Takakage Kobayakawa – ページ 2 – 日本200名城バイリンガル (Japan's top 200 castles and ruins)

72.Yoshida-Koriyama Castle Part1

The castle grew as Motonari Mori got more power.

Location and History

Home Base of Generations of Mori Clan

Yoshida-Koriyama Castle was located in Aki Province which is modern day the western part of Hiroshima Prefecture. It was also located in a central mountainous area in the Chugoku Region. It started off as a small mountain castle on one ridge of Koriyama Mountain, which was built by a local lord of the Mori Clan sometime in the Middle Ages. The lord of the clan in the Sengoku Period, Motonari Mori developed the castle covering the whole mountain as he governed almost all the region, he became a great warlord.

The range of Aki Province and the location of the castle

The Mori Clan had been basically a typical local lord which governed Yoshida manor since the 13th Century. As time passed by, their relatives became the clan’s senior vassals such as the Fukuhara and Katsura Clans. Even in the beginning of the 16th Century during the Sengoku Period, the lord of the clan lived in the small Yoshida-Koriyama Castle while the senior vassals lived in their own castles or halls. On the other hand, they had a strong allegiance. This was one of the reasons why they were finally successful in the region.

The relief map around the castle, the home bases of the senior vassals were in different places from the castle

Motonari has many Difficulties

When Motonari first entered Yoshida-Koriyama Castle to become the lord of the clan in 1524, the situation was already bad. The previous lords all died young, as a result, the power of the clan continued to decrease. In addition, the Aki Province was divided by about 30 small local lords like Motonari. Meanwhile, strong warlords were growing in power as the Ouchi Clan in Suo Province, west of Aki, and the Aamago Clan in Izumo Province, north of Aki. The local lords in Aki had to support either clan, otherwise, they would have been defeated. The Mori Clan supported the Amago Clan, however, the clan tried to remove Motonari from being the successor and supported another person whom they can easily control. However, Motonari somehow survived with his senior vassals’ support.

The portrait of Motonari Mori, owned by Mori Museum (licensed under Public Domain via Wikimedia Commons)

The portrait of Tsunehisa Amago, the lord of the clan at that time, owned by Doukouji Temple (licensed under Public Domain via Wikimedia Commons)

To survive under these difficult situations, Motonari acted like a mediator, not a ruler, in his province. For example, he proposed making a peace treaty with the competitive Shishido Clan in his province by marrying his daughter with the clan’s successor. The clan eventually became another senior vassal of Motonari. He also made alliances with local lords in Aki and Bingo (east of Aki) Provinces with a round-robin contract. A round-robin contract is an equal opportunity for everyone involved with no true leader. He always managed to persuad his three son’s Takamoto, Motoharu and Takakage to be united for the clan’s prosperity (That would create the popular episode, called Three Arrows, sometime later. It refers that Motonari tried to demonstrate the strength of teamwork by using arrows. First, he asked them to break one arrow which was easy. However, when he asked them to break all three arrows at the same time, it was impossible. This was to show his 3 sons that working together was better than working independently.). After that, he sent Motoharu and Takakage as the successors of the Kikkawa and Kobayakawa Clans which also became his relatives. However, he sometimes decided to fight, for instance, when he defeated his senior vassal, the Inoue Clan because they got out of control.

The portrait of Takamoto Mori, owned by Joeiji Temple (licensed under Public Domain via Wikimedia Commons)

The portrait of Takamoto Mori, owned by Waseda University Library Temple (licensed under Public Domain via Wikimedia Commons)

The portrait of Takakage Kobayakawa, owned by Beisanji Temple (licensed under Public Domain via Wikimedia Commons)

A big crisis came to Yoshida-Koriyama Castle in 1540 after Motonari changed his allegiance from the Amago Clan to the Ouchi Clan. The Amago Clan with about 30 thousand troops surrounded the castle in September. The castle seemed to look small, but Motonari was besieged with about 8 thousand people including warriors and farmers for 4 months, waiting for the reinforcement from the Ouchi Clan. It finally came in December before the Amago troops had to withdraw. This failure of the Amago Clan was said to be the first sign of their destruction which was done in the battle of Gassan-Toda Castle in 1566 by Motonari.

