然石を積み上げ、隅石には加工石を用いており「野面積み」と呼ばれます。城跡では一番古く、築城が始まった直後に築かれたと考えられています。 ･The main enclosure “Honmaru” surrounded stone walls: They consist of piled-up natural stones basically, and processed stones in the corner, called “Nozura-Dumi”. They are thought to be the oldest in ruins, and might have been made in the earliest time since the castle began to be built.
本丸周りの石垣（Honmaru surrounded stone walls）
･腰曲輪石垣：ここに使われている石は粗く加工されてから積まれており、「乱積み」と呼ばれます。この方法は城が完成した時期に使われました。一部は最近元の方法で積み直されています。
･The bounded enclosure “Koshi-Guruwa” stone walls: These stones are roughly processed and piled called “Ran-Dumi”. The method was used around the same time as the castle was completed. Part of them were restored recently in the original way.
腰曲輪石垣（Koshi-Guruwa stone walls）
･二の丸西側石垣：四角くカットされた石を使い、整列させて積み上げたもので「布積み」と呼ばれます。１７世紀になって北上川が付け替えられてから築かれました。
･The second enclosure “Ninomaru” west side stone walls: They are made with square cut stones and piled with aligning called “Nuno-Dumi”. They were added in the late 17th century, after the replacement of Kitakami River.
二の丸西側石垣（Ninomaru west side stone walls）
上記の通り、異なる時代や方法による様々な石垣があります。新しく進んだ方法による石垣がお好みとは限りませんよ。
As mentioned above, there are many types of stone walls from different times and methods. New and advanced ones are not always the best for you.
腰曲輪石垣からもう一枚（Another photo from Koshi-Guruwa stone walls）
Later Life
明治維新後、城の建物は撤去されました。城は荒廃していき、周辺の人たちはそれを憂いました。そこで岩手県がその地を借り受け（後に盛岡市が購入）、岩手公園として１９０６年に一般に公開しました。城跡はまた、１９４１年に国の史跡に指定されました。
After the Meiji Restoration, the buildings of the castle were demolished. The castle went to ruin, people around were worried about it. Then, Iwate Prefecture rented it (Morioka City bought it later), and opened to the public as the Iwate Park in 1906. After that, the ruins were designated as a National Historic Site in 1941 as well.
公園内の石垣と木々（Stone walls and trees in the park）taken by NR1000 from photoAC
My Impression
最近、盛岡市はこの公園に「盛岡城跡公園」という愛称を付けました。この主な理由は観光のためなのでしょうが、どうやら建物の再建を含めた城の復元方法を模索しているようなのです。私は将来も城跡をこのまま維持することが最善と思います。なぜなら石垣の上に建物が復元されてしまうと、人々の関心が分散してしまうからです。 Recently, Morioka City nicknamed the park “Morioka Castle Ruins Park”. The main reason for it should be for tourism, while the city seems to be searching for the way of restoring the castle including some buildings. I think that keeping the ruins is in the future would be the best way. Because if a building is restored on the stone walls, people’s interest might be destructed by them.
二の丸から木々を見下ろす（Ninomaru overlooking the trees）
石垣に囲まれた城跡は、できてから４００年以上経ちます。木々や植物のおかげで城跡はより美しく見えます。ある作家は、自身による石垣の写真に添えて「春は花、夏は緑、秋は紅葉、冬は雪」と述べています。
The ruins surrounded by stone walls are over 400 years old. Trees and plants help them look more beautiful. A writer says “Flowers in spring, green in summer, leaves in autumn, snow in winter” with his pictures of the stone walls.
石垣に桜の花（The stone walls featuring cherry blossoms）taken by 政宗っ。from photoAC
How to get There
車で行く場合：東北自動車道盛岡ＩＣから約１０分です。城跡公園に地下駐車場があります。 盛岡駅からバスで行く場合：西口バス１６番乗り場から循環バス「でんでんむし」に乗り、盛岡城跡公園バス停で降りてください。駅から歩くと約２０分です。 東京から盛岡駅まで：東北新幹線に乗ってください。 If you want to go there by car: It takes about 10 minutes from the Morioka IC on Tohoku Expressway. The park offers an underground parking lot. If you want to go there by bus from Morioka station: Take the Den-Den-Mushi bus at the east exit bus terminal bus stop No.16, and take off at the Morioka-Joato-Koen bus stop. Or it takes about 20 minutes on foot from the station. From Tokyo to Morioka st.: Take the Tohoku Shinkansen super express.
