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

186.Kaneda Castle Patr3

Features

Three Gate Ruins

There are branch paths from the first turning point of the main hiking course to other attractions of the castle ruins. The paths are not the former military road and are a little rougher than it. These are not as popular as the military road. However, it is worth to visit. If you walk down the path for a while, you will be at the junction of another path to the first and second gate ruins, and the other path to the third gate ruins.

The map around the castle

The junction is near a hill called Bingushi Mountain where the ruins of other buildings were discovered. These buildings are thought to have been used as barracks for the Sakimori soldiers.

*The diorama of Kaneda Castle Ruins, exhibited by the sightseeing information center Fureaidokoro Tsushima*, adding the branch paths (the red lines), and the places of the second gate (marked by the blue circle) and the third gate (marked by the yellow circle)

The path to the ruins of the first and the second gates

Around the Bingushi Mountain, you can see a rest station on the left

Around the Bingushi Mountain on the diorama

The three gates were built using stones at the eastern side as castle and water gates near the seaside. The stones used in the castle are mainly natural while part of the stones of the first gate are rectangular- processed. However, it is said that they were piled by the Tsushima Domain during the Edo Period to guard the coast. They’ve been restored and repaired so that visitors can see them as if they used to look.

The second gate ruins seen from the bottom

The types of the stones were different in the upper and lower parts of the first gate

Going to the third gate ruins after once returning the junction

Wonderful Stone Walls along Sea

After you visit the third gate ruins, you can return by the same route or by another path though the southeast stone fortress. If you take the latter, you will see the great long stone walls of the eastern side on the right and beautiful Aso Bay on the left. Please watch your step as the path is partially unstable.

Going towards the southeast stone fortress

There are great stone walls along the sea

The southeast stone fortress is really great, too! The corner of the fortress was protruded outward to build a salient with enhanced defense in preparation for an enemy’s attack. It looks like a Gusuku (Okinawan castle) or a small Great Wall of China. If you walk up along the fortress, you will return to the route you passed.

It’s a good contract of the fortress and the sea

Around the southeast fortress on the diorama

Later History

People alway knew about Kaneda Castle because it had been recorded in the Nihon-shoki chronicles, however, they didn’t know about where it was as it had been abandoned too early to remember. For example, trade with Korea was done at a shrine near the first gate during the Middle Ages and the Tsushima Domain used the gate during the Edo Period, but they didn’t notice it was a ancient mountain castle. There is no telling how the Imperial Japanese Army treated it. Historians discovered the ruins on the mountain in the Taisho Era (1910-1925) and they finally confirmed it as Kaneda Castle after World War II. As a result, the ruins were designated as a National Special Historic Site in 1982.

The ruins of Kaneishi Castle, the home of the Tsushima Domain

My Impression

I was very surprised to see that the Joyama Mountain has become dual historical sites of the ancient times and modern times. Both sites show us there were strained relations with foreign countries at those times. Other than that, Tsushima also had dramatic events such as during the Mongolian Invasions and the invasion of Korea by Hideyoshi Toyotomi. On the other hand, there were also peaceful relationships such as with the Korean Envoys. We can now see many tourists visiting Tsushima from Korea recently, too. There is no need to say which is better.

The figures of the Korean Envoys, exhibited by Kokura Castle Tower

How to get There

I recommend using a car to get there. It takes about 20 minutes from Tsushima Airport or about 30 minutes from Izuhara Port. There is a small parking lot at the starting point of the hiking course.

The small parking lot at the starting point of the hiking course

That’s all. Thank you.
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170.Hamada Castle Part3

Castles look very different depending on people’s perspectives.

Features for History Fans

From Approach Entrance to Nakanomon Gate Ruins

For serious history fans, consider getting back to the starting point of the shrine approach. Let us seek together the original route to the Nakanomon Gate Ruins which we talked about above. The foot had the Main Hall and warriors’ houses and turned into residential areas, so you will need to follow narrow paths among the modern houses. Then the large stone walls of the gate will suddenly appear. These walls are original and they look so great, but are partially covered with wiring nets to prevent them from collapsing.

The map around the casltle, the red broken line is the estimated original route

The shrine approach on the left and the residential area on the right

The narrow path among the residential area

the stone walls of the gate suddenly appears

The stone walls are partially covered with wiring nets

After passing the gate ruins, you will go on a promenade along the valley probably similar to the original route while seeing old stone walls around. You will eventually reach the mid slope beside the shrine.