The portrait of Haruhisa Amago, the lord of the clan at that time, owned by Yamaguchi Museum (licensed under Public Domain via Wikimedia Commons)

A distant view of the ruins of Yoshida-Koriyama Castle

*A distant view of Aoyama (on the left) and Mitsuiyama (on the right) Mountains where the Amago troops encamped*

Retainers gather on Whole Mountain

After that, Motonari became a great warlord through many battles, schemes and tricks, such as the Battle of Miyajima against the Sue Clan which followed the Ochi Clan in 1551. During his enterprise, he appointed the his son, Takamoto to be the new leader in 1546, but he still had the power. He moved from the ridge where the castle was first built to the top of the mountain, which would be called the Main Enclosure. Takamoto continued to live in the ridge, which would be called Honjo or the Main Castle, instead of Motonari. However, he eventually moved closer to Motonari by building a new enclosure because it was tough for him to communicate with his father by coming and going. Other retainers also got together on the mountain, as a result, the castle had about 270 enclosures over the mountain as the clan got more power.

The locations of the top and the Main Castle, from the signboard at the site, adding the red letters

“The whole illustration of Koriyama”, *owned by Yamaguchi Prefectural Archives, from the signboard at the site*

Motonari’s grandchild, Terumoto moves to Hiroshima

After the deaths of Takamoto in 1563 and Motonari in 1571, Takamoto’s son, Terumoto Mori followed them. He also improved and modernized the castle by building stone walls, however, he built and moved to his new home base, Hiroshima Castle in 1591. Yoshida-Koriyama Castle was eventually abandoned.

The portrait of Terumoto Mori, owned by the Mori Museum（licensed under Public Domain via Wikimedia Commons）

To be continued in “Yoshida-Koriyama Castle Part2”

80.Yuzuki Castle Part1

The center of Iyo Province in the Middle Ages

Location and History

Great find of Matsuyama City

Matsuyama City is one of the most popular tourist spots in Japan, which is also known for attractions such as the Dogo Hot Spring and Matsuyama Castle. However, you should check out another one as well, called Yuzuki Castle. The Dogo Hot Spring has been said to be the oldest hot spring in Japan, so some ancient imperial family members probably including Prince Shotoku once visited there and stayed for a while. The hill, where Yuzuki Castle would be built later, was near the hot spring and had the Isaniwa Shrine at the top. That means the area around the hill had been considered a holy place by the people in Iyo Province which is now modern day Ehime Prefecture.

The range of Iyo Province and the location of Yuzuki Cassle

Official Residence of Governor, Kono Clan

The Kono Clan was one of the local clans in Iyo Province. When the Mongol Invasion happened in 1281, Michiari Kono, the lord of the clan, was very active in the battle against the Mongol troops, who was also drawn in the picture scrolls of the Mongol invasion attempts against Japan, which was produced by Suenaga Takezaki. In the first 14th Century, the Kono Clan managed to take over the province, therefore, they built Yuzuki Castle on the hill after relocating the shrine to another place next to the hill. The clan finally became the ruling clan of the province, living in the castle as the official residence of the governor. The holy spot probably also provided the clan more authority.

Michiari Kono drawn in the picture scrolls of the Mongol invasion attempts against Japan (licensed by Wikimedia Commons)

The hill where Yuzuki Castle was built and the Isaniwa Shrine had been

However, the governance of Iyo Province by the Kono Clan was not very stable. This was because other clans such as the Hosokawa and Ouchi Clans invaded the province. The Kono Clan itself sometimes had internal troubles as well. In 1535 during the Sengoku Period, Michinao Kono, the lord of the clan at that time, built an Outer Moat using earthen walls inside, to make his castle much stronger defensively. The castle originally had an Inner Moat with other earthen walls outside, so by having the second outer moat, it doubled the moats.

