Takatora Todo – ページ 6 – 日本200名城バイリンガル (Japan's top 200 castles and ruins)

82.Ozu Castle Part1

Many clans developed Ozu Castle and the area around.

Location and History

Utsunomiya Clan first builds Castle

Ozu Castle was located in the southern part of Iyo Province on Shikoku Island, which is now Ozu City in Ehime Prefecture. The castle was first built on a hill called Jizogadake by the Utsunomiya Clan in the 14th Century. This location was near the intersection of Ozu-Uwajima Road and Hijikawa River, an important point for transportation. The Utsunomiya Clan eventually became one of the local warlords in the province during the Sengoku Period in the late 15th to the 16th Century.

The range of Iyo Province and the location of the castle

Takatora Todo modernizes Castle

After Hideyoshi Toyotomi achieved his unification of Japan, Takatora Todo, who worked under Hideyoshi owned Ozu Castle in 1595. He was based in Uwajima Castle, but he modernized both Ozu and Uwajima Castles. The details of improved Ozu Castle by Takatora are uncertain, because the ruins of it are under the current Ozu Castle. However, it is thought that the basic structure of the castle was completed by him. The Main Enclosure was on the hill beside Hijikawa River flowing from the east to the north of the castle. The Second Enclosure was below the hill on the opposite side of the river. Both enclosures were surrounded by the Inner Mort in the south and west. The Third Enclosure and the Outer Moat were also outside of them. The water of the moats was from the river, so the castle is also called a River Castle.

The portrait of Takatora Todo, private owned (licensed under Public Domain via Wikimedia Commons)

The illustration of Ozu Castle in Iyo Province, exhibited by the National Diet Library of Japan

Yasuharu Wakizaka builds Main Tower?

In 1609, Yasuharu Wakizaka, was transferred from Sumoto Castle to Ozu Castle as the founder of the Ozu Domain. It is said that he built the four leveled Main Tower in the Main Enclosure. Some historians also speculate that he might have moved the Main Tower of Sumoto Castle to Ozu. This is because the sizes of the stone wall bases for both castles are almost the same, according to the recent research. The two two-story turrets called Daidokoro-Yagura and Koran-Yagura were built at both sides of the Main Tower, connected by the Passage Turrets. Many other turrets were also built in the important positions of each enclosure.

The portrait of Yasuharu Wakizaka, owned by Tatsuno Shrine (licensed under Public Domain via Wikimedia Commons)

The stone wall base for the Main Tower and the imitation Tower of Sumoto Castle

The old photo of the Main Tower and the Daidokoro-Yagura Turret of Ozu Castle, from the signboard at the site

Kato Clan maintains Castle

In 1617, the Kato Clan was transferred from Yonago Castle to Ozu Castle, which governed the castle and the Ozu Domain over 13 generations until the end of the Edo Period. The domain didn’t have a large territory (60 thousand rice of koku) which meant they were not rich. However, it promoted industries such as Tobe pottery, Japanese papers and Japan wax. It also founded the domain school called Meirinkan to educate warriors. At the end of the Edo Period, one of the warriors, Ayasaburo Takeda learned the Western military science after graduation. He lastly built the first Western style castle called Goryokaku in Hakodate, Hokkaido Island, he also worked as the instructor of the Tokugawa Shogunate.

The portrait of Sadayasu Kato, the first lord of the clan, owned by Ozu City Museum (licensed under Public Domain via Wikimedia Commons)

Ayasaburo Takeda (licensed under Public Domain via Wikimedia Commons)

As for Ozu Castle, the Second Enclosure became the center of the castle in the peaceful time, having the Main Hall, warehouses surrounded by the Main Gate and some turrets.

The Second Enclosure drawn in the Illustration of Ozu Castle in 1692, exhibited in the castle

To be continued in “Ozu Castle Part2”

83.Uwajima Castle Part1

Takatora Todo built and the Date Clan maintained the castle.

Location and History

Takatora Todo builds Castle

Uwajima Castle is located in Uwajima City in the southern part of Ehime Prefecture which was called Iyo Province in the past. The province was divided by many warlords during the Sengoku Period between the late 15th and 16th Century. The Saionji Clan lived in Itajima-Marugushi Castle on the mountain where Uwajima Castle would be built later. When Hideyoshi Toyotomi was processing his unification of Japan, Takatora Todo who served under Hideyoshi, became the lord of the southern Iyo in 1595. For Takatora, who would be known for a master of castle construction, that was the first time to be an independent lord. He chose the mountain, the former Itajima-Marugushi Castle as his home base, and started to build Uwajima Castle on it in 1596.

The range of Iyo Province and the location of Uwajima Castle

Itajima-Maruguchi Castle had been a simple mountain castle. Takatora changed it to a modernized castle using advanced technology and his ideas. The mountain faced Uwajima Bay in the north and west, then he built moats filled with sea water also in the south and east. The line of the seaside and moats were shaped like a pentagon, which might have made enemies upset when they would attack the castle. He also built stone walls like covering the mountain, and some castle entrances using Masugata style which had a square space to prevent enemies’ attack. Moreover, the three-leveled Main Tower was built on natural rocks at the top. The castle construction was completed in 1601.

The illustration of Uwajima Castle and Town in 1703, owned by Uwajima Date Bunka Hozonkai, from the signboard

On the other hand, the castle had many small enclosures on the mountain, such as Main, Second, Third, and Nagato-maru. This is one of the features old mountain castles including Itajima-Marugushi Castle had, which Uwashima Castle had to follow. The Main Tower, which was built using waste materials, became too old about 60 years after completion. According to Takatora’s biography, the Main Tower of Kagomori Castle, a branch castle of Takatora’s territory, was moved to Uwajima Castle in 1604 and used as a turret. Considering these situations, Takatora might not have had enough resources to complete his ideal castle. He eventually moved to Imabari Castle in his new territory in 1600.

