タグ: Tanba city

163.Kuroi Castle Part3

Kuroi Castle is a local hero, Naomasa Ogino’s castle. On the other hand, it is known for the activity of the nationwide hero, Mitsuhide Akechi as well.

Features

Arriving at Top

You will reach the top of the mountain with a little more climbing. After you pass the second wire gate, you will see a different appearance of the castle ruins from what you have seen so far. The enclosures on the top are all surrounded by stone walls which you can see from the foot as well. The difference came from the period each part was finally built. The part above the gate was completed by Mitsuhide Akechi or the later lords, while the part below the gate was left as it was after Naomasa Ogino built it. The gate was installed probably in order to protect the stone walls from being destroyed by animal invasion.

Arriving at the top soon
The second wire gate
The Eastern Enclosure in the front and the Third Enclosure in the back

Three Enclosures on Top with Great Views

The layout of the top area is connected by three enclosures, the front Third, the central Second, and back Main Enclosures. They are surrounded by plain other enclosures, such as the Eastern Enclosure, and each has its own altered gate on their side. The stone walls use natural stones which were collected from neighboring places. Historians point out these features can be seen in other castles Nobunaga or his retainers built. They also say the stone walls of Kuroi Castle were built to show authority to the people.

The map arond the main portion of the castle

The Third Enclosure in the front and the Second Enclosure in the back
The entrance of the Second Enclosure
Looking at the Third Enclosure from the Second Enclosure
Looking at the Main Enclosure from the Second Enclosure
The entrance of the Main Enclosure
The inside of the Main Enclosure

Finally, please enjoy a great panoramic view of the area around from the top. It’s worthwhile to climb over 200m from the foot of the mountain.

A view from the Third Enclosure
A view from the Main Enclosure

Later History

The ruins of Kuroi Castle were designated as a National Historic Site in 1989 while they have long been part of hiking courses on Inokuchi Mountain. Therefore, it needs to be established both how to preserve the ruins and how to use the courses. Tanba City made the basic plan for the development of the Kuroi Castle Ruins in 2018. It installed an aluminum stairways into the stone wall gates on the top to preserve it based on the plan. However, some hikers argued that the stairways spoiled the scenery. As a result, the city painted the stairways brown in response. The controversial discussion will continue.

The brown-painted stairway at the Second Enclosure

My Impression

I met a person who said he climbs the mountain to the castle ruins on the top every day, wearing a T-shirt of Naomasa Akai (Ogino). I thought that Kuroi Castle is his local hero, Naomasa’s castle. On the other hand, officials also feature Mitsuhide Akechi who took the castle away from Nomasa’s successor and probably built its stone walls. The castle is known for the activity of the nationwide hero as well. The appearance of the castle ruins actually indicate the two periods, which is a great legacy of the Japanese history. I would like to visit other forts Naomasa built next time, which I didn’t visit on my first visit.

The illustration of Naomasa Ogino on the left and Mitsuhide Akechi on the right, exhibited by the rest house at the foot of the mountain

How to get There

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163.Kuroi Castle Part2

A distant view of the ruins is so good that you can see great stone walls on the top and a red gate building on the middle slope, which indicate where you should go.

Features

Castle Ruins seen from Town area

Today, the ruins of Kuroi Castle now belong to Kasuga Town in Tanba City, Hyogo Prefecture. The area around was called Kasukabe Manor in the past, so it is said the name of Lady Kasuga originated from the land’s name. The town recommends visiting both of the ruins and places related to the lady. A distant view of the ruins is so good that you can see great stone walls on the top and a red gate building on the middle slope, which indicate where you should go.

The distant view of the castle ruins seen from the town area

As you get close to the ruins, there will be the rest house with a parking lot for visitors and Kozenji Temple behind. You can get some information and pamphlets about Kuroi Castle there. The temple has stone walls and water moats in front of its entrance gate, which looks different from other common temples. In fact, it is said that it is the former residence for the lord of the castle at the foot area. It is also said that Lady Kasuga grew up there when she lived with his father, Toshimitsu Saito. This spot should be the starting point of visiting the castle ruins.

The rest house and the parking lot
Kozenji Temple
The stone walls and water moats in front of the entrance gate of the temple

Two Routes to Top of Mountain

One of the pamphlets says there are two routes to the castle ruins on the top of the mountain; the Gentle Course and the Steep Slope Course. The former one goes around the western ridge which seems to be not one of the original routes to the top. While the latter is certainly the original one on the eastern ridge because the Three-tiered Enclosure is still on the route. Both routes eventually meet at the Sekito Tiers on the middle slope of the mountain, so it may be better to choose either one when you climb up and the other when you return. However, both routes cover very few forts of Kuroi Castle, therefore, it may also be better to try visiting other forts as you experience more.

The starting point of the routes
The yellow broken line shows the Gentle Course and the green broken line shows the Steep Slope Course, from the pamphlet
Part of the Gentle Course

The warning board says “Beware of bears” and whichever you choose from the routes, you have to open and close two wire gates to contain animals between the gates. Therefore, it is recommended to have a bear-avoiding bell to prevent from provoking wild animals.

The warning board
The first wire gate

If you choose the Steep Slope Course, you will first climb the very steep stone steps of the Toyooka-Inari Shrine. Then, you will also climb a steep slope on the eastern ridge of the mountain, which may have been the Main Route to the castle. The Three-tiered Enclosure is still on the ridge, where you can see its foundations made of soil.

The map arond the castle

The stone steps of the Steep Slope Course
The Three-tiered Enclosure
The foundations of the enclosure

After you continue to climb, you can visit the Drum Tier off the route. It is an empty space but a good viewing point. It is said there was a drum turret and a lookout tower when the castle was active. The drum might have been used to inform time and instruct soldiers.

The Drum Tier

Sekito Tiers with Red Gate

You will eventually arrive at the Sekito Tiers below the top. Though it is uncertain what the name “Sekito” or “Stepping on Stones” in English came from, the rocky terrain around it might have been its origin. It is also a good viewing spot, but the view from it seems to be in a different direction from that of the Drum Tier. It is also spaceous for a mountain area and has a red-colored gate building which you can see from the foot as well. The building was not originally part of the castle, but was moved from the foot of the mountain by local people when a temple which had had the gate was abandoned. Several other buildings of the castle might have been built when the castle was being used.

Going to the Sekito Tiers
The Sekito Tiers
A view from the enclosure

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