After the Meiji Restoration, Akashi Castle was abandoned, and most of its buildings were sold or demolished. However, people in Akashi started to preserve the ruins of the castle as a park. Akashi Park was opened by private owners in 1883 and reopened by the local government in 1918. The four three-story turrets couldn’t all survive through the difficult period. One of them was sold as material for a school. Another one and the plaster walls between the turrets were demolished probably due to deterioration. The rest of the two turrets were somehow repaired and remain. Both were finally designated as Important Cultural Properties in 1957.
The Main Enclosure (on the left) and the Second Enclosure (on the right) that can be seen from Akashi StationThe entrance of Akashi Park (the ruins of Akashi Castle)
My Impression
The ruins of Akashi Castle certainly have few buildings, but I think the two remaining turrets and the plaster wall between them can still show us the authority of the castle. I also think that the castle uses the natural terrain wisely and its well-designed defense system is obvious throughout. Nothing special like a war happened at the castle. As a result, the castle was able to fulfill its role of monitoring the lords.
The stone wall base for the Main Tower (from the outside of the Main Enclosure)The stone wall base for the Main Tower (from the inside of the Main Enclosure)Ko-no-ike Pond at the back of the Main Enclosure
How to get There
If you want to visit there by car: It is about 10 minutes away from Okuradani IC on Daini Shinmei Road. The park offers parking lots. By train, it takes about 5 minutes on foot from Akashi Station. To get to Akashi Station from Tokyo or Osaka: Take the Tokaido Shinkansen Super Express, and transfer to the Sanyo Line at Nishi-Akashi Station.
The castle with a defensive system that is still obvious
Features
You can see Castle from Station
If you visit the ruins of Akashi Castle by train, you will see evidence of what was a very sturdy castle from your first step on the platform of Akashi Station. You will see the two remaining three-story turrets called Hitsujisaru Turret (on the left) and Tatsumi Turret (on the right) connected by the plaster wall on the hill. How wonderful they are!
The castle that can be seen from the platform of Akashi Station
The aerial photo around the castle
Around the Main Gate
The ruins of the castle have been developed as part of Akashi Park, inclusive of the inside of the Middle Moat. The front entrance of the park was the Main Gate of the castle. Its stone walls remain forming the square space inside called “Masugata”. The plain area is used as a relaxing zone and facilities such as the stadium which was once the Main Hall for the lord.
The entrance of Akashi ParkThe Masugata part of the Main Gate
Defense to protect Main Enclosure
Hitsujisaru Turret of the Main Enclosure stands on the high stone walls in front of you. You can walk up on the stairways towards the turret and reach under the turret and the stone wall base for the Main Tower. However, you can’t enter the enclosure directly. You have to enter it from the back side by going through the Inari Enclosure under it. Enemies would be counterattacked from the Main Enclosure before reaching it.
The standing out Hitsujisaru TurretThe stairway to the Main EnclosureThe blocking stone wall base for the Main TowerThe entrance of the Main Enclosure at the back side
Inside of Main Enclosure
Inside the Main Enclosure, you can see the two remaining turrets close by. They are two out of the twelve remaining three-story turrets in the castles of Japan. The plaster wall between the turrets was restored recently. You can also see a great city view from the observation platform at the middle of the wall. The Akashi-Kaikyo Bridge can also be seen over Tatsumi Turret.
Hitsujisaru Turret you can see close byThe restored plaster wallA view from the Main EnclosureYou can also see Akashi-Kaikyo Bridge
Second and East Enclosures to support Main Enclosure
The Second Enclosure is the other connecting point to the Main Enclosure. It now has no buildings, but its stone walls and its entrance surrounded by the walls remain in good condition. You can see the good looking Tatsumi Turret in the Main Enclosure from the Second Enclosure. The East Enclosure is next to the Second Enclosure and another entrance of the park.
The entrance the Main Enclosure from the Second EnclosureTatsumi Turret that can be seen from the Second EnclosureThe stone walls and stairways of the Second EnclosureThe East Enclosure
Akashi City is located in the southern part of Hyogo Prefecture alongside Seto Island Sea. The city is connected to Kinki and Chugoku Regions, as an important point for land transport. The area is also close to Awaji and Shikoku Islands, where people got on board ships to the islands in the past. People can go across the Akashi-Kaikyo Bridge to get to the islands now.
The location of the castle
The Akashi-Kaikyo Bridge (licensed by Tysto via Wikimedia Commons)
Castle to monitor Lords in western Japan
In 1615, Tokugawa Shogunate defeated the largest rival, Toyotomi Clan. It also ordered other lords to have no other castles than one castle where they lived (Law of One Castle per Province). Its governance got stable, but it was never satisfied with that. The Shogun, Hidetada Tokugawa told one of the hereditary feudal lords, Tadazane Ogasawara to build a new castle around the Akashi area.
The portrait of Hidetada Tokugawa, owned by Saifuku-ji Temple (licensed under Public Domain via Wikimedia Commons)The portrait of Tadazane Ogasawara, owned by Fukuju-ji Temple (licensed under Public Domain via Wikimedia Commons)
The purpose of the castle was to monitor the non-hereditary feudal lords in western Japan, who would be against the Shogunate. Himeji Castle was already being used for that purpose, but the Shogunate thought it was not enough. The new castle was named “Akashi Castle”. Akashi Castle was built using natural terrain such as the edge of the hill and the plain areas. The hilly area in the north had the main portion of the castle such as the Main Enclosure and the Second Enclosure, which provided much defense. The area originally had a natural pond called Ko-no-ike which was also used as a moat. The plain area in the south had the Main Hall for the lord and the houses for the retainers. The area was guarded by gates such as the Main Gate, and the water moats surrounding the area tripled.
The relief map around the castle
Part of the illustration of Akashi Castle in Harina Province, exhibited by the National Archives of Japan
Castle was built by Rush work
The construction for the castle was rapidly completed within one year in 1619. This was due to the construction using moved buildings and waste materials from abandoned castles by the Law of One Castle per Province. Four three-story turrets were built in each corner of the Main Enclosure. These turrets were connected by the plaster walls which surrounded the enclosure. The large stone wall base for a Main Tower was also built, but the Main Tower itself was never built. The main portion of the castle including the Main Enclosure was covered by the high stone walls.
The two out of the four three-story turrets remain
After the completion of the castle, Tadazane was promoted to be the lord of Kokura Castle in 1632, getting more earnings than when he was at Akashi Castle. For about 50 years after that, several lords governed the castle before the Matsudaira Clan came to the castle in 1682. The clan governed the castle until the end of the Edo Period. No war happened during that time, but they often had to repair the buildings which were not new ones when the castle was first built.
