Tsuwano Town is making great efforts to maintain the ruins.
Features
Sanjukken-dai and Main Tower Bases
The next is the highest point of the castle, called Sanjukken-dai or the about 54m long base. It was surrounded by mud walls in the Edo Period, and it is a square now which is definitely a great view spot. Please enjoy a view of Tsuwano Town with reddish brown colored roofs.
The map around the castle
Sanjukken-dai or the about 54m long baseA view from the Sanjukken-dai baseThe view of Tsuwano Town with reddish brown colored roofsA view of the Hostage Turret Ruins from the Sanjukken-dai baseA steep slope beside the Sanjukken-dai base where many of its stone walls have collapsed
The next is the stone wall base for the Main Tower just blow the Sanjukken-dai Base. It was rare that the Main Tower was not at the highest point among Japanese castles.
The Main Tower base blow the Sanjukken-dai BaseThe top of the Main Tower base
Attractions of former Castle Town
If you have time, you should check out many historical items in the former castle town such as the restored domain school, some remaining gate buildings of senior vassals, the old houses of Amane Nishi and Ogai Mori, and the carps in the waterways which Naomori started to breed.
The restored domain school called YorokanThe interior of the schoolThe front gate of the residence of the Tako Clan, a senior vassal of the Tsuwano DomainThe old house of Amane NishiCarps in the waterways
Later History
After the Meiji Restoration, Tsuwano Castle was abandoned and most of the castle buildings were demolished. One of them, a gate at the foot was used as the front gate of Hamada Prefectural Government and finally moved to the ruins of Hamada Castle. The Tsuwano Domain was just merged to the prefecture at that time. The gate is still remaining at the site. Tsuwano Castle Ruins were designated as a National Historic Site in 1942. Tsuwano Town has been researching and repairing them one by one to maintain them.
The gate of the Tsuwano Castle at Hamada Castle Ruins
My Impression
I can’t imagine how tough the castle construction including the stone walls on such a steep mountain was in a short period of Naomori Sakazaki at only 16 years. I hope Tusuwano Town will somehow maintain and develop the castle ruins, which should be hard work. I would like to visit the ruins again by climbing the trail from the foot next time, where the older castle ruins the Yosimi Clan first built can be seen.
The stone walls of the Southern Turret Gate Ruins on the mountain
How to get There
If you want to visit the castle ruins by car, it is about 40 minutes away from Muikaichi IC on the Chugoku Expressway. There is a parking lot in front of the lift platform at the foot of the mountain. By public transportation, It takes about 20 minutes on foot from Tsuwano Station. Or you can take the Iwami-Kotsu Bus or Tsuwano Town Bus from the station and get off at the Mori bus stop to get the lift. To get to Tsuwano Station from Tokyo or Osaka: Take the Sanyo Shinkansen super express and transfer to the Yamaguchi Line at Shin-Yamaguchi Station.
Spectacular stone walls remaining on the mountain.
Features
Going Castle Ruins through former Castle Town
Today, visiting Tsuwano Town including Tsuwano Castle Ruins is exciting for many visitors. As you get close to the town by car or train, you will see many houses with reddish brown colored roof tiles called Sekishu Rooftiles on them, which can be used to protect people from a cold climate. You will also see the spectacular stone walls on the mountain beside the town, which are a good contrast with the color of the town.
A view from the train window
The entrance of the ruins at the foot of the mountain is about 1.5km away from Tsuwano Station if you come by train. Even if you also walk from the station to the ruins, it can be another good tour going through the former castle town. The area around the entrance is where the Main Hall for the lord was built. The hall building was turned into Tsuwano High School and the garden for the hall was turned into a square. Two turrets for the hall are remaining as Babasaki or the Near Riding Ground and Monomi or the Lookout Turrets.
The relief map around the castle
Tsuwano High SchoolThe former garden for the Main Hall, called Kiraku-enThe remaining Near Riding Ground TurretThe remaining Lookout Turret
Going to Center of Ruins through Barbican Enclosure
The top of the mountain is about 200m above from the foot, so it would be efficient for visitors to use a lift operated by Tsuwano Town. The lift will take you to the top in few minutes while seeing the steep terrain and the trail for climbing.
