national place of scenic beauty – 日本200名城バイリンガル (Japan's top 200 castles and ruins)

108.Tsurugaoka Castle Part2

Today, the ruins of Tsurugaoka Castle have been developed as Tsuruoka Park. The site seems to have a different atmosphere from other castles or castle ruins. One of the reasons may be that the castle originally had water moats and earthen walls but few stone walls, giving the park a more scenic look for the visitors.

Features

Site looks Scenic and Retro-Modern

The map around the castle

Another reason is that there are several historical modern buildings around the park, most of which are in the Chido Museum. The museum is in the former Third Enclosure of the castle, where the lord’s residence was built. That’s why there is the Sakai Clan Garden which probably originates from the residence inside. The garden has also been designated as a National Place of Scenic Beauty. In addition, the current residence beside the garden was part of the retreat for the 9th lord, Tadaaki Sakai during the end of the Edo Period. The modern historical buildings, such as the former Tsuruoka Police Office built in the Meiji Era, were collected from somewhere in the city. Surprisingly, the museum director is a descendant of the Sakai Clan, who still live in the city.

The Chido Museum on the left and the Tsuruoka Park on the right

Entrances of old and current site

The park consists of the Main Enclosure in the center and partially the second enclosure surrounding. It has five entrances, the same number as in the past, but each has a different appearance or location. For example, the eastern entrance of the park was the Main Gate in the second enclosure, which was protected by the Masugata system. However, the system was removed and turned into the city area. The current path from the entrance goes straight to the center but past visitors had to go around to Naka-no-mon Gate (meaning the Middle Gate) at the southern side of the Main Enclosure after crossing Naka-no-hashi Bridge (meaning the Middle Bridge) over the Inner Moat.

The part of the Main Gate in the miniature model exhibited by the Chido Museum

The eastern entrance of the park (the Main Gate Ruins)

Past visitors had to go around from the Main Gate on the right to Naka-no-mon Gate in the front, according to the miniature model above

Current visitors can go straight to the center using the approach to Shonai Shrine

Meanwhile, the current southern entrance may be similar to the original Naka-no-mon Gate, where you can go across a bridge over the moat like the visitors used to cross the Naka-no-hashi Bridge. There is another traditional and beautiful modern building, called Taihokan Museum, behind the bridge, which was originally built in 1915 as a commercial museum, but has now become another historical museum. Therefore, you may feel a retro-modern atmosphere rather than from the castle’s period.

The part of the Naka-no-mon Gate in the miniature model above

The current southern entrance of the park, *taken by FRANK211 from photo AC*

The Naka-no-hashi Bridge was built near the current bridge

The Naka-no-mon Gate was built at the current Taihokan Museum

Shonai Shrine and Corner Turret Ruins in Main Enclosure

There are no castle buildings in the park. Instead, Shonai Shrine is in the Main Enclosure, which worships four ancestors of the Sakai Clan including Tadakatsu Sakai, the founder of the Shonai Domain. The shrine was established in 1877 in a part of a trend at that time of establishing shrines at abandoned castle sites. If you want to see something of castle-like items, you can go to the back of the shrine at the northern side of the enclosure. There are still surrounding earthen walls and also the ruins of the Corner Turret which was the substitute for a Main Tower.

The earthen walls surrounding the Main Enclosure

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

60.Ako Castle Part3

According to Historians, The 47 Ronin assaulted Kira due to their Samurai Spirit. If it’s true, why is the story still so popular among many current Japanese people?

Features

Many Attractions in Main Enclosure

The Main Enclosure is compact and all surrounded by stone walls and water moats, so you can easily see its complex layout. There are three entrances to it but only two of them are available excluding Hanebashi-mon (meaning Draw Bridge Gate) in the back of the southern side.

The aerial photo around the Main Enclosure of the castle, the red markers indicates its three entrances

The stone walls and water moats of the Main Enclosure

The front gate of the northern side was restored and has the Masugata system as well.

The other one of the eastern side, called Umaya-guchi-mon (meaning Stable Side Gate), was also restored. The gate was simple but the stone walls around are bent elaborately to protect the gate from guns and arrows from the walls.

There was the Main Hall inside where the lords including Asano (Takumi-no-kami) lived. Now, there is a flat exhibition of the hall instead, where you can see its layout and what rooms were in it.

The layout of the Main Hall drawn in the illustration during the Edo Period, from the signboard at the site

The large stone wall base for a Main Tower stands out at its corner and you can climb it and see the view of the area around from the top.

There is also a small but beautiful pond garden which is designated as a National Place of Scenic Beauty, together with that of the Second Enclosure.

Later History

After the Meiji Restoration, Ako Castle was abandoned and all the castle buildings were sold or demolished. Most of the moats were buried and turned into fields and residences area with other castle’s land. The Main Enclosure was used as a school until 1981. The Oishi Shrine was established in 1912. The restoration of the castle started in 1935 where the moats in front of the Main Enclosure were re-dug. Since then, many other buildings and structures of the castle have been restored probably because of the popularity of the incident and Ronin. The ruins have been designated as a National Historic Site since 1971.