You can see the doubled moats of Yuzuki Castle in the miniature model of the ruins, exhibited by the Yuzuki Castle Museum

It is still uncertain what the center of the castle on the hill was used for, but the lord of the castle might have lived there. The area between the Inner and Outer moats was shared by the warriors for living and divided by the mud walls for each resident. The southern part was used as the residences for the high-class warriors. Each portion for them was large and a Japanese garden was built next to that part. On the other hand, the western part was used as the residences for the middle-class warriors. Each portion was much smaller than that of high-class residences, but one of the residences had a meeting room where people could enjoy parties for poetry which were very popular back then. In addition, the castle had at least two gates, one on the eastern gate which was the front and another one on the western side which was the back.

The residences for the middle-class warriors in in the miniature model

Castle is abandoned after Kono Clan declines

Despite the renovation of the castle, the Kono Clan struggled to maintain it. According to the excavation, the castle was burned down after the renovation. The clan managed to rebuild the castle and tried to survive by working closely with the Kurushima Clan as well as with the Murakami navy forces. Despite the invasion by the Chosogabe Clan from Tosa Province, which was the south of Iyo, along with the unification of Japan by Hideyoshi Toyotomi, the Kono Clan had to ask the Mori Clan in the Aki Province, which was the north of Iyo, for help. In 1585, Ushifukumaru Kono, the last lord of the clan, handed the castle over to Takakage Kobayakawa, who was a relative of the Mori Clan. In 1588 when Masanori Fukushima, following Takakage, moved from Yuzuki Castle to another castle. the castle was eventually abandoned.

The portrait of Masanori Fukushima, the lord of Hiroshima Castle, owned by the Tokyo National Museum (licensed under Public Domain via Wikimedia Commons)

To be continued in “Yuzuki Castle Part2”

172.三原城～Mihara Castle

過去は海の城、今は駅の城
Sea castle in the past, Station castle in the present

立地と歴史～Location and History

毛利氏の海軍基地～Navy Base for Mori Clan

三原城は最初は、戦国時代の16世紀後半に中国地方を支配していた毛利氏の支族、小早川隆景が築きました。毛利氏は近畿地方の織田氏から侵略されていて、それを防ぐための大きな城で、海軍の基地としても使えるものを必要としていたのです。三原城はそのうちの一つで、沼田川の河口にあったデルタ地帯の島の上に築かれました。この地域は三原浦と呼ばれており、そのためその城も三原城と呼ばれました。このような立地は、後に毛利氏の本拠地となった広島城と似通っています。
Mihara Castle was first built by Takakage Kobayakawa, the head of a branch family of the Mori Clan which owned Chugoku Region in the late 16th Century during the Sengoku Period. The clan was being invaded by the Oda Clan in Kinki Region, so they thought they needed large castles to prevent invasions and to use as the bases for their navy. Mihara Castle was one of them and was built on the islands on the delta in the estuary of Nutagawa River. The area had been called Mihara Bay, so the castle has been called Mihara Castle. Such a location is similar to Hiroshima Castle which later became the home base of the Mori Clan.

小早川隆景肖像画、米山寺蔵～The portrait of Takakage Kobayakawa, owned by Beisanji Temple *(licensed under Public Domain via Wikimedia Commons)*

城の位置～The location of the castle

海の城～Sea Castle

城の主要部分は、中央にある大きな三角形の島の上にあり、本丸と二の丸がありました。南側の三角形の底辺の部分は海に面しており、北側の三角形の頂点には天守台石垣がありました。しかし、天守は築かれずに、代わりに３基の二階櫓が台の上に築かれました。主要部は水堀と海によって周りの地区から完全に切り離されており、周りとは２つの橋がある門のみとつながっていました。更には、石垣に沿っていくつもの船着き場がありました。この城は、海の城とでもいえるものだったのです。
The main portion of the castle was on the large central triangular island which included the Main Enclosure and the Second Enclosure. The base of the triangle on the south faced the sea, and the top of the triangle on the north had the stone wall base for the Main Tower, but the tower was not built, instead, the three two-story turrets were built on the base. The main portion was completely separated from the area around by water moats and the sea, and just connected with two gates with bridges to surrounding area. In addition, several ports were built beside the stone walls. The castle could be called a sea castle.