The promenade which is nearly on the original route

You can see some old stone walls beside the promenade

Going through Third and Second Enclosures

Let us pass the gate building and turn left again, but make sure not to go straight, instead, turn right this time. You can begin now to enter the two tiers of enclosures, surrounded by stone walls, which are original. However, these walls were piled up again during the Showa Era. It was said that the stones for the walls had collapsed before the repair. The lower tier is the Third Enclosure, and the upper is the Second Enclosure. The Second Gate was built between them. A square defensive space called Masugata which was also behind the gate where you can still see the same shape. You will finally reach the Main Enclosure as well from the Second Enclosure passing by the First Gate Ruins.

The restored image by CG of the Second Gate, from the signboard at the site

The square defensive space behind the gate

The ruins of the First Gate to the Main Enclosure

My Impression

After visiting the ruins of Hamada Castle, I realized that people would have different impressions from the same place depending on their purposes such as relaxing or learning about history. I think this idea was similar to the people in the past. Records show that after the warriors in Hamada Castle had gone, children played in the remaining Main Tower until it finally collapsed during the earthquake. There were also very different impressions about the castle between the warriors (the high class) and local people (the low class).

The area around the Main Tower base ruins

The restored image by CG of the Main Enclosure, from the signboard at the site

How to get There

If you want to visit Hamada Castle Ruins by car, it is about a 15-minute drive away from Hamada IC on the Chugoku Expressway. There are parking lots in the western and southern sides of the ruins.
By public transportation, it takes about 20 minutes on foot from JR Hamada Station to get there.
If you go there from Tokyo or Osaka, I recommend traveling by plane, using an express bus or combining them with trains.

The parking lot in the western side of the ruins

That’s all. Thank you.
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154.Tamaru Castle Part2

Castle ruins coming from several periods

Features

Going through Main and Second Gates

Today, the ruins of Tamaru Castle have been maintained by Tamaki Town and still located in the center of the town. The ruins of the Main Gate behind the remaining Outer Moat are also the entrance of the ruins and the town hall. The route on the entrance is paved and straight, not like the originally bent road, probably because of convenience for cars. If you drive to the ruins, you can use the parking lot of the hall.

The map around the castle

The Outer Moat in front of the Main Gate Ruins

The paved road goes up to the hill passing through the Second Gate Ruins surrounded by stone walls and the partially remaining Inner Moat. The route is still bent similar to the original one. Next comes the Third Enclosure in the past, however, the present route goes around it which is used as a school. You can see one of the few remaining buildings of the castle, the Fujimi-mon Gate, which had been sold, but moved to the present position, not like in the original one, on the way.

The Third Enclosure Ruins which is used as a school

the Fujimi-mon Gate which was moved to the present position

You can enjoy both Earthen and Stone Walls at Northern Enclosure

You can go directly to the Main Enclosure along the way but you should consider going the separate promenade around the Northern Enclosure. This is because you will be able to feel the long history of the castle when you see it. It is surrounded by old stone walls, and earthen walls outside. Earthen walls were commonly used in the Middle Ages before stone walls were used, so the earthen walls might have been built in the early stage of the castle.

The entrance of the promenade around the Northern Enclosure

The earthen walls of the Northern Enclosure outside

The stone walls also look like those of Azuchi Castle, one of the earliest examples of stone walls for castles, which Nobukatsu’s father, Nobunaga built. You might think the stone walls were built by Nobukatsu, but historians point out most of the castle’s stone walls were built by the Inaba Clan.

The stone walls of the Northern Enclosure

The combination of stone and earthen walls of the Northen Enclosure

Main Enclosure has several Attractions

Going back to the main route, the paved road reaches the Main Enclosure, so you can easily enter it. Its alternating entrance surrounded by stone walls, called Koguchi, which was restored in the present time based on the achievements of the excavation.

A view of the entrance from above the stone walls

One of the highlights of it is the stone wall base for the Main Tower. Part of it such as the stone steps were added later than the original. However, the basic type, called Anagura-siki or the Cellar Type, is a very early method for Main Tower bases. Historians say the base might have been built by Nobukatsu.

The inside of the base (the Cellar Type)

The second one has a good view of the town from it. The area around the town looks rich and peaceful, probably the same as in the past. That proves the good location of the castle.

The rest is the stone walls surrounding the enclosure, you can look around. They look newer and more processed than those of the Northern Enclosures, so the Kuno Clan might repaired them.

Part of the stone walls were made with two tiers

To be continued in “Tamaru Castle Part3”
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