I am thankful to live in the safety of modern Japan.
Later History
The ruins of Torigoe Castle had been abandoned for a long time after the Ikko uprising was defeated. The excavation was conducted between 1977 and 2002, while the ruins were designated as a National Historic Site in 1985. The development as a historical park and the restoration of some castle structures were also done between 1991 and 2002. That’s why we can see the ruins as the monument of the Kaga Ikko uprising.
The restored Masugata-mon Gate (front) and Main Enclosure Gate (back)The ruins of the lookout tower beside the Main Enclosure Gate, now used as the observation platformthe ruins of buildings in the Main Enclosure
My Impression
When I visited Torigoe Castle Ruins, I thought the castle was exactly like those that the warlords built. This proves the Kaga Ikko uprising really had religious, political and even military power. In other words, people at that time needed to protect themselves. People in the present time usually live safely without these concerns, at least in Japan. I learned that this is partly due to the precious sacrifice of the Ikko uprising people. I also recommend seeing the ruins as a good example of mountain castles during the Sengoku Period.
The inside of Masugata, a square space for defenseThe dry moat between the Main Enclosure and Rear Second EnclosureThe Second Enclosure, which protected the south of the Main Enclosure
How to get There
I recommend using a car when you visit the ruins. It is about a 30-minute drive away from Komatsu IC on the Hokuriku Expressway. You can park at the parking lot located near the top of the mountain. If you want to use public transportation, you can take the Hokutetsu-Kaga Bus on the Mugiguchi Line from Komatus Station and get off at the Misaka bus stop. It takes about 30 minutes on foot from the bus stop to get there. To get to Komatsu Station from Tokyo: Take the Hokuriku Shinkansen super express, transfer to the limited express on the Hokuriku Line at Kanazawa Station. From Osaka: Take the Thunderbird limited express
The parking lot seen from the Rear Second EnclosureThe Rear Second Enclosure seen from the parking lot
Torigoe Castle was located at the foot of the Hakusan Mountain in Kaga Province, which is now Hakusan City, Ishikawa Prefecture. It is known for the final place where the people of the lkkoshu Sect in the province, fought with the warlords to the last man in a conflict known as the Kaga Ikko uprising. After the Onin War in Kyoto in 1467, almost all the people in Japan had to protect themselves because the authority of the Ashikaga Shogunate had decreased in power. This is called the Sengoku Period, also known as the Warring States Period. Not only the lords and warriors, but also farmers and merchants along those at the temples had the power to maintain their territory and rights.
The location of the castle
A scene of the Onin War, from a picture scroll of the Origin of Shinnyo-do Temple (licensed under Public Domain via Wikimedia Commons)
The lkkoshu was one of the sects of Buddhism, which spread across the country during that period. Many people believed it because the sect says if you only speak “Hail to Amitabha Buddha”, you would go to heaven. In addition to this simple doctrine, the 8th head of the sect in the 15th Century, Rennyo worked actively to build local organizations especially in what is now the Chubu Region, including Kaga Province. The organizations were primarily religious, but they eventually had political, economic, and military power with the situation of the period. Even a warlord asked the sect for help when fighting another warlord. When the sect fought for something, it was called Ikko-Ikki, or the Ikko uprising, having a big impact on the entire country. As a result, the sect acted like a warlord and his warriors, with its headquarters, called Ishiyama-Honganji Temple, at the former Osaka Castle.
The portrait of Rennyo (licensed under Public Domain via Wikimedia Commons)The miniature model of the Ishiyama-Honganji Temple, owned by Osaka Castle Museum (licensed by ブレイズマン via Wikimedia Commons)The present Osaka Castle
Castle in Province owned by Peasants
Kaga Province had one of the strongest organizations in the sect. The people in the organization, called the Kaga Ikko uprising, first supported the governor of the province, from the Togashi Clan, but soon fought against and defeated the clan. This was due to the high taxes the clan imposed, but the local lords in the sect also wanted to take lands away from the clan. The sect established Oyama-gobo Temple, the former Kanazawa Castle, to govern the province by themselves. Kaga Province was known as “a province owned by peasants”. The temple was the home base of the Kaga Ikko uprising and probably looked like a castle. The Kaga Ikko uprising also had many branch castles, including Torigoe Castle, in the province to protect themselves.
