rebuilt main tower – ページ 2 – 日本200名城バイリンガル (Japan's top 200 castles and ruins)

141.Gujo-Hachiman Castle Part2

A beautiful symbol of the town

Features

Symbol of Gujo-Hachiman Town

Today, Gujo-Hachiman Castle has become a symbol of the Gujo-Hachiman town. You can see the rebuilt Main Tower of the castle on the mountain from any parts of the town. The mountain is covered with cherry blossoms in spring, green leaves in summer, autumn leaves in fall, and snow in winter. A famous writer, Ryotaro Shiba said the castle was “the most beautiful mountain castle in Japan” when he visited it in the early spring when the snow remained on the ground. If you drive to the castle, you can park either at the foot, halfway up, or on the top of the mountain. You can also hike up the mountain from wherever you park.

A view of Gujo-Hachiman Castle from the town

The map around the castle

If you climb from the parking lot at the foot, you will pass by the ruins of the rice warehouse where the farmers gathered during the Gujo uprising and the Shiroyama Park where the Main Hall was built. From this point, you can enter the mountain trail.

The route from the parking lot at the foot

Three-tier Belt Enclosures

After about a 10-minute climb, you will see the three-tier Belt Enclosures surrounded by old stone walls that were piled up naturaly. The first (lower) tier is now used as the paved road to the parking lot on the top. The second (middle) tier is used as the promenade for visitors from the parking lot to the castle facilities. The third and final upper tier is for the path connecting the Cherry Enclosure and the Pine Enclosure on the top.

The route is mixed with the roadway and trail

The paved road on the lower tier (on the left) and the stone walls of the middle tier (on the right)

The observation platform on the middle tier (originally a barbican?)

The promenade on the middle tier (on the left) and the stone walls of the upper tier (on the right)

The path on the upper tier (on the left) and the stone walls of the Cherry Enclosure (on the right)

Rebuilt Main Tower has Traditional Taste

You can enter the Cherry Enclosure to visit the rebuilt Main Tower. Experts speculate the three-level Main Tower would have been built in this area. However, because it was only seen in some drawings, and not scientifically proven by excavations and records. It would be difficult to call the current tower the reconstructed one. If the original towers was not built on the past, we can call the current tower the imitation tower. Since we can’t be certain of that fact, let’s simply refer to it as the rebuilt main tower.

The map around the top

The original stone wall base for the tower

The Main Tower in the drawing of the battle in 1600 at the castle, exhibited in the Main Tower of the castle

It is the oldest wooden rebuilt Main Tower in Japan, built back in 1933, nearly 90 years ago. However, it is not the original, but it has a taste of traditional Japanese architecher. You can hear squeak noises from wooden floors as you walk or climb in the tower because of this old wooden building. The tower has 4 levels and 5 floors including the lower floors which are used for exhibitions of the castle and town. You can easily climb up on the stairways to the top floor. There, you can enjoy a great view of the area around.

A view of Gujo-Hachiman town from the top floor

To be continued in “Gujo-Hachiman Castle Part3”
Back to “Gujo-Hachiman 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”