A park for the illuminated cherry blossoms, the lotus flowers and the castle ruins
Later History
After the Meiji Restoration, Takada Castle was used as a ground for the Japanese Army. The Main Hall and the Three-story Turret were unfortunately burned in 1870, and all other buildings of the castle were also demolished. Local people started to plant lotus to earn money for themselves as well as the former warriors at the same time. That lotus has now become an attraction of the city. In 1908, the headquarters for the 13th Division of the Japanese Army was set at the Main Enclosures of the castle. The army destroyed most of the earthen walls and buried many of the moats. Instead, they planted a lot of cherry trees which have also become another attraction today. After World War II, the castle ruins were turned into the Takada Park equipped with public facilities. In more recent years, Joetsu City is tying to balance relaxation and sites of the ruins for the park, renaming it the Takada Castle Site Park in 2020.
The drawing when the castle was used for the Japanese Army ( from the signboard at the site)The ruins of the gate for the headquarters for the 13th Division of the Japanese ArmyThe monument of the Takada Castle Site ParkThe remaining earthen walls of the Main Enclosure and the rebuilt Three-Story Turret on them
My Impression
I was surprised to see the width of the Outer Moat and learned that it was originally wider. It was certainly possible to absorb damage from a gun attack of enemies at that time. Even without stone walls and a Main Tower, it remains strong to this day. You can enjoy seeing the castle as well as cherry blossoms in spring, lotus flowers in summer, autumn leaves in fall, and snow in winter in the park. If you have time, I recommend walking around the city area near Takada Station, the former castle town. The formation of the town still remains with the rare covered alleys called Gangi to prevent snow from entering.
The Outer Moat of Takada CastleA view of the illuminated cherry blossoms at the Takada Castle Site Park(licensed by Cp9asngf via Wikimedia Commons)A view of the lotus flowers at the Takada Castle Site Park(taken by v-pro from photoAC)The Gangi covered alleys which can be seen in the city area
The good contrast of the remaining moats and earthen walls, and the rebuilt turret
Features
Wide and Long Water Moats remain
Now, the ruins of Takada Castle have been developed as the Takada Castle Site Park. The park is also very famous for the illuminated cherry blossoms and the lotus in the Outer Moat credited as “the largest in the East”. As for the castle ruins, the earthen walls of the Main Enclosure, the Inner Moat, and the western part of the Outer Moat mostly remained intact. If you visit the ruins from the west such as Takada Station, you will first see the remaining Outer Moat with a huge amount of lotus plants.
The aerial photo around the castle
The Outer Moat of Takada Castle
Center of Park – Third and Second Enclosures
The Outer Moat is still very large, which was at maximum 130m wide in the past. Even now it remains at about 100m wide. You can now go across the moat on the road to the Third Enclosure and the Second Enclosure inside. The Third Enclosure is used for the modern facilities such as a baseball stadium and an athletic field.
The Third Enclosure over the Outer Moat
The Second Enclosure is the center of the park with a lot of cherry trees. You can walk along the promenade beside the Outer Moat. In fact, the high earthen walls were built along the moat, but they were removed when a Japanese Army started to use the castle ruins.
The promenade in the Second Enclosure
There is also the Joetsu City History Museum in the enclosure where you can learn more about the castle and the area around.
The Joetsu City History Museum
Main Enclosure and Rebuilt Three-Story Turret
The Main Enclosure surrounded by the Inner Moat and the earthen walls have three entrances for visitors. The first one is the former front gate from the restored wooden bridge called Gokuraku-bashi outside on the south.
The restored Gokuraku-bashi Bridge
The second one is the ruins of the Higashi-akazu-mon Gate on the east.
The ruins of the Higashi-akazu-mon Gate
The last one is on the west and was built by the Japanese Army in the modern times.
The entrance of the Main Enclosure in the west
The Three-story Turret was also rebuilt in 1993 on the earthen walls at the southwest corner of the Main Enclosure, based on the successful excavations and studies. The turret is in fact a steel building, but it looks traditional because of the many wooden materials used.