The lift going to the topYou can see the trail for hikers
You can walk from the lift platform to the ruins on the trail of the top. You will first arrive at Demaru or the Barbican Enclosure which was used as a lookout, little far from the canter of the castle. There are only remaining stone walls now, but where you can see a great view of the area around. You will next walk to the center on the temporary path probably because the original trail is dangerous or under excavation.
The aerial photo around the castle
Going to the ruins from the lift platformThe entrance of the Barbican EnclosureThe inside of the Barbican EnclosureA view from the Barbican EnclosureThe temporary path to the center
People manage to maintain Stone Walls
You will see the center is still surrounded by the spectacular stone walls but without buildings. Part of them collapsed being covered with sheets to avoid further damage. This was due to the North Yamaguchi Earthquake and the following heavy rain in 1997.
The map around the castle
Going to the Eastern Gate RuinsThe partially collapsed stone walls
Visitors usually enter the Eastern Gate Ruins also using the temporary steps. You can see the three-tier stone walls on the right, which was used for the Three-Tier Turret in the past. The lower tier is covered by a net to prevent it from collapsing. The other tiers were re-plied in 1972. People in Tsuwano still struggle maintaining these stone walls.
The temporary stepsThe three-tier stone walls
Third Enclosure surrounding Top
The Third Enclosure has other gate ruins on the west and south, surrounding the top of the castle like a belt. If you go to the Western Turret Gate Ruins, you can see unaccountable broken pieces of Sekishu Rooftiles which probably came from the original gate building. Please make sure you don’t take them away from the original positions as they are all included to a National Historic Site.
The Western Turret Gate RuinsThe unaccountable broken pieces of Sekishu Rooftiles
The Southern Turret Gate Ruins are at the edge of a ridge just above a steep cliff. You may be thrilled if you are standing by the edge. The stone walls of the ruins are the oldest in the castle which Naomori Sakazaki originally built.
Going to the Southern Turret Gate RuinsThe Southern Turret Gate RuinsThese stone walls are the oldest in the castleThere is a steep cliff below the gate ruinsA view from the gate ruins
If you look back from the Southern Turret Gate Ruins, you can see the stone wall base for Hitojichi or the Hostage Turret. They are the highest stone walls in the castle and their corner curve lines are beautiful. However, if the turret was really used to hold hostages like its name suggests, they could not escape from it, as the stone walls are isolated.
A view when you look back from the Southern Turret Gate RuinsThe stone wall base for the Hostage TurretThe base looks beautiful
Yoshimi Clan builds Castle to prepare for Mongol Invasions
Tsuwano Town is located in an intermount basin of Shimane Prefecture, the Chugoku Region. It has an old town atmosphere, sometimes called a little Kyoto in Sanin Area (northern Chugoku Region). In addition, Tsuwano Castle Ruins which is on the mountain, beside the town makes it more impressive. In fact, the town originally came from its castle town.
The old town atmosphere of Tsuwano Tsuwano Castle Ruins seen from the town area
The castle was first built in 1295 by the Yoshimi Clan, which was sent by the Kamakura Shogunate to protect the area from the possible Mongol Invasions. The invasions historically ended in 1281, but warriors in Japan still expected the Mongolian army might have attacked Japan again. That’s why the clan built the castle on a steep mountain which was just off the Japan Sea. The clan eventually lived in the castle as a local lord for over 300 years. In 1554 of the Sengoku Period, the castle experienced a 110 day siege against the Sue Clan, but did not fall before the truce. The castle was strong enough though it had been all made of soil using natural terrain. After that, the Yoshimi Clan finally followed the Mori Clan, the leader of the Chugoku Region. However, the Yoshimi Clan had to leave the castle with the Mori Clan’s lost of the Battle of Sekigahara in 1600.
