second enclosure – ページ 22 – 日本200名城バイリンガル (Japan's top 200 castles and ruins)

135.Masuyama Castle Part3

Tonami City develops the ruins very well.

Features

Second Enclosure, Center of Castle

You will finally reach the Second Enclosure which had the only stone walls in the castle. They are more difficult to see now with the signpost saying the ruins of the stone walls.

The enclosure is the largest and the highest positioned enclosure in the castle, and it is surrounded by the thick earthen walls. For these reasons, historians have often speculated that this enclosure was the main one of the castle, though it is traditionally called “The Second Enclosure”.

The map around the Second Enclosure (from the location map at the site)

The earthen walls surrounding *the Second Enclosure*

The enclosure also has a mound called Shorodo or the ruins of the Bell Tower where a miniature version of the bell is built now. A turret was most likely there. You can see the next enclosure called the Ajichi Residence over the large deep dry moat form the mound.

The Ajichi Residence that can been seen over the large deep dry moat

Later History

After Masuyama Castle was abandoned, the Kaga Domain owned the ruins of the castle and planted cedar trees during the Edo Period. The cedar trees have been known as the Masuyama Sedars. Tonami City which now owns the ruins started to investigate them in 1987 and excavated them between 1997 and 2003. As a result, the ruins were designated as a National Historic Site in 2009. The city has been developing the ruins as a historical site so that visitors can visit them more easily.

The miniature model of the castle ruins, exhibited by Tonami City **History and Folklore Museum**

My Impression

I think that the ruins of Masuyama Castle are very good study materials for visitors to learn more about what mountain castles were. If ruins of a mountain castle were left alone, it would return to its natural form. Trees and bushes would grow thick and the structures of the castle would collapse. That means visitors are often not sure what the mountain castle looked like or visiting the ruins can be dangerous. However, in the case of Masuyama Castle, Tonami City has developed the ruins to make it easier for visitors to learn more information. For example, bushes are always cut alongside the route. Simple wooden fences and the signboard are built at each enclosure. Therefore, visitors can understand what the layout of the castle would have been and how the defenders would have protect themselves. That’s why I recommend visiting the ruins.

The wooden fences built in the F Enclosure

Looking down the F Enclosure from the Umanosego Enclosure

How to get There

I recommend using a car when you visit the ruins.
It is about 20 minutes away from Tonami IC on the Hokuriku Expressway.
You can park at the information center (Masuyama Jinya).
If you want to use public transportation, you can take a taxi from Tonami Station.
To get to Tonami Station from Tokyo: Take the Hokuriku Shinkansen super express and transfer at Shin-Takanoka Station to the Johana Line.

That’s all. Thank you.
Back to “Masuyama Castle Part1”
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135.Masuyama Castle Part1

An important mountain castle in Ecchu Province

Location and History

Ecchu Province in Sengoku Period

Masuyama Castle was a large mountain castle which was located in Ecchu Province (what is now modern day Toyama Prefecture). In the first 16th Century, Ecchu Province didn’t have a strong warlord, but was divided between the Jinbo Clan, the Shina Clan, the Ikkoshu Sect and others. The province had the Toyama Plain in the center, which was surrounded by hills in the south, the east and the west. They built a lot of mountain castles on the area of the hills to maintain their territories. Masuyama Castle was called one of the three greatest mountain castles in Ecchu Province followed by Moriyama Castle and Matsukura Castle.

The location of the castle

Masuyama Castle was located on the western edge of the hills sticking out of the Toyama Plain from the south. The Wada-gawa River flowed alongside the edge, so it could be a natural water moat. There were a lot of enclosures on the hill such as the First Enclosure and the Second Enclosure.

The relief map around the castle

The map around the castle

Defensive system of Masuyama Castle

To protect these enclosures, the castle had several defensive systems using natural terrains like ridges, cliffs and valleys. For example, some ridges were cut artificially to look like a trench, called Horikiri. Some cliffs were cut vertically, called Kirigishi. Some valleys were used as the dry moats called Karabori.

