second enclosure – ページ 15 – 日本200名城バイリンガル (Japan's top 200 castles and ruins)

142.Naegi Castle Part3

The warriors maintained the castle for a long time.

Features

Umaarai Rock, Second Enclosure and Photo spot

The map around the castle

If you climb down from the top on another route, you can see the biggest rock around, called Umaarai-iwa, just below the Main Tower base, whose perimeter is about 45m. It should make you feel power of nature.

The Second Enclosure is far below from the top, where the Main Hall for the lord was in the past. The hall was built hanging out from the enclosure by also using the Kake-zukuri method.

The Second Enclosure is far below from the base

In addition, if you want to take in a great whole view of the ruins, you can take another return route to the photo spot.

You can go the side road to the photo spot, near *the soldiers’ barracks* ruins

The photo spot seen from the observation platform

Later History

After the Meiji Restoration, Naegi Castle was abandoned and all the buildings of the castle were demolished. The mountain the castle was located on was returning to nature, being covered with trees. However, the ruins of Naegi Castle were designated as a National Historic Site in 1981 because the foundation of the castle ,including its stone walls, remained intact. The ruins recently became popular due to their unique features, such as the combination of natural rocks and stone walls, and great views. Some trees were cut down to see the main portion of the ruins clearly for visitors.

The corroboration of the Kake-zukuri columns, stone walls and natural rocks at the base

My Impression

It is said that there were six types of stone walls in Naegi Castle, ranging from the oldest one using natural stones to newer advanced ones. That meant the Naegi Domain continued to build or repair them under the severe living condition for over 250 years in the peaceful Edo Period. I was very impressed by that.

The stone walls piled in a way called Tani-zumi or the Form of a Vally, near the entrance of the ruins

The stone walls piled in a way called Uchikomi-hagi like piling roughly processed stones, at the Northern Gate Ruins, in the back of the Large Turret Ruins

The stone walls piled in a way called Kirikomi-hagi like piling precisely processed stones, at the Large Turret Ruins

The stone walls piled in a way called Nozura-zumi like piling natural stones, around the starting point to the top

I remember an example of a similar case to Naegi Castle, called Oka Castle in the Kyushu Region. The castle was likewise built on a rocky mountain. It was very defensive but hard to live in, so the warriors immediately disappeared after the Meiji Restoration.

How to get There

I recommend using a car when you visit the castle ruins.
It is about a 10-minute drive away from Nakatsugawa IC on the Chuo Expressway. There are several parking lots around the ruins.
If you want to use public transportation, you can take the Kita-Ena-Kotsu Bus bound for Tsukechikyo-Kuraya-Onsen or Kashimo-Sogo-jimusho from Nakatsugawa Station and get off at the Naegi bus stop. It takes about 20 minutes on foot from the bus stop to get there.
To get to Nakatsugawa Station from Tokyo or Osaka: Take the Tokaido Shinkansen super express and transfer to the Chuo Line at Nagoya Station.

The parking lot of *Naegi Toyama Historical Museum*

The parking lot in front of the ruins entrance

That’s all. Thank you.
Back to “Naegi Castle Part1”
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16.Minowa Castle Part2

You can see how the castle was developed at the site.

Features

Older part of Castle

Today, the ruins of Minowa Castle have been well developed for visitors. If you have a car, you can park at some parking lots for the visitors beside the ruins. The main parking lot is the eastern foot of the hill where the castle was located. You can walk up from the parking lot to the ruins on a gentle winding slope which was actually the Back Route. You will first reach the Second Enclosure, part of the main portion of the castle.

The map around the castle

The main portion consists of the Second, Main and Gozen Enclosures from south to north. These enclosures are basically surrounded by thick earthen walls and divided by deep dry moats, which are the oldest part of the castle. If you walk into the Main Enclosure where the hall of the lord was built, you can now see the recently restored wooden bridge connecting to the western part of the castle.

The stone monument of the castle in the Main Enclosure

The wooden bridge connecting to the western part of the castle

The earthen walls of the Main Enclosure and the dry moat beside it

If you go further, you will reach the Gozen Enclosure, the last part of the Nagano Clan. There is the well in the enclosure, which was discovered in 1927, where many memorial tablets of the clan were found from the bottom. That meant the episode when the clan had been defeated may have been confirmed.

