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

18.Hachigata Castle Part3

I climbed Kuruma-yama Mountain to its top to confirm that the idea of the attackers firing upon the castle in the battle in 1590 would was realistic.

Features

Well-Restored Dry Moats

Zigzagged large dry moats with wooden fences between the Third and Second Enclosures, which allowed the defenders to attack enemies’ sides, have also been restored. Only two routes were available between them – the one via the Main Route and the other via the well restored Umadashi system. Also, if you compare the two enclosures, you will find the Third is higher than the Second. In other castles, the Second (which is closer to the Main Enclosure) is usually higher than the Third. However, in the case of Hachigata Castle, it is the other way around. In addition, the Third Enclosure had strong defense systems with four Umadashi which are originally designed by the Hojo Clan. That’s why author, Jun Ito says the Hojo Clan might have moved the center of the castle from the Main Enclosure to the Third in the final stages of the castle.

The aerial photo around the castle. the red markers indicates the four Umadashi systems

The dry moats between the Third and Second Enclosures

The Umadashi system connecting the Third and Second Enclosures

The Third Enclosure is higher than the Second one

Panorama of Main Enclosure

A paved car road goes between the Second and Main Enclosures, so it may be difficult to imagine what it used to look like. According to information at the Hachigata Castle History Museum, there used to be a large gate to the Main Enclosure and a wooden bridge over the deep dry moat in front of the gate.

The map around the castle

The paved car road between the Second and Main Enclosures

The part of the entrance to the Main Enclosure in the diorama

The enclosure has the other peak of the castle, standing beside a 30m tall cliff. no castle buildings remain, and it is purely made of soil, but the ground is still leveled so you can imagine the Main Hall for the lord as it was in the past. You can enjoy a great view of the Arakawa River and the surrounding area from the peak. You can also understand how the castle was naturally protected.

You will finally reach the Sasa Enclosure, near the tip, which is lower than the Main Enclosure. It is another entrance to the castle ruins, beside Shoki-bashi Bridge.

The Shoki-bashi Bridge beside the castle ruins

The tip area is a private area where visitors can’t enter, so you can only see this area from the opposite side of the river. If you cross to the opposite, you should check out another great view of the castle ruins on the cliff from the Tamayodo riverbed beside the bridge.

The tip area seen from the opposite side

The castle ruins seen from the Tamayodo riverbed

Later History

At the beginning of the Showa era (around 1930), the JR Hachiko line was planned to be constructed through the ruins. Locals argued the plan needed to be changed and asked the government to preserve the ruins. They were successful and the ruins was designated as a National Historic Site in 1932. Yorii Town excavated and researched the Second, Third and Sasa Enclosures between 1997 and 2001. Based on these achievements, the town developed the Hachigata Castle Park and restored some structures of the castle. It also opened the Hachigata Castle History Museum in 2004 to display and educate people about the history of the castle and the studies into it.

My Impression

I climbed Kuruma-yama Mountain to its top to confirm that the idea of the attackers firing upon the castle in the battle in 1590 would was realistic. It is widely accepted that General, Tadakatsu Honda brought large guns, fired upon the castle, and broke the Main Gate. The mountain is 227m above sea level and about 100m above the castle, which is about 1km away (the Third Enclosure). A view of the castle ruins from above was actually not good because of the trees surrounding. My conclusion is that not all of the wildly accepted lore is correct. I think the firing itself is the fact, because a large gun shell of several cm in diameter was excavated from the Outer Enclosure of the castle. However, I don’t think shooting from the mountain would have been useful. In the winter campaign of the siege of Osaka in 1614, Ieyasu Tokugawa borrowed the large Western guns and fired upon Osaka Castle from his stronghold on a river delta , about 500m away the castle. Considering this case, shooting at the castle using (probably) Japanese guns 24 years previously, from more than 500m away, even from a mountain could not be done. My speculation is that Tadakatsu put his stronghold on the mountain but fired upon the castle from a place much closer to it than the mountain.

The Kurumayama Mountain seen from around the southern entrance of the ruins

I could just see part of the Main Enclosure from the top due to the trees surrounding

The portrait of Tadakatsu Honda, owned by Ryogenji Temple (licensed under Public Domain via Wikimedia Commons)

The relief map around Hachigata Castle

The relief map around Osaka Castle, using the same reduced scale as above

How to get There

I recommend using a car when you visit the castle ruins because there are only a few buses available. It is about a 20-minute drive away from Hanazono IC on the Kanetsu Expressway. There are several parking lots in the park.
If you want to use public transportation, it takes about 30 minutes on foot to get there form Yorii Station.
From Tokyo to Yorii Station.: Take the Tobu-Tojo line from Ikebukuro Station, or take the Joetsu Shinkansen super express from Tokyo Station to Kumagata Station, and transfer to Chichibu Railway.

That’s all. Thank you.
Back to “Hachigata Castle Part1”
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122.Otaki Castle Part3

Otaki Town is promoting the castle with Tadakatsu Honda.

Later History

After the Meiji Restoration, Otaki Castle was abandoned and all the buildings of the castle were demolished. The land of the castle was turned into fields, with a school and a residential area. The Imitation Main Tower was built in 1975 after the excavation in 1973. Otaki Town has been promoting this castle as being built by the famous general, Tadakatsu Honda.