Gokuraku-bashi Bridge in Kanazawa Castle, which derived its name from the period of Oyama-Gobo TempleThe present Kanazawa CastleThe restored Torigoe Castle in the present time
Torigoe Castle was the site of an internal group, called Yamanouchi-shu, in the Kaga Ikko uprising. The castle was built on a mountain above the meeting point of the Tedori-gawa and Dainichi-gawa Rivers. The castle had the Main Enclosure on the top. The other enclosures were around the Main Enclosure and along the ridge of the mountain. All the enclosures were made of soil and divided by the dry moats, using natural terrain. Such a castle could have been seen across Japan at that time as a “mountain castle”. It is thought that the head of the group, Suzuki Dewa-no-kami built the castle to protect them from Nobunaga Oda’s attacks.
The map around the castle
The relief map around the castle
Torigoe Castle was built using natural terrain
End of Kaga Ikko uprising
Nobunaga Oda was a great warlord who processed the unification of Japan in the 1570s-80s. He asked the religious institutions to waive their political and military power. If a temple rejected his request, he would destroy the temple completely, such as the fire attack on Mt. Hiei in 1571. Previously, in 1570, Nobunaga asked the Ikkoshu Sect to withdraw from its home base, Ishiyama-Honganji Temple. The sect refused, and after that, they fought each other for the next 11 years, known as the Battle of Ishiyama. Nobunaga’s retainers also attacked the local organizations of the Ikkoshu Sect, including the Kaga Ikko uprising. The Yamanouchi-shu group battled Nobunaga’s troops at Torigoe Castle even after Ishiyama-Honganji Temple surrendered in 1580. However, they were finally defeated, and with the rest of the survivors being killed in 1582. This could be considered as the final resistance of the Kaga Ikko uprising.
The portrait of Nobunaga Oda, attributed to Soshu Kano, owned by Chokoji Temple (licensed under Public Domain via Wikimedia Commons)The image of Battle of Ishiyama, owned by Wakayama City Museum (licensed under Public Domain via Wikimedia Commons)Torigoe Castle, the final place for the people of the Kaga Ikko uprising
Maruoka Castle was located in the northern part of Echizen Province, which is now Sakai City, Fukui Prefecture. The castle has one of the twelve remaining Main Towers in Japan. The castle was first built in 1576 during the Sengoku Period by Katsutoyo Shibata when his relative, Katsuie Shibata owned the province. After the Shibata Clan was defeated by Hideyoshi Hashiba in 1583, several clans such as the Matsudaira Clan owned the castle. The details of the early history of the castle are uncertain, but it is thought that it had the first Main Tower from that period. This is because the remaining stone wall base for the first Main Tower is older than the present Main Tower.
The location of the castle
The remaining Main Tower of Maruoka CastleThe stone wall base for the Main Tower
Narishige Honda becomes independent as Maruoka Domain
In 1624, Narishige Honda who was a senior vassal of the Matsudaira Clan became an independent lord of Maruoka Castle as the founder of the Maruoka Domain. He started to renovate the castle, including rebuilding of the present Main Tower. The renovation was completed in the period of Narishige’s son.
The illustration of Narishige Honda (in the left, the right one is his father, Shigetsugu Honda), exhibited in the Main Tower
The Main Enclosure with the Main Tower was on a hill. The Second Enclosure with the Ninomaru Main Hall was on a flat area beside the Main Enclosure. These enclosures were surrounded by the Inner Moat like a pentagon. It is said that the shape of the moat was meant to make enemies confused when they would attack the castle. In addition, the Third Enclosure with the warriors’ houses and the Outer Moat surrounded the Inner Moat.
The miniature model of Maruoka Castle, the Main Enclosure on the left, the Second Enclosure on the rightPart of the illustration of Maruoka Castle in Echizen Province, in the Edo Period, exhibited by the National Archives of Japan
Arima Clan governs Castle until end of Edo Period
In 1695, the Honda Clan was fired by the Tokugawa Shogunate due to the clan’s internal trouble. As a result, the Arima Clan became the lord of Maruoka Castle and the Maruoka Domain. The clan maintained the castle and governed the domain until the end of the Edo Period.
The family crest of the Arima Clan called the Arima Gourd (licensed by Fraxinus2 via Wikimedia Commons)
