stone wall – ページ 4 – 日本200名城バイリンガル (Japan's top 200 castles and ruins)

3.Matsumae Castle Part1

A unique castle in the last period of them

Location and History

Castle was built at End of Edo Period

Matsumae Castle was located in the southern edge of Hokkaido Island which was called Ezo until the Edo Period. Only the Matsumae Domain ruled the island in the period because the native Ainu people mainly lived there. There were over 200 domains in Japan throughout the period, which required earning over 10 thousand koku of rice in their territory. However, the Matsumae Domain couldn’t earn enough rice at that time due to the cold climate of the island. So instead, the domain was allowed to trade with the Ainu people exclusively by the Tokugawa Shogunate to maintain it. As a result, the shogunate specially considered it as an independent domain. On the other hand, the domain at first wasn’t allowed to have a castle which needed a higher status that it didn’t have. That’s why the domain had only a hall for the lord, called Fukuyama-kan at its home base of Matsumae until around the end of the Edo Period.

The location of the castle

In 1849, the lord of the domain, Takahiro Matsumae, was suddenly ordered by the shogunate to build a new castle, which was rare in the period. This was because foreign ships often came around Japan, which might have threatened the safety of the country. The homebase of the domain faced Tsugaru Channel between Hokkaido and the mainland of Japan, where these ships could sail. The shogunate expected the domain to build the castle as a base for coastal defense. Takahiro chose a famous scholar of military science, Ichigaku Ichikawa for the location and design of the castle. Ichigaku recommended moving their homebase to another place in Hakodate for the castle. He didn’t think that Matsumae was suitable for the castle because of its location on the halfway point of a gentle slope. However, the domain refused it, saying it was too expensive and they didn’t want to leave the familiar environment of Matsumae. Finally, the castle was built by replacing the Fukuyama-kan hall in 1855, which was eventually renamed Matsumae Castle.

The photo of Takahiro Matsumae, around 1864 (licensed under Public Domain via Wikimedia Commons)

The relief map around the castle

Castle is mixed with Traditional Japanese style and Modernized features

Matsumae Castle is one of the latest castles to be built using Japanese style, such as having a Main Tower, turrets and gates built with stone walls in several separated enclosures. The castle actually had the Main Enclosure including the three-level Main Tower, its gate and the Main Hall for the lord. The Second Enclosure with several turrets was also built blow the Main Enclosure. The Third Enclosure with the Front Gate was further below. The Inner and Outer Moats were dug between them. On the other hand, the castle had some advanced and specific features. 7 batteries were built towards the sea in the Third Enclosure as a base for coastal defense. The turrets in the Second Enclosure, such as Taiko-Yagura or the Drum Turret, were used as the command posts for the batteries. The stone walls of the castle were built precisely using a method called Kikko-zumi or the Tortoise Shell style. However, those of the Main Tower were not built high at only around 3m, which made it harder to target for ships with guns. The walls of the tower were also built strongly that can withstand gun attacks.

The diorama of the castle, exhibited at the site, adding the red letters

The present restored Main Tower with the original Main Entrance Gate on the right

The Drum Turret on the left and the Main Tower on the right in the old photo of the castle, from the signboard at the site

An example of the stone walls using the Tortoise Shell style method, around the Outer Back Gate

Castle falls twice during Meiji Restoration

The first battle at the castle happened in 1868 during the Meiji Restoration, but not against foreign ships but rather against Japanese troops. The former Shogunate Army led by Takeaki Enomoto escaped from the main land to Hokkaido and captured Goryokaku in Hakodate and they made it their home base. Then, they sent troops led by Toshizo Hijikata and a fleet to Matsumae Castle. The attackers and the defenders in the castle at first fought each other with cannonade. A ship (Banryu-maru) of the fleet had to withdraw being shot by a battery outside of the castle. However, Hijikata also attacked the side and the back of the castle. In fact, the back side was the weakest point of it. This was because the gentle slope, where it was built on, was easy to attack from the back. Moreover, the Matsumae Domain spent a lot of money on the front facing the sea, but only a few on the back. The castle would eventually fall.

The photo of Takeaki Enomoto, in 1868 *(licensed under Public Domain via Wikimedia Commons)*

The photo of Toshizo Hijikata, taken by Kenzo Tamoto, in 1868 (licensed under Public Domain via Wikimedia Commons)

The photo of Banryu-maru, in 1868 (licensed under Public Domain via Wikimedia Commons)

The spot where Hijikata first attacked, called Umasaka Route, marked by the red circle

In the next year, the warriors of the domain, who managed to escape to Aomori in the main land, tried to retaliate with the help of the New Government Army to get Matsumae Castle back. They equipped stronger guns with a more modernized fleet than the former Shogunate Army. They landed at Hokkaido again and got close to the castle by fighting. When they attacked the castle from the other side of it, the defender of the former Shogunate Army eventually surrendered.

The spot where Matsumae warriors attacked, called Yudonosawazaka Route, marked by the red circle

To be continued in “Matsumae Castle Part2”

128.Yogaiyama Castle Part3

More needs to be done to improve this historical site

Features

Strong defense in Back side

If you have time, you should check out the back side of the castle. This is because the ridge on the back is very narrow, so original trail and the ruins along it seem to remain as it was. The Main Enclosure and the enclosure behind it are divided by an artificial ditch to prevent enemies from attacking form the back. The ditch is partly supported by stone walls to avoid collapsing, which is rare in Japanese castles.