The old photo of the Main Enclosure front gate, from the signboard at the site

*The old photo of the Second Enclosure gate, from the signboard at the site*

The ruins of Ako Castle in the 1930’s *(licensed under Public Domain via Wikimedia Commons)*

My Impression

I honestly say I don’t like the Ako Incident story because there was no good reason for killing Kira (in addition, in the very popular play “Chushin-gura” based on this incident, Asano cuts Kira at the front (in fact, it was from the back) after Kira’s bullying due to Asano refusing the huge bribe or Asano’s wife refusing Kira’s love). Historians say this was done due to Bushi-do (the Samurai Spirit) which refers to their devotion to their master or domain with honor and pride even without any reasons. If it’s true, why is the story still so popular among many current Japanese people? I guess it’s because they still have the same or similar devotion to Samurai in the Edo Period as they sometimes look devoted to their boss or company without any reasons to survive. I also speculate that Oishi might have understood his master was mad but he didn’t have any other choice.

*A Ukiyoe-painting of Asano assaulting Kira in the Edo Castle, attributed to Kuniteru Utagawa (licensed under Public Domain via Wikimedia Commons)*

How to get There

If you want to visit there by car, it is about a 10 minutes’ drive away from Ako IC on the Sanyo Expressway. There are several parking lots around the castle ruins.
By public transportation, it takes about 15 minutes on foot to get there from JR Banshu-Ako Station.
From Tokyo or Osaka to the station: Take the Sanyo Shinkansen super express express and transfer to the Sanyo Line at Himeji Station or the Ako Line at Aiou Station.

That’s all. Thank you.
Back to “AKo Castle Part1”
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153.Kitabatake Clan Hall Part2

Regarding the ruins of Kitabatake Clan Hall, visiting them starts from when you enter the Taki area. If you go on the steep Nigaki Mountain Pass to the ruins, it may give you a good understanding of how the hall was protected by this natural hazard.

How to get There

Regarding the ruins of Kitabatake Clan Hall, visiting them starts from when you enter the Taki area. The current roads to the area have been developed and paved for the convenience of transportation, but some of them are narrow and winding mountain passes. For example, if you want to visit the ruins going on National Road 368 (the former Ise Main Road) by car from the west, it is easy because the road has been developed through Kaisaka Tunnel into the mountain beside the area.

The map around the Taki area with the current 7 entrances

The old Ise Road to the steep Kaisaka Mountain Pass goes along it

However, if you go from the east, you may find it troubling. The road still goes on the steep Nigaki Mountain Pass and becomes narrow and zigzagged. It may give you a good understanding of how the hall was protected by this natural hazard. Please be careful when passing each other. It about an hour or 40km drive away from Matsusaka IC on the Ise Expressway. The severe mountain pass area is about 5km long. If you want to go on an easier route from the IC, you can take the Mie Prefectural Road 43 from the north to the ruins.

The National Road 368 on the Nigaki Mountain Pass

If you want to use public transportation, take the Tsu City Community Bus (the Misugi-higashi or Misugi-junkan route) from Ise-Okutsu Satation and get off at the Kitabatake-jinja-mae bus stop. Be careful the buses only run on weekdays and there few of them.
From Tokyo to Ise-Okutsu Station: take the Tokaido Shinkansen super express, transfer to the Mie rapid train or the Kintetsu Railway at Nagoya Station, and transfer to the JR Meisho Line at Matsusaka Station.

Features

Hall becomes Kitabatake Shrine

The ruins of Kitabatake Clan Hall has turned into the Kitabatake Shrine since the Edo Period. The shrine was built on where the hall had been built, so it looks like a typical shrine, not a hall or castle. The only remaining item of the hall is the Kitabatake Clan Hall Ruins Garden in the southern part of the shrine. The garden is a pond garden with a circular promenade which is said that Takakuni Hosokawa, the shogun’s deputy designed and Harutomo Hatakeyama, the seventh lord of the clan first built. It looks very beautiful and sophisticated and is considered one of the three greatest Samurai gardens and was designated as a National Place of Scenic Beauty.

The map around the hall

it doesn’t look like hall or castle ruins.

Ichijodani Asakura Clan Garden, another greatest Samurai garden

Earliest Stone Walls used for Warriors’ Halls during Middle Ages

There is a signboard which shows the excavated stone walls of the original hall and says they are the earliest example of stone walls used for warriors’ halls during the Middle Ages. However, we can’t look at them directly, as they have been buried again after they were excavated. The stone walls were first built around the upper tier of the hall’s land where the Main Hall for the lord was probably built. In fact, the stone walls were buried by the Kitabatake Clan themselves to extend the tier. The Main Hall was rebuilt on the tier, which would be the final version of the hall. That means the stone walls ruins are just inside of the current shrine so that visitors usually can’t see them.

The explanation board for the stone walls

Final Castle Ruins

If you want to see what looks like castle ruins, you should consider visiting the final castle of the hall and/or Kiriyama Castle. They are on the same route and the final castle is not so far from the hall. Therefore, you can choose which one or both depending on your schedule. If you walk on the path south of the shrine, you will find the starting point of the route to the ruins. There is a zigzagging trail to the mountains, so you will need to hike.

You will first reach the ruins of the final castle, on the mountain about 80m above the shrine (the former hall). The ruins simply have the main enclosure and the belt enclosure around. You can see the top of the shrine and the area around there. You will understand the place must have been the refuge shelter for the people living in the hall. The trail goes beside the belt enclosure to Kiriyama Castle Ruins ahead over the western ditch.

You can see the roof of the shrine below on the way

To be continued in “Kitabatake Clan Hall Part3”
Back to “Kitabatake Clan Hall Part1”