The well where many memorial tablets of the clan were found

Vast Dry Moat

You can walk down the steep trail on the northern edge of the Gozen Enclosure to the bottom of the dry moat. If you turn right to the east, you will reach the Inari Enclosure that Naomasa Ii built. This enclosure had a water moat on the side in the past.

Walking down from the Gozen Enclosure to the bottom of the dry moat

The bottom of the dry moat beside the Gozen Enclosure

The Inari Enclosure and the former water moat beside it

If you turn left to the west, you can walk around the bottom and see how large and deep the moat is. You can also see the older stone walls surrounding the Gozen Enclosure, which the Nagano Clan might have built. If you go further to the south, you will arrive at the Second Enclosure.

The remaining stone walls under the Gozen Enclosure

Going back to the Second Enclosure through under the wooden bridge

Umadashi System is developed later

The Second Enclosure was the pivot of offence and defense, where the three main routes to the castle are all together. Other than the Back Route from the east, the Main Route comes from the west and the other route comes from the south. In particular, a great artificial trench called O-Horikiri is dug in the southern side of the enclosure to prevent enemies’ attacks.

The stone walls under the earthen bridge over the trench

Only the narrow earthen bridge is over the trench, connecting to the southern route. Moreover, a square stronghold called Kaku-Umadashi is sticking out of the Second Enclosure through the bridge. The Umadasi system is a unique defense system which the Takeda and Tokugawa Clans often used. This system in Minowa Castle was probably developed by Takeda and completed by Naomasa under Tokugawa. The two-story turret gate called Kaku-umadashi Western Entrance Gate was recently restored based on the achievement of the excavation, which had been the symbol of the castle.

The square stronghold called Kaku-Umadashi

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

122.Otaki Castle Part2

Was there the Main Tower in the castle?

Features

Main Tower as Museum

The map around the castle

Today, there are a few remaining items of the original Otaki Castle. However, Chiba Prefecture rebuilt a historical museum that looks like the Main Tower called Otaki Castle on the Main Enclosure.

Going to Main Enclosure along Isumi-gawa River

If you want to visit the current Otaki Castle, there are two main routes you can take to visit from Otaki Station. One is for drivers, which starts from the front of the station to the south through the Imitation Main Gate. The route turns right to the west along the Isumi-gawa River. This part is named Mexico Street from the relationship with the country, which was derived from the episode of Rodrigo de Vivero.

The Imitation Main Gate near the station

You can see the route was built on the mid slope of the steep cliff with the hill on the right and the river on the left, which were a natural hazard for the castle. The parking lot is located under the Main Enclosure.

The steep cliff of the hill where the castle was built

Looking down the Mexico Street from the Main Enclosure

Going to Main Enclosure through Second Enclosure

The other route is for people on foot, which starts from the back of the station. The ruins of the real Main Gate is nearby. However, there is only one signpost because the area around has become a residential area. After going along the route, you will reach the second enclosure which is now used as a high school. The route goes up on the earthen walls to the enclosure where the Main Hall for the lord was built in the past.

There are two remaining items of the castle. One of them is the Back Gate of the hall, which was once sold, but later restored at its present location. The other is the Large Well which has a perimeter of 17meters. you can see the Main Tower at the highest point on the Main Enclosure from there.

The former Back Gate of the Main Hall called Yakui-mon

The Large Well seen from the Main Enclosure

The Main Tower on the Main Enclosure seen from the Second Enclosure

Old castle traces and New Imitation Main Tower on the Main Enclosure

You can climb up to the Main Enclosure from the front (the Second Enclosure) or the back (the parking lot). On the way to the enclosure, you can see old earthen walls, dry moats, and artificial steep cliffs which probably originated from the first stage of the castle. Indeed, the traces of the castle being called Odaki Castle were discovered during the excavation.

The route to the Main Enclosure from the Second Enclosure

The remaining earthen walls at the Main Enclosure

The route to the Main Enclosure from the parking lot

The artificial steep cliff of an enclosure in the back of the Main Enclosure

However, those of the original Main Tower or its stone wall base have not been found at all. The present Main Tower and its stone wall base were built in the present time, based on a drawing of the original three-level Main Tower which was found at an old merchant house in the castle town. However, since the only item can not be seen as real evidence. It can only be called the Imitation Main Tower.

The Imitation Tower on the Main Enclosure

The stone wall base for the Main Tower, built in the present time

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