The ditch using stone walls divides the Main Enclosure and the back

The map around the castle

Moreover, two earthen lookout platforms are in line on the ridge at the back of these enclosures. They are also partly supported by stone walls or stone mound, which are also uncertain who built or improved it.

The trail gets thin between the platforms

The trail goes beside the platforms and between them, which was made thin cut by vertical moats both sides. That meant the defenders on the platforms would see and counterattack enemies easily.

Looking up the platform from the thin trail

Later History

In the Edo Period, a stone statue of the Takeda Fudoson or Acala, which worshiped Shingen Takeda, was built in an enclosure between the Gate Ruins No.2 and No.3. It has since been called the Fudo Enclosure. After the Meiji Restoration, the castle site continued to deteriorate, so local people built the stone monument of the birthplace of Shingen Takeda in 1929 to preserve them. The title of the monument was written by Heihachiro Togo, a famous admiral of the Japanese Imperial Navy. The castle ruins have been designated as a National Historic Site since 1991.

The stone monument for the birthplace of Shingen Takeda at the Main Enclosure

My Impression

I recommend visiting both ruins of Yogaiyama Castle and Takeda Clan Hall at the same time because you will be able to see how the Takeda Clan protected their home base. They must have been like one castle or a set. On the other hand, let me ask one thing to Kofu City. In the ruins of Takeda Clan Hall, excavations and studies are often being done in recent years. However, why have the ruins of Yogaiyama Castle not been developed? More explanations is needed for historical fans at the site. Some parts of the ruins are covered with bushes. I hope in the future that the city will develop this mountain castle ruins as a set with Takeda Clan Hall.

A Masugata entrance of Takeda Clan Hall (The northern entrance of the Western Enclosure)

Excavations are ongoing at Takeda Clan Hall Ruins

How to get There

I recommend using a car when you visit the castle ruins because there are few buses to visit them.
It is about a 20-minute drive away from Kofu-minami IC on the Chuo Expressway. There is a parking lot in front of the trail entrance to the castle ruins.
If you want to use public transportation, you can take the Yamanashi-Kotsu Bus bound for Sekisuiji Temple from JR Kofu Station and ride to the end. It takes about 15 minutes on foot from the bus stop to get the entrance.
To get to Kofu Station from Tokyo: Take the limited express Azusa or Kaiji at Shinjuku Station.

The parking lot in front of the trail entrance

That’s all. Thank you.
Back to “Yogaiyama Castle Part1”
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128.Yogaiyama Castle Part2

The spot for hikers and history fans

Features

Castle Ruins on Hiking course

Today, the ruins of Yogaiyama Castle are on a hiking course as well as a historical site in Kofu City. The top of the ruins on the mountain is about 250m above the starting point of the trail at the foot. Therefore, you need to prepare for a long hike or a grueling climb to visit the ruins, which takes over 30 minutes to reach the top. The first half of your tour will be a pure hike by climbing a natural zigzagging trail. You may see some stone walls along the route, but they were probably built after the castle period.

Were these stone walls built after the castle period?

You will eventually find some signposts of Vertical Moat or Earthen Walls, which are around the entrance of the castle ruins. These actual ruins are partially covered with bushes, so you may not notice them without the signposts.

These ruins are partially covered with bushes

Original Gate Ruins along Trail

You will also find other ruins such as gates along the trail, however, the trail is not always on the original one. According to previous researches, the castle had 8 gates to reach the Main Enclosure on the top. As long as I checked, there are actually only 4 gate ruins with signposts along the current trail, which still look very defensive. I think they should be the original gates of No.2, No.3, No.6 and No.8.

The map around the castle

On the other hand, there are also other entrances of enclosures, which look like gate ruins without signposts. They are set straight in front of the enclosures, which mean not defensive, so may not be original and built later for hikers. If so, some original gate ruins (probably No.4, No.5 and No.7) are not on the current route probably because they are inconvenient for hikers.

In addition, the No.1 gate ruins seem to be on the route, but without a signpost, which I didn’t notice.

I think this is around the N0.1 Gate Ruins as some stone walls remain

Who built Masugata System of this Castle?

Out of the 4 original gate ruins with signposts, No.2 (with the first signpost of Gate Ruins) and No.3 (with the second one) are so great. They are surrounded by stone walls, forming a square space, called Masugata. The trail also turns right to exit the gate, plus, other enclosures are in the back of the gate and ahead of the route. That meant the defenders would counterattack the front and side of the enemies in the Masugata.

The No.2 Gate Ruins, the trail turns right

The No.3 Gate Ruins, similar to the No.2 Gate Ruins

This structure is seen in other castles using high stone walls, which would be built much later than Yogaiyama Castle. However, it is not uncertain who built or improved this system. If the Takeda Clan built it, it would be very advanced, if Mitsuyasu Kato improved it, he would have applied it from other castles like Kofu Castle to Yogaiyama Castle.

The restored Yamanote-mon Gate of Kofu Castle which has the Masugata system

The miniature model of the Yamanote-mon Gate, exhibited in the Inari Turret of Kofu Castle

Main Enclosure, Largest one in Castle

The No.8 Gate Ruins are the entrance of the Main Enclosure. It is the largest enclosure in the castle on the top of the mountain, surrounded by thick earthen walls. There is only the stone monument for the birthplace of Shingen Takeda in it. There should be a good view point of Kofu city area, but unfortunately trees shut out the view.

The No.8 Gate Rums, the entrance of the Main Enclosure

The earthen walls surrounding the enclosure

The stone monument for the birthplace of Shingen Takeda

Unfortunately, this is not a good view point

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