The rebuilt Three-Story Turret on the earthen walls
Its interior is used as a museum and as a sightseeing tower. You can also see a good contrast of the Inner Moat, the earthen walls and the turret from the outside.
The interior of the Three-Story TurretA view from the Three-Story Turret
The inside of the enclosure was used as the Main Hall for the lord of the castle, and is now used as a school.
The miniature model of the Main Enclosure of Takada Castle (the Joetsu City History Museum)The inside of the Main Enclosure in the present
A castle protected by earthen walls and water moats
Location and History
Tadateru Matsudaira built it shortly
Takada Castle was located in Echigo Province (what is now Nigata Province). The Uesgi Clan at Ksugayama Castle owned the province in the late 16th Century during the Sengoku Period. After the clan was transferred to another province, the province was divided by several lords at the beginning of the 17th Century. One of them was the Hori Clan which owned the western part of the province and lived in Fukushima Cstle. However, Hori Clan was fired by the Tokugawa Shogunate in 1610. Instead, Tadateru Matsudaira, a son of Ieyasu Tokugawa, the founder of the Shogunate was sent to the castle. He and the Shogunate felt they required a stronger castle, because the tension between the Shogunate and the Toyoyomi Clan got higher. They needed to monitor non-hereditary feudal lords who possibly supported the Toyotomi Clan. The new castle would be called Takada Castle.
The location of the castle
The portrait of Tadateru Matsudaira, owned by the Joetsu City History Museum (licensed under Public Domain via Wikimedia Commons)
The construction for the castle began in March 1614, and was almost completed in just four months, before the battle between the Shogunate and the Toyotomi Clan happened in October. The Shogunate mobilized thirteen lords including Tadateru’s father-in-law, Masamune Date for the construction. Maybe for the short construction period, Takada Castle had several features. The foundation of the castle was completely made of soil, not using stone walls which were common for building castles at that time. A Main Tower, which was also popular for castles, was not built, the Three-story Turret was built instead.
The remaining earthen walls at the Main EnclosureThe rebuilt Three Story Turret
Protected by Wide Water Moats and High Earthen Walls
However, there was no shortcuts in the construction. The wide and long water moats were built using the flow of several rivers. As a result, the castle was surrounded by the Inner Moat, the Outer Moat, and the opposite flowing rivers. The Third Enclosure was in the Outer Moat, the Second Enclosure was inside the Outer Moat, and The Main Enclosure was inside the Inner Moat. Visitors from the Main Gate outside the Third Enclosure had to go across three bridges to reach the Main Enclosure. Even the clay walls were as high as10m, so the castle had sufficient defense.
The miniature model of Takada Castle (the Joetsu City History Museum)The earthen walls are still surrounding the Main Enclosure
Lords of Castle were changed several times
Tadateru was one of the 10 lords who had the largest territories in Japan at that time, however, he was fired by the Shogunate in 1616 for unknown reasons, after the Shogunate eliminated the Toyotomi Clan in 1615. Though it is said that he was rude to his father, it may be due to an internal trouble in the Shogunate. He was exiled at Takashima Castle until he died at the age of 92 in 1683.
Takashima Castle
After some years, Mitsunaga Matsudaira governed the castle for 57 years. He improved farming and business while developing the castle town and transportation. The castle town had become the city area of Joetsu City. However, he was fired by the Shogunate as well in 1681 due to the internal trouble for his successor.
The draft map of Takada Castle, drawn in 1737 (Joetsu City Buried Cultural Property Center)
The aerial photo around the castle and the city area
After that, several clans governed the castle and the area around the Takada Domain. This area has been known for a city having heavy snow, so some people from other areas seemed to have trouble living and communicating. The last lord of the castle was the Sakakibara Clan which owned it from the mid 18th Century to the Meiji Restoration in the late 19th Century.
The present city area covered with snow (taken by v-pro from photoAC)The Sakaki Shrine which worships Yasumasa Sakakibara, the founder of the Sakakibara Clan
