Tokugawa shogunate – ページ 3 – 日本200名城バイリンガル (Japan's top 200 castles and ruins)

185.Karatsu Castle Part1

The castle the Terasawa Clan built

Location and History

Area prospered with sea transportation

Karatsu Castle is located in the northwestern part of Kyushu Island, which is now Karatsu City, Saga Prefecture. The area of the city faces Genkai-nada Sea between Japan and Korea. Because of this reason, the area prospered with sea transportation including overseas trade. For example, there was Matsura Province with the port accepting the envoys from overseas nearly 2000 years ago. A warriors’ group, known as the Matsura Group, was very active using navy forces and sometimes pirates in the Middle Ages. In 1588, the ruler, Hideyoshi Toyotomi issued the Act to Ban the Piracy to control sea transportation. After that, Hideyoshi’s retainer, Hirotaka Terasawa was sent to this area to govern it. He was an excellent practical person who supported the military logistics when Hideyoshi sent large troops from Nagoya Castle near his area to Korea.

The location of the castle

Hirotaka Terasawa built Castle

Hirotaka eventually supported the Tokugawa Shogunate and became the founder of the Karatsu Domain. He also built his new home base, Karatsu Castle between 1602 and 1608. The center of the castle was built on Mitsushima-yama Mountain beside the estuary of Matsuura-gawa River. Hirotaka changed the route of the river to place the mountain and other enclosures in a line on the ground like a peninsula. The mountain was the top of the ground towards the sea. That meant enemies were not able to attack the center from the ground easily. The center was also surrounded by stone walls along the sea. Some turrets were built on the stone walls, which were probably used for monitoring the sea. Some sea ports such as Funairi-mon Gate were also built beside the estuary. On the top of the mountain, the stone wall base for the Main Tower was built. However, it is thought that the Main Tower was not built because there has been no evidence of this.

part of the illustration of around Karatsu Castle in Hizen Province, in the Edo Period , exhibited by the National Archives of Japan

The remaining stone walls of Karatsu Castle

Terasawa Clan fired after Shimabara Rebellion

Hirotaka was also given a new detached territory in the area called Amakusa, in the western part of Kyushu Island by the shogunate due to his contribution. However, this caused the Terasawa Clan’s misfortune. There were a lot of masterless warriors called Ronin who were former retainers of the Konishi Clan who were fired by the shogunate. There were also many Christians which the shogunate banned people from becoming. Hirotaka oppressed both of them in accordance with the shogunate’s instructions. As a result, Shimabara Rebellion, including the people in Amakusa, happened in 1637 in the period of Hirotaka’s son, Katataka. The shogunate took Amakusa away from the Terasawa Clan after the rebellion. Katataka felt anxious and killed himself in 1647 in the end. The Terasawa Clan was fired by the shogunate because of no successor to him.

Part of the folding screens of Shimabara Rebellion, owned by Asakura City Akizuki Museum, from the exhibition of Arima Christian Heritage Museum

Karatsu Domain followed by Mizuno and Ogasawara Clans

After that, five clans governed Karatsu Castle and the Karatsu Domain until the end of the Edo Period. Some of the lords became famous in Japanese history. One of them was Tadakuni Mizuno who performed the Tenpo Reforms in the central government as the head of the shogun’s council of elders. Another was Nagamichi Ogasawara who was a member of the shogun’s council of elders, and devoted to the Tokugawa Shogunate till the very last moment before it fell down.

The portrait of Tadakuni Mizuno, owned by Tokyo Metropolitan University *(licensed under Public Domain via Wikimedia Commons)*

The portrait of Nagamichi Ogasawara, from the digital collections of National Diet Library (licensed under Public Domain via Wikimedia Commons)

To be continued in “Karatsu Castle Part2”

137.Fukui Castle Part1

The center of Echizen Province

Location and History

It starts as Kitanosho Castle

Fukui Castle was located in what is now Fukui City, the prefectural capital of Fukui Prefecture. The name of the city originates from this castle. However, the castle was originally named Kitanosho Castle (Kitanosho means like the Northern Manor). Katsuie Shibata under a great warlord, Nobunaga Oda, first built the castle in 1575 when they conquered Echizen Province (now part of Fukui Prefecture).

The location of the castle

The portrait of Katsuie Shibata, from the signboard at the site

When Hideyoshi Hashiba, who would become the ruler, Hideyoshi Toyotomi, attacked the castle in 1583, he wrote in his letter that the castle had a nine-leveled Main Tower. It’s quite uncertain if the castle really had the nine-leveled Main Tower because the word nine-leveled also means just “have many levels” in Japanese. Katsuie was unfortunately defeated by Hideyoshi, while Kitanosho Castle was burned and destroyed.

The Portrait of Hideyoshi Toyotomi, attributed to Mitsunobu Kano, owned by Kodaiji Temple, licensed under Public Domain via Wikimedia Commons

The imaginary drawing of the first Kitanosho Castle, from the signboard at the site

Hideyasu Yuki rebuilds it as Lord of large domain

In 1601, Hideyasu Yuki, the son of the final ruler, Ieyasu Tokugawa, rebuilt Kitanosho Castle as the founder of the Kitanosho Domain. Hideyasu was a big brother of Ieyasu’s successor, Hidetada Tokugawa, but he was sent to Hideyoshi, and the Yuki Clan later to be adopted. It could be because he was not loved by his father, Ieyasu. However, Hideyasu was distinguished in the Battle of Sekigahara in 1600 before his father became the founder of the Tokugawa Shogunate. Ieyasu finally accepted Hideyasu and allowed him to have a large role in the shogunate. Hideyasu became a lord who had the second largest territory excluding the shogun in Japan with 750,000 kokus of rice. He was also allowed to use the family name “Matsudaira” which means the relatives of the shogun. Echizen Province was very important spot for the shogunate to be near Kyoto, the capital of Japan, and next to the owners of the largest territory, the Maeda Clan.

