second enclosure – ページ 24 – 日本200名城バイリンガル (Japan's top 200 castles and ruins)

30.Takato Castle Part2

A castle with natural hazard that became a site famous for cherry blossoms

Features

Now, the ruins of Takato Castle has become Takato Castle Site Park which is very famous for cherry blossoms. For this reason, the park is crowded with lots of people. There are entrance fees and opening hours during the cherry-blossom season. In contrast, it is silent, free, and always open during the off seasons. This is to control the number of visitors during the peak season, as the park has only two gates in the north and south. So, it is up to you to decide when you would like to visit the park.

The map around the castle

Route to North Gate

The North Gate is the former entrance of the Second Enclosure. If you come from the town area, it would be convenient to use this entrance. After climbing up the slope to the ruins, you will see the stone walls for the Main Gate which was probably built in the Edo Period. The present route goes through the Third Enclosure to the ruins of the Back Gate.

Climbing up the slope to the ruins of the Main Gate

You can see the structure of the Main Gate which was once moved and reduced in scale on the left, but now returned to the present position.

The Third Enclosure still has a building for the Domain School called Shintoku-kan.

Then you will reach the North Gate behind the Middle Moat. There is a large old rest house for visitors called Takato-taku which was built in 1936 inside the gate.

Route through South Gate

The map around the castle

The South Gate is the former entrance of the Hodo-in Enclosure outside the Outer Moat, which was originally a temple. If you come from the Takato Historical Museum, it would be convenient to use this entrance. From the museum, you can look up the ruins and understand how the castle was built using natural materials. The cliff of the mountain was a natural hazard for enemies in the past, but the route to the ruins is developed now.

Looking up the castle ruins from around the museum

After entering the gate, you will go across a bridge called Hakuto-bashi or the White Rabbit Bridge on the Outer Moat.

You will also walk from the South Enclosure inside the moat to the Second Enclosure passing another earthen bridge.

Main Enclosure where Cherry Blossoms will be wonderful

You need to enter the Second Enclosure to reach the Main Enclosure due to the defensive layout. The Main Enclosure is the center of the castle and still surrounded by the Inner Moat. The moat is even deeper now, but mostly dry, so you can stand on the bottom of it.

The Oun-kyo or Cherry Cloud Bridge is in front of the entrance over the Inner Moat. It is said that the spot around them is the best for taking a photo in the cherry-blossom season.

Its entrance gate has a traditional structure called Tonya-mon which was moved from the town area.

You can see a very good view of the area around from the inside of the enclosure.

The enclosure has the Taiko Yagura or Drum Turret which was originally built beside the Back Gate letting people know the time. It was moved to the present position in 1877, and rebuilt in 1912.

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

30.Takato Castle Part1

The stage for the battle of Takato Castle

Location and History

Castle for governing Ina District

Takato Castle was located in Shinano Province (what is now Nagano Prefecture). The Province was very large, so people often considered it as a group of districts. Ina District was the southern part of the province with a long valley terrain from the north to the south sandwiched by mountains. That’s why people also often call the district the Ina Valley. The valley connected the center of the province such as Suwa District and other provinces in the south such as Mikawa Province. That means Ina District was very important for transportation and governance. Takato Castle was on the edge of the mountains on the east of the valley, which was a good location to govern the district.

The ranges of Shinano Province and Ina District (the highlighted part)

The relief map around the castle

Improved by Takeda Clan

The Takato Clan, a local warlord first lived in Takato Castle in the first 16th Century during the Sengoku Period. In 1545, The Takeda Clan of Kai Province from the east capture the castle in the process of invading Shinano Province. Since then, The Takeda Clan sent their relatives as the lords of the castle, such as Katsuyori Takeda who became the last lord of the clan later. They improved the castle during their governance.

The Portrait of Katsuyori Takeda, ownd by Koyasan Jimyoin (licensed under Public Domain via Wikimedia Commons)

The foundation of castle was built using only soil. The edge of the mountains where the castle was located was surrounded by the Mibu and Fujisawa Rivers in the north, south and west. The mountains in the east were visible through the Back Gate. The Main Gate was at the western side of the castle, facing a steep slope. In addition, the castle was protected by tripled moats. The Main Enclosure was inside the Inner Moat, the Second Enclosure was inside the Middle Moat, and the Third Enclosure was inside the Outer Moat.

