Nozura-zumi – ページ 2 – 日本200名城バイリンガル (Japan's top 200 castles and ruins)

56.Takeda Castle Part2

The current tourist route is very similar to the bypass route the castle originally had. Hence, the route for the defenders of the castle in the past makes it possible for current visitors of the ruins to move smoothly as well.

Features

Well-developed Castle Ruins

Today, the ruins of Takeda Castle have been well developed to maintain them and control many visitors. If you want to drive to the ruins, you need to park at a tourist facility called “Yamajiro-no-sato” (or “the Village of the Mountain Castle”) and get to the ruins by a taxi, a bus, or walking. Even if you use a taxi, you will still need to walk the last kilometer from where you are dropped off to the ticket office, the entrance of the ruins. The path to the entrance is paved, but the terrain of the mountain is steep and rough when you walk along this path. You may wonder why and how the builders built a castle with great stone walls on such a mountain.

The map around the castle

You can see very steep and rough slopes beside the path

In the ruins, the tour routes are set one way and the range for visitors to walk around is also limited by poles and ropes. The stone walls and the foundations of the castle look well maintained. This is done by officials closing the ruins for a certain period of time to repair them every year. These activities contribute to keep the ruins in a good condition as well as securing the safety of visitors. For instance, visitors first enter the entrance of Kita-Senjo (meaning Northern 1,000 mat Enclosure in Japanese) at the edge of the northern ridge, then, walk on the ridge, pass the side of the stone wall base for the Main Tower at the Main Enclosure, walk on the southern ridge, and finally get out from the edge of it. This route is very similar to the bypass route the castle originally had. Hence, the route for the defenders of the castle in the past makes it possible for current visitors of the ruins to move smoothly as well.

The map around the castle

You can’t access the edge of an enclosure at the site

Entrances and routes are strictly protected

To get back to the entrance at the edge of the northern ridge, it has a defensive square space surrounded by high stone walls, called “Masugata”. It also had gate buildings on it, where the defenders would attack enemies outside by using guns and arrows. If the enemies reached the gate, they would be locked in the Masugata system.

The Masugata system at the edge of the northern ridge (called the Main Gate at the site)

The Masugata system seen from the inside

Inside the entrance, there is the extensive Kita-Senjo Enclosure, where as the name suggests, could accommodate lots of soldiers and supplies in the past, or tourist groups and events in the present.

The Third Enclosure seen from the Kita-senjo Enclosure

If you want to go to the center of the ruins, you will pass another Masugata system to the Third Enclosure and an altered gate built with stone walls to the Second Enclosure through the zigzagging path.

The Masugata system in front of the Third Enclosure

You will next walk on a narrow northern ridge through the Third and Second Enclosures, looking at the center of the castle with lots of stone walls and a view of the area around below. The route is guided by the official instructions to walk around safely in the narrow area.

The tourist routes are guided by the official instructions

The lots of stone walls in the center, seen from the Second Enclosure

Main Enclosure with remaining Stone Wall Base for Main Tower

You will eventually reach the center, the Main Enclosure with the stone wall base for the Main Tower. The route goes beside the base on wooden steps and there are other wooden steps to the base. The base was built using natural or roughly processed stones in the Nozura-zumi method, which look really great. Some historians speculate that a three-level Main Tower might have been built on the base, according to the size of the base.

The route goes on the wooden steps beside the base

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

148.Hamamatsu Castle Part2

The small size Imitation Main Tower is on the original stone walls base.

Features

To Park Entrance

Today, Hamamatsu Castle has been developed as Hamamatsu Castle Park. The Main Tower Enclosure and part of the Main Enclosure remain in the park. If you walk to the park from Hamamatsu Station, you will see the Hamamatsu City Hall, which was part of the Second Enclosure in the past, on the left. You can enter the road to the entrance of the park in the north of the hall. You will see the ruins of the Main and Second Enclosures being excavated over the fence on the right.

The map around the castle

Part of the Main and Second Enclosures under excavation

You will reach the wall of the cross section of the Main Enclosure, which was cut in the present time, so you will need to go around to the left or right corner of the wall to enter the park. No matter which entrance you choose, you’d reach the remaining part of the main enclosure. There is a statue of Ieyasu Tokugawa, and the ruins of the Fujimi Turret on the earthen walls.