A scene of the Mongol Invasions from “The picture scrolls of the Mongol invasion attempts against Japan” (licensed under Public Domain via Wikimedia Commons)
The location of the castle
Success and Declining of Naomori Sakazaki
Ieyasu Tokugawa won the battle and sent Naomori Sakazaki to the castle as the founder of the Tsuwano Domain. Naomori who came from the Ukita clan who was the enemy of Ieyasu decided to support Tokugawa because he had a tiff with his own clan. Thus he changed his family name. He modernized and more fortified the castle by building high stone walls, some turrets and the Main Tower in the main portion on the steep mountain. Some other lords at that time often built or renovated their castles on a plain land for the convenience of their government. The reason for Naomori’s decision was said to prepare for possible battles against the neighbor Mori Clan or there was no space for a new castle in the basin. He also developed the castle town, for example, by building waterways to prevent fire and growing carps in them to reduce mosquitos. He also brought paper mulberry trees to the area, which would later create a new industry known as Sekishu Japanese writing paper.
The portrait of Naomori Sakazaki, private owned (licensed under Public Domain via Wikimedia Commons)Part of the illustration of Tsuwano Castle in Iwami Province, exhibited by the National Archives of JapanThe remaining stone walls on the mountain
On the other hand, Naomori was an impulsive and monomaniac person. For example, he pursued a relative for 8 years to avenge the death of a person and he didn’t stop until that person got punished. He even sued the Tomita Clan who accommodated that person in the Shogunate Court and was finally fired by the shogunate. However, in the end he brought his own misfortune. In 1615 when the summer campaign of siege of Osaka where the shogunate defeated Hideyori Toyotomi, Naomori joined the Tokugawa shogunate’s side. Hedeyori’s wife, Senhime, who was the shogun’s daughter, was rescued and brought to the shogun by Naomori himself. The next year, a very mysterious incident occurred. Naomori had planned to kidnap Senhime a night before her wedding to one of Tokugawa Shogunate’s senior vassals. The shogunate’s troops surrounded his house but he committed harakiri.
The portrait of Senhime, owned by Gugyoji Temple (licensed under Public Domain via Wikimedia Commons)The portrait of Hidetada Tokugawa who was Senhime’s father, owned by Saifuku-ji Temple (licensed under Public Domain via Wikimedia Commons)
It is quite uncertain why he tried such a foolish action. Some say this was because the founder of the shogunate and Senhime’s grandfather, Ieyasu Tokugawa had promised to marry Senhime with the person who rescued her, but they didn’t do what they have initially promised. Another speculation is that Naomori was asked to find a husband for Senhime because he himself was much older than her. But nothing happened according to his wishes and so eventually he lost everything because of his egoistic tendencies.
The Portrait of Ieyasu Tokugawa, attributed to Tanyu Kano, owned by Osaka Castle Museum (licensed under Public Domain via Wikimedia Commons)
Kamei Clan follows Tsuwano Domain and Castle
The Tsuwano Domain was followed by the Kamei Clan, which governed the domain until the end of the Edo Period. Like many other domains, they built the Main Hall at the foot of the mountain for living and the government. They also kept the castle on the mountain, but it was actually very tough. In 1685, the Main Tower and some other turrets were burned down by a lightning fire. Unfortunately, the tower was not restored. The stone walls on the mountain sometimes collapsed due to earthquakes or natural cause because of the steep terrain. As a result, most of the stone walls were repaired or re-plied during the period, but some of them were left that way. In addition, the domain established the domain school called Yorokan to educate the retainers. Many pioneers to modernize Japan in the Meiji Rra came from this school such as Ogai Mori (a novelist) and Amane Nishi (a Philosopher).
The illustration of Tsuwano Castle (showing its state of the early Meiji Era), in 1874, from the signboard at the siteThe interior of the restored domain schoolThe photo of Ogai Mori, in 1916 (licensed under Public Domain via Wikimedia Commons)The photo of Amane Nishi, published in 1931 (licensed under Public Domain via Wikimedia Commons)
