Introductions for both casual visitors and serious history fans
Later History
After the Meiji Restoration, Hamada Castle Ruins had a little complicated history. The Japanese Army at first owned the ruins but they remained idle, while the remaining Main Tower collapsed due to the Hamada Earthquake in 1872. No buildings survived. After the ruins were sold to the former lord, Matsudaira Clan in 1890, Shimane Prefecture turned them into the Hamada Park in 1903. The route to the Main Enclosure on the top was developed, on the other hand, some stone walls were destroyed for the construction. In 1938, Hamada-Gokoku Shrine was established at the mid slope of the hill. Its approach from the foot was developed.
Hamada-Gokoku Shrine
After World War II, Hamada City, which bought the ruins, planned to improve the park as well as a working area for people. Another route from the foot was developed and some stone walls were repaired by the work. The stone walls had been left after the fire at the end of the Edo Period. However, it was pointed out that their original condition was not considered in the repair. As a result, the ruins were designated as a Prefectural Historic Site of Shimane Prefecture in 1962.
The route to the ruins, which was developed after World War II
Features for General Visitors
Going to Castle Ruins through Hamada-Gokoku Shrine
Today, there are two routes to the ruins of Hamada Castle, houever they are not the original. If you choose the approach to Hamada-Gokoku Shrine as the route, it goes straight to the shrine at the mid slope with stone steps. You can look down Nakanomon Gate Ruins to the right of the way. In fact, the gate was on the original route.
The map around the casltle
The entrance of the approach to Hamada-Gokoku ShrineThe approach to Hamada-Gokoku ShrineThe ruins of Nakanomon Gate seen from the approach
Gate moved from Tsuwano Castle
In the back of the shrine, you will see an old building which looks like a castle gate. However, it is also not original to this castle. When this city was part of the Hamada Prefectural Capital (Hamada Prefecture was later unified with Shimane Prefecture), they moved one of the gates of Tsuwano Castle for its office. The gate was finally moved to the current position in 1967 made as a park attraction.
Going to the back of the shrineThe former Tsuwano Castle GateThe photo of the gate when it was used for the office
Going to Main Enclosure through Route developed in Meiji Era
You will enter the center of the ruins from the gate, the route becomes likely the original one surrounded by stone walls, but once you turn left, you will see another straight route to the Main Enclosure on the top. Such a layout was hard to believe for a castle because it would have been easier for enemies to attack it. In fact, this route was also developed for the park during the Meiji Era by breaking the stone walls of the Barbican Enclosure beside the Main Enclosure. That’s why visitors have easy access at the top.
Going the center of the ruinsThe route becomes straight againThe image of the original stone walls of the Barbican Enclosure, from the signboard at the sitePart of “the illustration of Hamada Castle Stone Walls”, from the signboard at the site, adding the red arrow as the current route and the red circles as the broken stone walls
Main Enclosure becomes Park Square
The inside of the Main Enclosure is a square now where you can see views such as the Hamada city area and Tonoura Cove. You can also see some remaining stone walls around and the rest seemed to have collapsed due to the earthquake back in 1872.
The inside of the Main EnclosureThe Hamada city area seen from the Main EnclosureTonoura Cove seen from the Main EnclosureThe partially remaining stone walls of the Main Enclosure
The castle which was destined to fight the Choshu Domain
Location and History
Castle is built to monitor Choshu Domain
Hamada Castle was located in Iwami Province which is modern day the western part of Shimane Prefecture. You may think the prefecture has a comparatively quiet image, but the province was very important during the Sengoku and Edo Periods. This was because it had Iwami Silver Mine, which has become a World Heritage Site. The mine was owned by several great warlords as the Ouchi, Amago, and Mori Clans, then finally followed by the Tokugawa Shogunate. The shogunate wanted to secure the mine, but there was still the Mori Clan in the Choshu Domain, next to Iwami Province in the west. They handed it over the shogunate after the losing the Battle of Sekigawara in 1600, however, the shogunate feared they would retaliate again. That was probably why the shogunate created new domains as Tsuwano in 1600 and Hamada in 1619, located between the mine and Choshu. The shogunate expected the two domains to monitor the Choshu Domain regularly.