The illustration of Tadakatsu’s helmet, exhibited by Otaki Castle Museum

My Impression

The Main Tower of Otaki Castle is temporarily closed (as of Oct22) as it needs repairs such as earthquake proofing. Otaki Town will operate it following Chiba Prefecture after the repairs. Castles that include Main Towers are indispensable to local cities or towns because they serve as symbol and facilities for tourism. I also recommend seeing the castle town street near Otaki Station, where some old merchant houses remain.

Old merchant houses of the old castle town

How to get There

I recommend using a car when you visit the castle.
It is about a 30-minute drive away from Ichihara-Maizuru IC on the Ken-odo Expressway. You can park at the parking lot located under the Main Enclosure.
If you want to use public transportation, it takes about 15 minutes on foot from Otaki Station.
To get to Otaki Station from Tokyo: Take the Wakashio limited express and get off at Ohara Station and transfer to the Isumi Railway.

The parking lot under the Main Enclosure

Links and References

・Otaki Castle Museum

That’s all. Thank you.
Back to “Otaki Castle Part1”
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122.Otaki Castle Part1

The unclear castle Tadakatsu Honda developed

Location and History

Castle in Kazusa Province, Debatable ground

In the past, Chiba Prefecture was divided into three provinces, the Awa (the southern region), the Kazusa (the mid region) and the Shimosa (the northern region) from the south to the north on Boso Peninsula. In the 15th Century during the Sengoku Period, the Satomi Clan and the Hojo Clan battled each other many times to rule over the peninsula. The Satomi Clan was based in the Awa Province in the south, while the Hojo Clan first invaded Shimosa Province in the north. The central Kazusa Province naturally became the battlefield by both clans. There were many local lords such as the Takeda Clan and the Masaki Clan in the province. They were either independent, or supported the Hojo Clan, and or the Satomi Clan, depending on the situation.

The range of kazusa Province and the location of the castle

The former Otaki Castle, called Odaki Castle, was said to have been built by the Takeda Clan in the first 15th Century followed by the Masaki Clan in the middle of the 15th Century. The castle was built on a hill facing Isumi-gawa River in the south and deep valleys in the west. Therefore, the clans built several enclosures with dry moats in the east and branch forts in the north to protect the castle. The castle was made of soil using natural terrain, a typical method for building castles at that time.

The relief map around the castle

Tadakatsu Honda renovates Castle

The Satomi Clan finally managed to capture Kazusa Province including Odaki castle before the unification of Japan by Hideyoshi Toyotomi in 1590. However, Hedeyoshi took the province away the Satomi Clan and gave it to Ieyasu Tokugawa, the new owner of the Kanto Region following the Hojo Clan. One of the Four Generals Serving Ieyasu at that time, was Tadakatsu Honda who was assigned as the lord of Otaki Castle, which was later renamed from Odaki Castle, in 1591. Tadakatsu renovated the castle and developed the castle town in order to protect it against the Satomi Clan which was still located in the Awa Province. However, it is unclear how Tadakatsu renovated. Some historians speculate that the three-level Main Tower was built in the Main Enclosure on the top.

The miniature model of Otaki Castle, exhibited by Otaki Castle Museum

The only evidence of the early stage of Otaki Castle was a record written by Rodrigo de Vivero, a Spanish politician who accidentally visited the castle when he drifted to Japan on his way to Mexico in 1609. He wrote that the first gate made of iron was on a 15-meter high wall, which was most likely the Main Gate, which also had a draw bridge that had a moat.

The Main Gate part of the miniature model

Furthermore, he wrote that the second gate was surrounded by stone walls or stone mounds and there was a deluxe Main Hall made for the lord of the castle, which was decorated with gold and silver inside (probably in the Second Enclosure). However, he didn’t mention the Main Enclosure and whether or not it included the Main Tower.

The Second Enclosure part of the miniature model

Tadakatsu had been transferred to Kuwana Castle in 1601, so his son, Tadatomo Honda met with Rodrigo de Vivero instead at the hall. Eventually, the Honda Clan was transferred from Otaki Castle in 1617.

Tadatomo Honda, drawn in the Battle of Sekigahara folding screen *(licensed under Public Domain via Wikimedia Commons)*

Lords of Castle changes many times

After the lords of the castle left, the ruler of the castle constantly changed between the Aoyama and the Abe Clans in short successions. In the case, the Inagaki Clan in 1702 only managed to rule the castle in as little as 21 days. As a result, the castle was neglected and nobody was there to take care or maintain it. Only when the Matsudaira Clan took over the castle in 1703 did the castle become more stable. According to the Matsudaira Clan’s records, the Main Hall existed only in the Second Enclosure. The Matsudaira Clan’s reign continued until the end of the Edo Period. It was said that the Main Tower was burned down in 1844, however, this information is debatable considering more information has recently come out managing this situation. It’s more plausible to assume, that the Matsudaira Clan continued to maintain and govern the castle until its ultimate demise at the end of the Edo Period. On the other hand, it’s also possible to assume that the town around the castle prospered which is where it is today, in the Boso Peninsula.

Did the castle have a Main Tower or not ?

To be continued in “Otaki Castle Part2”