stone wall – ページ 18 – 日本200名城バイリンガル (Japan's top 200 castles and ruins)

130.Takashima Castle Part1

A castle once at lakeside

Location and History

Suwa Area and Suwa Clan with Long History

Suwa Area of Nagano Prefecture is famous for its tourist spots like Suwa Lake and Suwa-taisha Shrine which are related to Takashima Castle. The shrine is said to have originated from a god in the oldest remaining history book called Kojiki. The god was also supposed to be the origin of the Suwa Clan that had been the lord of Suwa District of Shinano Province (same as now Suwa Area) and “Ohori” or the highest rank of the saints in Shinto at the shrine until the first 16th Century during the Sengoku Period. They still lived in other mountain castles.

The aerial photo around Suwa Lake

Suwa-taisha Shrine (licensed by Saigen Jiro via Wikimedia Commons)

Invasion by Shingen Takeda

Shingen Takeda, one of the greatest warlords of Kai Province next to Shinano Province, aimed to invade the province. He defeated the Suwa Clan in 1542 and governed Suwa District. The Takeda Clan was also defeated by Nobunaga Oda in 1582. However, there was a confusion in the district when Nobunaga was killed in the same year. People in the district invited one of the Suwa Clan’s relatives who remained as Ohori at Suwa-taisha Shrine as their new lord, Yoritada Suwa.

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

The portrait of Shingen Takeda, owned by Jimyo-in Temple (licensed under Public Domain via Wikimedia Commons)

Takayoshi Hineno built Takashima Castle

When Hideyoshi Toyotomi gained the power at the end of the 16th Century, he sent his retainer, Takayoshi Hineno to Suwa District. Yoritada Suwa was regretfully transferred to another province however. Takayoshi built a new castle alongside Suwa Lake called Takashima Castle bringing advanced techniques for that time from western Japan. The castle had four enclosures in a line facing the lake. Only one route was accessible to the enclosure at the edge of the castle. That means the castle could be very defensive.

The layout of Takashima Castle (licensed by Fraxinus2 via Wikimedia Commons)

The Main Enclosure was surrounded by stone walls which must have been very difficult to build them on the lakeside. They were actually built on wooden rafts in order to be stable even on the soft ground. The Main Enclosure also had the three-story Main Tower which was rare for eastern Japan at that time. The tower had a wood strip roofing different from other castles which usually used roof tiles. This is because the wooden tiles made the weight of the tower lighter on the soft ground and were more durable against the cold climate of the area.

The Main Enclosure surrounded by the stone walls

The old photo of the original Main Tower, exhibited by Suwa Takashima Castle

Suwa Clan revived and maintained Castle

In 1601 after the Tokugawa Shogunate gained the power instead of the Toyotomi Clan, the Suwa Clan came back to Suwa District. They supported the Shogunate very well in the Battle of Sekigahara in 1600. Yoritada Suwa’s son, Yorimizu became the lord of Takashima Domain and lived in Takashima Castle. In the peaceful time during the Edo Period, a view of the castle with Suwa Lake became a popular attraction in the area, called “the floating castle of Suwa”. Some Ukiyo-e artists such as Hokusai Katsushika drew paintings of the scenery for their Ukiyo-e or woodblock prints. On the other hand, the reclamation of Suwa Lake was done to make more farms and to prevent floods through the Edo Period. Takashima Castle was moving away far from the lake.

The Suwa Clan’s family crest, Suwa Kajinoha or Paper mulberry leaves of Suwa (licensed by Mukai via Wikimedia Commons)

”Suwa Lake in Shinano Province” from the series “Thirty-six Views of Mount Fuji” attributed to Hokusai Katsushika in the Edo Period (licensed under Public Domain via Wikimedia Commons)

To be continued in “Takashima Castle Part2”

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”

22.Hachioji Castle Part2

It may take a whole day to see.

Features

Now, part of Hachioji Castle ruins is designated as a National Historic Site. That part of the ruins is 1.54 million square meters big! It may take a whole day to see enough of the ruins. The entrance of the ruins is the Nekoya Area which has become a modern residential district. You can walk on the road along the Shiroyama River. Then, you will reach the guidance facility which is the starting point for the two other parts.

The map around the castle

The Residence on the Foot Area

The Residence on the Foot Area was recently investigated and developed as a historical park. You can walk on the restored Main Route, and it is easy to access the ruins of the Main Hall. The original route was guarded by several gates such as the Main Gate in the past. You will eventually reach the restored Movable Bridge. This bridge is used by tourists. It looks very nice and is permanent. The original one seemed simpler and movable. The stone walls around the Main Hall were also restored and look great. In fact, part of them is still original.

The original part out of the stone walls above (from the signboard at the site)

The inside of the hall ruins looks spacious and empty, but a lot of achievement from the excavation is shown. For example, the stone foundation of the Palace remains on the ground. Some of the stones for the garden were reproduced, and the floor part of the Club was rebuilt. The signboards also say what kinds of items, about 70,000, were found during the excavation.

The signboard which shows the excavated items

The Fortress on the Mountain Area

If you have time, you should visit the Fortress on the Mountain Area which was really a mountain castle. The front trail to the top of the mountain was also developed, but your visit will involve hiking or climbing, so make sure that you wear athletic shoes and watch your steps. The trail is along the ridge of the mountain passing several enclosures such as the Kaneko Enclosure, which were the need for defense. You can see part of the remaining stone walls at many places.

The remaining stone walls beside the trail

After climbing a steep slope, you will reach a high point called the Takamaru Enclosure near the top. On the way to the top from there, you will see a very nice view of the sides of the mountain. Soon, you will reach the top area, which include the Hachioji Shrine, the Main Enclosure, the Komiya Enclosure, and the Matsuki Enclosure. I recommend enjoying a view of Tokyo city from the Matsuki Enclosure. You can even see the skyscrapers of Shinjuku.

The city view with the sides of the mountain

Outer Citadel

If you have more time, how about visiting the back area of the top where the ruins of the small forts remain? You can visit there by going through the trail on the ridge of the back. Please take care, as the trail gets rough. You will first see the large deep dry moat between the top and the back areas, which was also for defense. After that, you can go further on the trail where you will see many scattered stones. That is a curious sight because of these covered the ridge in the past. You will eventually reach the main fort called Daitenshu where uncountable stones are also scattered. This was the pivot of the defense for the back of the castle.

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