備後国之内三原城所絵図～The illustration of Mihara Castle in Bingo Province （出展：国立公文書館）

天守台石垣～The stone wall base for the Main Tower

福島氏、浅野氏が引き継ぐ～Fukushima, Asano Clans follow it

毛利氏の後は、福島正則が江戸時代の１７世紀初頭にこの城を支配しました。彼は海に面して１０基もの二階櫓を築き、城の防御力を強化しました。ところが、1619年に徳川幕府により改易になってしまいます。浅野氏が城を引き継ぎ江戸時代末まで統治しました。浅野氏は、広島城を本拠地としていて、三原城は支城とみなされていました。幕府は通常は大名に対して２つ以上の城を持つことを禁じていましたが、浅野氏は例外として三原城を維持することができたのでした。
After the Mori Clan, Masanori Fukushima governed the castle at the beginning of the 17th Century during the Edo Period. He built as many as ten two-story turrets facing the sea, which made the castle more defensive. However, he was fired by the Tokugawa Shogunate in 1619. The Aasano Clan took over the castle and governed it until the end of the Edo Period. The Asano Clan lived in Hiroshima Castle as their home base while Mihara Castle was regarded as their branch castle. The shogunate usually didn’t allow the lords to have a second castle, but the Asano Clan was able to have Mihara Castle as an exception.

*福島正則肖像画、東京国立博物館蔵～The portrait of Masanori Fukushima, owned by the Tokyo National Museum (licensed under Public Domain via Wikimedia Commons*)

特徴～Features

まるで駅の城～Just like Station Castle

現在、三原城跡はＪＲ三原駅と電車線に覆われているように見えます。実際、城跡の一部は専用通路により駅とつながっているのです。営業時間内であれば、誰でもこの通路を通ってそこに行くことができます。ここは天守台石垣の上で、城の主要部分ではもっとも北側に当たります。この区域は公園のように整備されていて、北側の方では、天守台を囲む水堀を眺めることができます。また、南側の方では山陽新幹線のホームをすぐ近くの同じ高さで見ることができます。ホームには新幹線の車両が頻繁に通り過ぎたり、止まったりしているのがよくわかります。大変ユニークであり、まるで駅の城とも言えるでしょう。
Now, the ruins of Mihara Castle look like being covered with JR Mihara Station and the JR Railway. In fact, part of the ruins is connected to the station by an exclusive path. Anyone can visit this part of the castle through the path during the opening hours. This is the top of the stone wall base for the Main Tower, which was the northmost part of the main portion of the castle. The area has been developed like a park where you can see a view of the water moat surrounding the base on the north. You can also see the platform for the Sanyo Shinkansen Super Express close by at the same level on the south. You can enjoy seeing the super express trains often passing by or stopping at the platform. It is very unique, and it could be called a station castle.

駅の中から天守台へ～From the inside the station to the base for the Main Tower

天守台への階段～The stairways to *the base for the Main Tower*

天守台から北側の眺め～A view from the base on the north

*天守台から南側の眺め～A view from the base on the* south

天守台はホームのすぐ近くです～The base is very close to the platform

天守台から見た新幹線車両～A view of the trains for Shinkansen from the base

ホームから見た天守台～A view of the base from the platform

巨大な天守台～Huge base for Main Tower

また、駅の外で堀の周りを歩きながら天守台石垣を見上げることもできます。この天守台は、日本で最も大きなものの一つで、将軍の江戸城のものと同じくらいの大きさです。但し、天守の代わりに３基の二階櫓が立っていました。この天守台のもう一つの珍しい点は、違う時代の石材によりできていることです。西側の石は小早川時代のもので、東側は福島時代のものです。小早川の石は古い方式により積まれており、福島の方は新しい方式のよるとのことです。
You can also walk around the moat looking up at the stone walls for the base outside the station. This base for the Main Tower is one of the largest ones in Japan which has similar size to the Shogun’s Edo Castle. However, there were three two-story turrets on it instead of a Main Tower. Another unique point is that it has stones from different periods. The stones on the western side come from Kobayakawa’s period, and those on the eastern side come from Fukushima’s. Kobayakawa’s stone walls were built using an older method, whereas Fukushima’s method is newer.