A typical defensive system of mountain castles (from the signboard at the site)

The soldiers could also get water from several wells easily in order to survive a long siege. Other castles such as Kameyama Castle were built on the hill next to Masuyama Castle so that they could work closely with each other. Even the castle town was developed on the foot of the mountain castle at its peak.

The imaginary drawing of Masuyama Castle

Kenshin Uesugi attacked it three times

It is uncertain when the castle was first built, but the Jinbo Clan owned the castle in the middle of the 16th Century during the Sengoku Period. In 1560, a great warlord by the name of Kenshin Uesugi invaded Ecchu Province and supporting the Shina Clan from Echigo Province (The east of Ecchu Province). The Jinbo Clan was sieged in Masuyama Castle to protect themselves. Kenshin wrote in his letter that Masuyama was an essentially dangerous place and impenetrable with lots of defenders. Kenshin attacked Masuyama Castle three times, and finally captured it in 1576.

上杉謙信肖像画、上杉神社蔵 (licensed under Public Domain via Wikimedia Commons)

After Kenshin died in 1578, Narimasa Sassa under the Oda Clan took over Masuyama Castle from the Uesugi Clan in 1581. After that, the Maeda Clan supporting the ruler, Hideyoshi Toyotomi and the Tokugawa Shogunate later owned the castle. Some senior vassals from the Maeda Clan stayed in the castle. That meant Masuyama Castle was always an important castle to rule that area. However, the castle was finally abandoned in 1615 due to the Law of One Castle per Province created by the Tokugawa Shogunate. It was said that a wife of the senior vassal who was called Sho-hime was also a daughter of Toshiie Maeda, the founder of the Maeda Clan who managed the castle around the end of its history.

The portrait of Narimasa Sassa, owned by Toyama Municipal Folk Museum *(licensed under Public Domain via Wikimedia Commons)*

The portrait of Toshiie Maeda, the founder of the Maeda Clan, private owned (licensed under Public Domain via Wikimedia Commons)

To be continued in “Masuyama Castle Part2”

34.Nanao Castle Part3

Watch out for wild animals.

Features

You can also visit other enclosures near the Main Enclosure. For instance, the Nukui Residence is next to the Sakura Riding Ground. It has the ruins of its entrance which was built using a huge stone called Kyu-shaku-ishi or 2.7m Wide Stone, which might have been the Back Gate of the castle.

The ruins of its entrance which was built using a huge stone called 2.7m Wide Stone

The Second Enclosure is the next to the Nukui Residence, which was also an important defensive point. Finally, the Third Enclosure is over another large deep ditch. Unfortunately, you will have to go up and down the stairs on very steep cliffs to get there.

The imaginary drawing of the Second Enclosure (from the signboard at the site)

Later History

In the Edo Period after Nanao Castle was abandoned, the Kaga Domain banned people from cutting down trees around the mountain. This prevented farmers cutting down trees and materials. The study of the ruins started about 100 years ago, and as a result, the ruins were designated as a National Historic Site in 1934. Nanao City has been maintaining the ruins since 1966. The city is planning to provide a fine landscape in the main portion and develop the Main Route from the foot of the mountain while preserving the ruins properly.

The city view of Nanao City from the castle ruins

The Main Route to the main portion of the castle

My Impression

I saw the signboard at the site that wonders of wild boars that often dig up the ruins. When I walked down from the Second Enclosure to get to the Third Enclosure, I noticed the back of a wild boar. I have been told that wild boars can attack you suddenly without warning. Therefore, I decided to give up to get there and head back. Visiting mountain castles is very interesting as long as you take precaution. Be careful not to provoke wild animals, as they can attack you unknowingly.

The signboard that tells about wild boars

How to get There

I recommend using a car when you visit the ruins.
If you want to go directly to the main portion of the castle,
It is about 15 minutes away from Nanao-Shiroyama IC on the Noto Expressway.
If you want to walk from the foot of the mountain,
I would recommend parking at the Nanao Castle History Museum. it takes about one hour to the top going through the Main Route.

Links and References

・Historic Site Nanao Castle Ruis, Nanao City

That’s all. Thank you.
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