Part of the illustration of Takato Castle in Shinano Province, exhibited by the National Archives of Japan

Battle of Takato Castle happens

In 1582, the Battle of Takato Castle between the Takeda Clan and the Oda Clan happened. Nobunaga Oda, unifying the whole country sent his son, Nobutada Oda with about 50,000 soldiers to Takeda’s territory. On the other hand, Morinobu Nishina, Katsuyori’s little brother was in the castle with only 3,000 defenders. Katsuyori, who was at Shinpu Castle about 70km east of Takato Castle, tried to help his brother, but couldn’t. Because most of his vassals betrayed or escaped before the Takeda Clan was defeated. Morinobu didn’t surrender and had to fight with Oda without help. Nobutada himself instructed his troops and charged into both gates of the castle, while the defenders including women fought a desperate defensive battle. However, they were outnumbered, and the castle finally fell in one day. This battle is regarded as the only resistance during the Oda’s invasion into Takeda’s territory.

The portrait of Nobutada Oda, owned by Sokenji Temple (licensed under Public Domain via Wikimedia Commons)

The portrait of Morinobu Nishina, owned by Takato Historical Museum (licensed under Public Domain via Wikimedia Commons)

Maintained by Takato Domain

There was confusion after Nobunaga’s sudden death, a former Takeda’s retainer, the Hoshina Clan got Takato Castle and became the first lord of the Takato Domain in the Edo Period. The castle also became the government building of the domain. The castle for the domain followed the layout of Takeda’s period, but some turrets and plaster walls were built as a castle in the Early Modern Times. The Hoshina Clan accepted the second Shogun’s son named Masayuki as their successor. He also became a senior vassal of the Tokugawa Shogunate and contributed the stabilization of its governance. He was lastly promoted to the lord of Wakamatsu Castle at Aizu Domain. Takato Castle and Takato Domain were followed by the Torii Clan and finally the Naito Clan. The Naito Clan governed them for a long time between 1691 and 1871.

The portrait of Masayuki Hoshina, attributed to Tanyu Kano, owned by Hanitsu Shrine (licensed under Public Domain via Wikimedia Commons)

To be continued in “Takato Castle Part2”

132.Takada Castle Part2

The good contrast of the remaining moats and earthen walls, and the rebuilt turret

Features

Wide and Long Water Moats remain

Now, the ruins of Takada Castle have been developed as the Takada Castle Site Park. The park is also very famous for the illuminated cherry blossoms and the lotus in the Outer Moat credited as “the largest in the East”. As for the castle ruins, the earthen walls of the Main Enclosure, the Inner Moat, and the western part of the Outer Moat mostly remained intact. If you visit the ruins from the west such as Takada Station, you will first see the remaining Outer Moat with a huge amount of lotus plants.

The aerial photo around the castle

Center of Park – Third and Second Enclosures

The Outer Moat is still very large, which was at maximum 130m wide in the past. Even now it remains at about 100m wide. You can now go across the moat on the road to the Third Enclosure and the Second Enclosure inside. The Third Enclosure is used for the modern facilities such as a baseball stadium and an athletic field.

The Second Enclosure is the center of the park with a lot of cherry trees. You can walk along the promenade beside the Outer Moat. In fact, the high earthen walls were built along the moat, but they were removed when a Japanese Army started to use the castle ruins.

There is also the Joetsu City History Museum in the enclosure where you can learn more about the castle and the area around.

Main Enclosure and Rebuilt Three-Story Turret

The Main Enclosure surrounded by the Inner Moat and the earthen walls have three entrances for visitors. The first one is the former front gate from the restored wooden bridge called Gokuraku-bashi outside on the south.

The second one is the ruins of the Higashi-akazu-mon Gate on the east.

The last one is on the west and was built by the Japanese Army in the modern times.

The entrance of the Main Enclosure in the west

The Three-story Turret was also rebuilt in 1993 on the earthen walls at the southwest corner of the Main Enclosure, based on the successful excavations and studies. The turret is in fact a steel building, but it looks traditional because of the many wooden materials used.

The rebuilt Three-Story Turret on the earthen walls

Its interior is used as a museum and as a sightseeing tower. You can also see a good contrast of the Inner Moat, the earthen walls and the turret from the outside.

The inside of the enclosure was used as the Main Hall for the lord of the castle, and is now used as a school.

The miniature model of the Main Enclosure of Takada Castle (*the Joetsu City History Museum*)

The inside of the Main Enclosure in the present

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