駅の外から見た天守台～A view of the base from the outside of the station

小早川時代に作られた部分～The part which was built in Kobayakawa’s period

*福島時代に作られた部分～The part which was built in Fukushima’s period*

城跡の他の部分～Other parts of Ruins

城周辺の航空写真～The aerial photo around the castle

城跡としては他にはあまり残っていませんが、駅から三原港の方に歩いて行くと、現存している石垣を見ることができます。その上には現代の建物が建っています。ここは、城の主要部分の西端に当たります。石垣の中ほどには、２つの入口の一つであった中門跡があります。石垣の南端部分は、臨海一番櫓跡です。かつてこの櫓は海に面していました。ここから三原港までは海だったわけです。
Other ruins of the castle remain few, but if you walk down from the station to Mihara Port, you can see the remaining stone walls on which modern buildings stand. They were the western border of the main portion of the castle. On the middle of the stone walls, there are the ruins of Naka-mon Gate which was one of the two entrances to the portion. The southmost part of the stone walls are the ruins of Rinkai-Ichiban-Yagura Turret or the First Seaside Turret. The turret faced the sea in the past. The area from the ruins to Mihara Port was once the sea.

臨海一番櫓跡～The ruins of the First Seaside Turret

主要部分の東側の城跡は、城町公園として残っています。この公園には船入櫓という櫓の跡があります。ここの石垣は岩礁の上に乗っていて、かつては海岸だったことがわかります。
The ruins of the eastern part of the main portion remain as Shiromachi Park. The park has the ruins of another turret called Funairi-Yagura Turret or the Port Turret. Their remaining stone walls are on a shore reef where it was once seaside.

船入櫓跡の石垣～The stone walls of the ruins of the Port Turret (三原市Websiteより引用)

その後～Later History

明治維新後、三原城は廃城となり、全ての建物は売られるか撤去されました。1894年、鉄道の三原駅と山陽本線が作られたとき、天守台石垣のすぐ南の本丸の用地がその建設のために供されたのです。本丸のほとんどの石垣は、他の港の資材として運ばれ、ほとんどの水堀はその工事中に埋められてしまいました。城跡は、1957年に国の史跡に指定されました。1975年、山陽新幹線が作られたとき、高架橋が城跡を壊さないよう、その上を覆って設置されました。
After the Meiji Restoration, Mihara Castle was abandoned, and all of its buildings were sold or demolished. In 1894, when Mihara Railway Station and Sanyo Railway Line were built, the ground for the Main Enclosure, just to the south of the stone wall base, was used for the construction of the train line and the station. Most of the enclosure’s stone walls were carried to another port as materials, and most of the water moats were filled during the construction. The ruins have been designated as a National Historic Site since 1957. In 1975, when the Sanyo Super Express Line was built, the overhead railway was placed across the ruins so as not to harm them. This is what we see there now.

石垣に被さっているような高架線～The overhead railway like covering the stone walls (taken by マンハッタン from photo AC)

私の感想～My Impression

三原城を最初に見た印象は人によってちがうかもしれません。城跡が現代の建物によりほとんど壊されていると思うかもしれませんし、城跡と駅の組み合わせが面白いと思うかもしれません。私は、ここを訪れる前は前者だったのですが、訪れた後は後者に近い印象です。また、一方で行政側に対しては、視覚に訴える掲示やＶＲ技術を使ったりして、もっと三原城はどのような姿をしていたのか知らせるべきと思います。
The first impression of Mihara Castle may be different for each person. One might think the ruins were mostly destroyed by modern buildings, or others might think the combination of the ruins and the station looks interesting. I believed the former before I visited the ruins; my impression is now similar to the latter after visiting them. I also feel that officials should let people know what Mihara Castle looked like using visual image boards as well as VR technology.

ここに行くには～How to get There

三原城跡は、三原駅のすぐ北隣です。
The ruins of Mihara Castle neighbors Mihara Station to the south.

リンク、参考情報～Links and References

・三原城跡、三原市（Mihara City Official Website）
・よみがえる日本の城７、学研（Japanese Book）
・「日本の城改訂版第４２号」デアゴスティーニジャパン（Japanese Book）