The location of the castle
Shigeharu Furuta, who had been the lord of Matsusaka Castle in Ise Province, was ordered to move to Iwami Provence as the founder of the Hamada Domain in 1619. He was looking for a suitable site for the new castle and eventually found a 67m high hill beside Hamada Port which would be the best location. In fact, building a new castle was prohibited by the Tokugawa Shogunate at that time, but it was allowed for the new domain as an exception. The castle construction started in 1620, its foundation was made in the same year, and its completion was in 1623. Although general techniques for castle construction had been advanced back then, those for Hamada Castle were relatively low. For example, the stone walls of the castle were piled together using roughly processed stones while others often used precisely cut stones. The Main Tower for the castle was a Lookout Tower, but it was considered an older one. The reason for it is uncertain, but it may be because the construction was needed to be finished quickly, or that the craftsmen for the construction were locals.
Part of “The illustration of Hamada in Iwami Province”, between 1759 and 1769, from the signboard at the siteThe remaining stone walls of the Nakanomon Gate of Hamada CastleThe restored image by CG of the Main Tower of Hamada Castle, from the signboard at the site
Castle is handed over from Furuta Clan to Matsudaira Clans
The Furuta Clan was unfortunately fired by the shogunate due to its internal conflict as well as having no successor in 1648. After that, the Matsui-Matsudaira Clan (which had been the Matsui Clan under the Imagawa Clan, and was allowed to use the Matsudaira family name by Ieyasu Tokugawa due to their contributions to him) governed the domain and castle for a long time. However, the clan was moved to another in 1836 as a punishment for the smuggling of Joseon dynasty of Korea. Instead, the Ochi-Matsudaira Clan (which originated from the 6th Shogun, Ienobu Tokugawa’s little brother) came to govern them. At the end of the Edo Period, Takeakira Matsudaira was adopted as the last lord, who was also a little brother of Yoshinobu Tokugawa who would be the last shogun.
The portrait of Takeakira Matsudaira (licensed under Public Domain via Wikimedia Commons)The photo of Yoshinobu Tokugawa, by 1867 (licensed under Public Domain via Wikimedia Commons)
Hamada warriors burn Castle by themselves when attacked by Choshu
The biggest event for the castle occurred in 1866 when the shogunate ordered lords in Japan to join in the Second conquest of Choshu. The shogunate tried to defeat the Choshu Domain which was its enemy. The Hamada Domain was ordered to attack the Choshu Domain through the Iwami Route which connected both domains. However, the Tsuwano Domain, which should have supported the shogunate, took a neutral position because the power of the shogunate began to decrease. On the other hand, the Hamada Domain had to join it because its lord was a relative of the shogun. Contrary to their expectations, the Hamada troops with some other domains’ were unfortunately beaten by the Choshu’s well-trained drafted soldiers. The Choshu troops counterattacked and got close to Hamada Castle and town, and forced them to surrender.
The portrait of Masujiro Omura who led the Choshu troops (licensed under Public Domain via Wikimedia Commons)
The lord, Takeakira once made up his mind to stay in the castle to be killed in a battle. However, he was eventually persuaded to escape from the castle towards his outland territory in Mimasaka Province (now part of Okayama Pref.). The Choshu troops managed to capture Hamada Castle as well as Iwami Silver Mine which the shogunate and Hamada Domain must have secured. There was an interesting episode where the warriors of the domain withdrew from the castle. They burned the castle by themselves during the escape. This was because handing it over to their enemies intact was rather shameful than being used as a base by the enemy. The reason for it is as followed. The Main Tower on the top managed to survive the fire and remained for a while. However, some people in Hamada still won’t admit to the fact and say the tower must have been burned by the Hamada Domain itself. That means the castle was the entity which must never be separated from its masters at that time. That was the warrior’s all or nothing mentality.
The restored image by CG of Hamada Castle, from the signboard at the site
Yoshimi Clan builds Castle to prepare for Mongol Invasions
Tsuwano Town is located in an intermount basin of Shimane Prefecture, the Chugoku Region. It has an old town atmosphere, sometimes called a little Kyoto in Sanin Area (northern Chugoku Region). In addition, Tsuwano Castle Ruins which is on the mountain, beside the town makes it more impressive. In fact, the town originally came from its castle town.
The old town atmosphere of Tsuwano Tsuwano Castle Ruins seen from the town area
The castle was first built in 1295 by the Yoshimi Clan, which was sent by the Kamakura Shogunate to protect the area from the possible Mongol Invasions. The invasions historically ended in 1281, but warriors in Japan still expected the Mongolian army might have attacked Japan again. That’s why the clan built the castle on a steep mountain which was just off the Japan Sea. The clan eventually lived in the castle as a local lord for over 300 years. In 1554 of the Sengoku Period, the castle experienced a 110 day siege against the Sue Clan, but did not fall before the truce. The castle was strong enough though it had been all made of soil using natural terrain. After that, the Yoshimi Clan finally followed the Mori Clan, the leader of the Chugoku Region. However, the Yoshimi Clan had to leave the castle with the Mori Clan’s lost of the Battle of Sekigahara in 1600.