The location map of the gathered enclosures around the mountain, from the signboard adding comments by myself

Main Tower is replaced

In 1614, the Date Clan became the lord of Uwajima Castle and the Uwajima Domain until the end of the Edo Period. The second lord, Munetoshi Date renovated the castle in the 1660s because of aging and the damage from an earthquake. In particular, the Main Tower was replaced completely with a new one. The new Main Tower had three levels same as the old one, but its appearance was very different. The old one was the lookout-tower type, while the new one was the multi-storied type. However, the most important point of the new one is that it was built in the peace time. It was built on the stone wall base at the center of the Main Enclosure independently, not connected to other buildings. It had many decorations just for appearance, and had few equipment for battles. Overall, it has often been called “Main Tower for the symbol of peace time”, which we can now see.

The old tower on the right and the new tower on the left, from the signboard

The remaining Main Tower of Uwajima Castle

Many talented people together in Uwajima

The eighth lord, Munenari Date was very active in Japanese politics at the end of the Edo Period. With the arrivals of strong Western steam warships to Japan, which was a treat to the country, Munenari tried to build his domain’s own steamship. He invited people with unusual power to achieve this, such as Zoroku Murata, a doctor who would be the leader of the first Japanese Army, Choei Takano, another doctor, who were running away from the Tokugawa Shogunate, and low-class craftsmen. He finally succeeded. He might have thought Uwajima Castle was not suitable in that situation and create the steamship like a moving castle to deal with the new situation.

The photo of Munenari Date, from a Japanese book “徳川慶喜公伝” *(licensed under Public Domain via Wikimedia Commons)*

The portrait of Zoroku Murata from a Japanese book called Kinsei Meishi Shashin vol.2 (licensed under Public Domain via Wikimedia Commons)

The portrait of Choei Takano, owned by Choei Takano Memorial Hall *(licensed under Public Domain via Wikimedia Commons)*

To be continued in “Uwajima Castle Part2”

179.Kagomori Castle Part1

A castle located around the border between provinces

Location and History

Area of Border Dispute

The ruins of Kagomori Castle are now located in Matsuno Town in Ehime Prefecture, near the Kochi border. Similarly, the castle was located in Iyo Province which was near the border of Iyo Province and Tosa Province in the past. This location was often tense because it was important to the lords of both provinces in order to maintain their territories.

The range of Iyo Province and the location of Kagomori Castle

It is often said The Watanabe Clan owned the castle since the 12th Century. The clan eventually followed the Saionji Clan which governed the southern Iyo Province, and became one of the fifteen commanders of Saionji. Kanesada Ichijo, the lord of Tosa Province in the first 16th Century, sent one of his relatives, to the Watanabe Clan to become their adopted heir. In fact, this was his preparation for the invasion of Iyo Province. The adopted Noritada Watanabe did nothing for his master, Kinhiro Saionji when Kanesada actually invaded the Iyo Province in 1567. Kinhiro got angry and decided to attack Noritada in Kagomori Castle before Noritada could surrender. This event happened at the castle near the border.

The portrait of Kanesada Ishijo, owned by Ryushu-ji Temple *(licensed under Public Domain via Wikimedia Commons)*

Castle is built on U shape Ridge

Kagomori Castle was built on a mountain where the ridge looked like the letter U. A lot of its enclosures were in a line on the long and narrow ridge. The Main Enclosure was on the center of the U shape, in the northernmost section. Nine enclosures were from the western edge of the U shape which was the next to the Main Enclosure. Another three enclosures were east of the Main Enclosure. In addition, the two Kojo Enclosures and the Sinjo Enclosure were in the eastern edge of the U shape. There were 16 enclosures in total, though each of them was small. They were basically made of soil, divided by artificial ditches, and the slope of the mountain which was intentionally cut vertically. Moreover, the mountain was surrounded by rivers in three directions except for the south. Overall, the castle can be seen as a stronghold using natural terrain.

The relief map around the castle

During the unification of Japan by Hideyoshi Toyotomi in the 1580s, his retainer, Katsutaka Toda became the lord of the southern Iyo Province which included Kagomori Castle. Katsutaka became the leader, and then, Takatora Todo became the next leader in 1595 after Katsutaka died. Kagomori Castle continued to be an important castle near the border of Tosa Province even during the unification of Japan. This is because the governance of Japan was still unstable. The lord of Iyo Province needed to keep monitoring the movements of the Chosogabe and Yamanouchi Clans.

Castle is improved during Unification of Japan

Kagomori Castle had basically been a simple mountain castle, but was eventually improved with the latest technology from Katsutaka or Takatora. For example, stone walls were built around the Main Enclosure. The enclosure originally had the Main Hall for the lord, and a building like the Main Tower was added. The excavation team managed to find large sized rooftiles including grampuses at the site, which could have been used for the Main Tower. According to Takatora’s biography, the Main Tower of Kagomori Castle was moved to his home base, Uwajima Castle and used as a turret. However, this is still not entirely proven, but Kagomori Castle might have looked like a modern castle.

The partially remaining stone walls at the Main Enclosure of Kagomori Castle

In 1615, Ieyasu Tokugawa, who was the founder of the Tokugawa Shogunate, defeated the Toyotomi Clan in Osaka Castle. After that, the authority of the shogunate was established. The shogunate ordered all of the lords in Japan to follow one castle rule, the Law of One Castle per Province to make its government more stable. Because of the new law, Kagomori Castle, which was owned by the Date Clan after Takatora was moved to another province, was eventually abandoned.

To be continued in “Kagomori Castle Part2”