The signpost of the park entrance in front of the wall of the cross section of the Main Enclosure

Going to the Main Enclosure through the right side entrance

Remaining Old style Stone Walls

The highlight of the castle is the remaining stone walls of the Main Tower and Main Enclosures. They were basically piled using natural stones, one of the earliest methods for castles’ stone walls, called Nozura-zumi. They look very old and Yoshiharu Horio originally built them

A view of the Main Tower Enclosure from the ruins of the Fujimi Turret

The stone walls of the Main Tower Enclosure

If you look at the back side of the enclosure, you will also find these stone walls were built on the upper part of natural terrain. This is another early method, called Hachimaki-Ishigaki or the Headband Stone Walls, when the techniques for high stone walls weren’t developed. These stone walls were also bent elaborately like a folding screen, called Byobu-ore. This structure allowed the defenders to do direct attack from some points of the stone walls when enemies would attack the castle.

The Headband Stone Walls at the back side of the Main Tower Enclosure

The Main Tower Gate was recently restored in 2014 in a traditional way, based on the achievement of the excavation. You can not only go though the gate but also enter the inside of it.

Main Tower is rebuilt smaller than Original

Apart from it, the Rebuilt Main Tower on the remaining stone wall base has been a symbol of the castle since it was built in 1958. The reason why we call it “Rebuilt”, and not “Restored”, is the unknown original Main Tower and that, in fact, the tower looks much smaller for the stone wall base. Perhaps it is because there was not enough budget for a tower which fits the base.

The small Rebuilt Main Tower on the original stone wall base

The comparison of the sizes between the rebuilt tower and estimated original one, exhibited in the Rebuilt Main Tower

However, you can enter the tower, learn about the castle, and enjoy a view of Hamamatsu City, as the tower is used as a historical museum and observation platform.

The excavated well for the original tower, exhibited in the Rebuilt Main Tower

A view of the city area from the observation platform

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

138.Echizen-Ohno Castle Part2

Visit both the castle and the castle town.

Features

Four Trails to Top

Today, Echizen-Ohno Castle is part of Kameyama Park on the mountain. There are four trails to the top of the mountain. Only one of the four routes called Hyakken-zaka is the original one which is zigzagged and steep.

The map around the castle

If you want to walk on a gentle slope, you can use other routes such as the Southern Route. The walk takes about 15 to 20 minutes. If you choose the Southern Route and climb up stone steps after the walk, you will arrive at the Main Enclosure on the top.

Old Stone Walls and Rebuilt Main Tower

The enclosure is surrounded entirely by the old stone walls which Nagachika Kanamori originally built. These stone walls were piled up using natural stones in an old way called Nozura-zumi. They look wild but were built wisely. Part of them seemed to have been re-piled when the castle buildings were rebuilt in the present time.

The stone walls surrounding the Main Enclosure

The rebuilt Main Tower on the stone walls

What you see on the stone walls is the rebuilt Tenshu which was constructed in 1968. It doesn’t resemble the original Tenshu of Echizen-Ohno Castle which looked like combined halls. It looks like a typical Main Tower which people in Japan usually imagine as Tenshu. The reason why such a Tenshu was built was probably because people in this area wanted it. The Tenshu building is actually a modern building which is also used as a historical museum and an observation platform. You can learn more about the castle inside.

The rebuilt Main Tower, its shape is different from the original one

From the top floor, you can enjoy a great view of Ohno city area including the old castle town and Inuyama Mountain where the old castle before Echizen-Ohno Castle was built.

A view of the Inuyama Mountain side from the Main Tower

A view of the Castle Town side from the Main Tower

Attractions at Foot of Mountain

You can also visit other attractions of the castle at the foot of the mountain. There is an educational complex in the Second Enclosure now called Meirin. The facilities include a primary school and a community center. The short part of the water moat remains in front of the facility.

The Second Enclosure seen from the Main Tower

The Second Enclosure with the water moat

There is the restored house of the Uchiyama Clan, a senior vassal family of the Ohno Domain. There is also the remaining warrior’s house of the Tamura Clan around.

The remaining warrior’s house of the Tamura Clan

Attractive Castle Town

If you have time, I recommend walking around the old castle town. For example, the morning market is held every day excluding midwinter at the Shichiken Street in the merchant area. A famous spring spot called Oshouzu is near the temple area. It was used by the lord of the castle. There are a lot of springs in this town, which have been used for domestic water since the town was developed.

You can also see zigzagged streets at several points, which were made to prevent enemies from attacking the castle easily.

To be continued in “Echizen-Ohno Castle Part3”
Back to “Echizen-Ohno Castle Part1”