A scene of the Mongol Invasions from “The picture scrolls of the Mongol invasion attempts against Japan” (licensed under Public Domain via Wikimedia Commons)
The location of the castle
Success and Declining of Naomori Sakazaki
Ieyasu Tokugawa won the battle and sent Naomori Sakazaki to the castle as the founder of the Tsuwano Domain. Naomori who came from the Ukita clan who was the enemy of Ieyasu decided to support Tokugawa because he had a tiff with his own clan. Thus he changed his family name. He modernized and more fortified the castle by building high stone walls, some turrets and the Main Tower in the main portion on the steep mountain. Some other lords at that time often built or renovated their castles on a plain land for the convenience of their government. The reason for Naomori’s decision was said to prepare for possible battles against the neighbor Mori Clan or there was no space for a new castle in the basin. He also developed the castle town, for example, by building waterways to prevent fire and growing carps in them to reduce mosquitos. He also brought paper mulberry trees to the area, which would later create a new industry known as Sekishu Japanese writing paper.
The portrait of Naomori Sakazaki, private owned (licensed under Public Domain via Wikimedia Commons)Part of the illustration of Tsuwano Castle in Iwami Province, exhibited by the National Archives of JapanThe remaining stone walls on the mountain
On the other hand, Naomori was an impulsive and monomaniac person. For example, he pursued a relative for 8 years to avenge the death of a person and he didn’t stop until that person got punished. He even sued the Tomita Clan who accommodated that person in the Shogunate Court and was finally fired by the shogunate. However, in the end he brought his own misfortune. In 1615 when the summer campaign of siege of Osaka where the shogunate defeated Hideyori Toyotomi, Naomori joined the Tokugawa shogunate’s side. Hedeyori’s wife, Senhime, who was the shogun’s daughter, was rescued and brought to the shogun by Naomori himself. The next year, a very mysterious incident occurred. Naomori had planned to kidnap Senhime a night before her wedding to one of Tokugawa Shogunate’s senior vassals. The shogunate’s troops surrounded his house but he committed harakiri.
The portrait of Senhime, owned by Gugyoji Temple (licensed under Public Domain via Wikimedia Commons)The portrait of Hidetada Tokugawa who was Senhime’s father, owned by Saifuku-ji Temple (licensed under Public Domain via Wikimedia Commons)
It is quite uncertain why he tried such a foolish action. Some say this was because the founder of the shogunate and Senhime’s grandfather, Ieyasu Tokugawa had promised to marry Senhime with the person who rescued her, but they didn’t do what they have initially promised. Another speculation is that Naomori was asked to find a husband for Senhime because he himself was much older than her. But nothing happened according to his wishes and so eventually he lost everything because of his egoistic tendencies.
The Portrait of Ieyasu Tokugawa, attributed to Tanyu Kano, owned by Osaka Castle Museum (licensed under Public Domain via Wikimedia Commons)
Kamei Clan follows Tsuwano Domain and Castle
The Tsuwano Domain was followed by the Kamei Clan, which governed the domain until the end of the Edo Period. Like many other domains, they built the Main Hall at the foot of the mountain for living and the government. They also kept the castle on the mountain, but it was actually very tough. In 1685, the Main Tower and some other turrets were burned down by a lightning fire. Unfortunately, the tower was not restored. The stone walls on the mountain sometimes collapsed due to earthquakes or natural cause because of the steep terrain. As a result, most of the stone walls were repaired or re-plied during the period, but some of them were left that way. In addition, the domain established the domain school called Yorokan to educate the retainers. Many pioneers to modernize Japan in the Meiji Rra came from this school such as Ogai Mori (a novelist) and Amane Nishi (a Philosopher).
The illustration of Tsuwano Castle (showing its state of the early Meiji Era), in 1874, from the signboard at the siteThe interior of the restored domain schoolThe photo of Ogai Mori, in 1916 (licensed under Public Domain via Wikimedia Commons)The photo of Amane Nishi, published in 1931 (licensed under Public Domain via Wikimedia Commons)