The statue of Hideyasu Yuki at the ruins of Fukui Castle

The Portrait of Ieyasu Tokugawa, attributed to Tanyu Kano, owned by Osaka Castle Museum, licensed under Public Domain via Wikimedia Commons

It is said that Hideyasu’s father, Ieyasu designed part of the layout of Kitanosho castle. The Main Enclosure was the center of the castle, which had the four-leveled Main Tower and the Main Hall and was surrounded by the stone walls and the Inner Moat. The Second Enclosure, the Third Enclosure, and the Outbound Enclosure were built around the center concentrically. These enclosures were divided by the water moats. As a result, the castle was surrounded by quadruple or quintuple water moats. The castle had over 10 turrets and 40 gates. The size of the castle reached about 2km square.

The imaginary drawing of the Main Enclosure of Fukui Castle, from the signboard at the site

The range of Fukui Castle in the Edo Period shown on the present map, from the signboard at the site

Echizen-Matsudaira Clan prospers

The castle was completed in 1606 after Hideyasu died in 1604. The Matsudaira Clan, renamed from the Yuki Clan governed the castle and domain until the end of the Edo Period, while the name of the castle and domain were changed from Kitanosho to Fukui by the third lord, Tadamasa. The Main Tower was unfortunately burned down by a fire in 1669 and not restored. The 14th lord, Shungaku Matsudaira was active in the central government during the end of the Edo Period and the Meiji Restoration.

The portrait of Tadamasa Matsudaira, exhibited by Fukui City History Museum, licensed under Public Domain via Wikimedia Commons

The photo of Shungaku Matsudaira, owned by Fukui City History Museum, licensed under Public Domain via Wikimedia Commons

In addition, Hideyasu’s descendants prospered greatly. The branch families which started from Hideyasu’s sons became the lords of several castles by the end of the Edo Period, such as Tsuyama Castle, Matsue Castle, Maebashi Castle and Akashi Castle. They are often called the Echizen-Matsudaira Clan including the lord of Fukui Castle. We can say Hideyasu’s efforts were rewarded good enough.

To be continued in “Fukui Castle Part2”

180.Okoh Castle Part3

The Ichiryo-Gusoku group and their reappearance

Features

Walking around Castle Ruins

The Enclosure which was supposed to be a Former Stable is a little far from the main portion of the castle. It was used as a lookout as well.

The map around the castle

The castle also had many dry moats dug on the mountain in both vertical and horizontal directions to prevent enemies from attacking. You can still see some of them remained.

The castle ruins now have many routes like network and many enclosures for stop and rest, so you can enjoy walking and relaxing as well as learning history.

Some of the routes going around the castle ruins

A view from the Enclosure which was supposed to be a Former Stable

Later History

After Okoh Castle was abandoned, the Chosogabe Clan was unfortunately fired by the Tokugawa Shogunate. The Yamanouchi Clan from Kakegawa Caste came to govern Tosa Province and lived in Kochi Castle. The remaining Ichiryo-Gusoku group suffered from the Yamanouchi high-class warriors as the low class ones during the Edo Period. However, due to their rebellious spirit, some heroes in the Meiji Restoration such as Ryoma Sakamoto and Shintato Nakaoka appeared from the low class to change Japan later.

The portrait of Ryoma Sakamoto, published in a book called Kinsei Meishi Shashin vol.2 (licensed under Public Domain via Wikimedia Commons)

The photo of Shintaro Nakaoka, published in a book called Ishin Tosa Kinnoshi (licensed under Public Domain via Wikimedia Commons)

As for the castle ruins, they were first developed as a normal park with cherry trees planted. The excavation was done between 1985 and 1990. Since then, the ruins have been developing as Okoh Mountain Historical Park. They were finally designated as a National Historical Site in 2008. In addition, Kochi Prefectural Museum of History was built beside the park in 1991, where you can learn more about the castle and the Chosogabe Clan.

My Impression

I recommend visiting the three Chosogabe’s home base castles at once because they are close to each other. Kochi Castle basically remains as the Yamanouchi Clan’s legacy now, but the castle’s hill still has many tiers like Okoh Castle, probably it came from Chosogabe’s period. Though the ruins of Urado Castle were mostly destroyed by modern facilities, you can still see the great ocean view of Katsurahama Beach and the famous statue of Ryoma Sakamoto nearby.

The statue of Ryoma Sakamoto (taken by 末っ子魂 from photoAC)

How to get There

I recommend using a car when you visit the ruins.
It is about 10 minutes away from Nankoku IC on the Kochi Expressway.
The park offers a parking lot.
If you go there from Tokyo or Osaka, I recommend going there by plane. When you get there, it’s better to rent a car as there are few buses in the area.

Links and References

・National Historical Site: Oko Castle Ruins, Kochi Prefectural Museum of History

That’s all. Thank you.
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