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

141.Gujo-Hachiman Castle Part3

The oldest wooden rebuilt Main Tower

Features

Pine Enclosure and Back in Castle

Other than the Main Tower, you can visit the neighboring Pine Enclosure through the path on the upper tier of the Belt Enclosures. There is a monument of the Ryosotai Party which escaped the Gujo Domain which supported the New Government during the Meiji Restoration. They joined the domains supporting the shogunate and fought against the New Government Army located Wakamatsu Castle.

The upper tier Belt Enclosure as the path connecting the Cherry Enclosure and the Pine Enclosure

Going to the Pine Enclosure through the upper tier Belt Enclosure

The parking on the top was one of the ditches behind the castle where most of the fierce fightings happened in 1600. There is a well in the ruins, which was said to have been used to wash the head of slain warriors in battle.

The ruins of the well for washing the head

Later History

After the Meiji Restoration, Gujo-Hachiman Castle was eventually abandoned and all the castle buildings were demolished. In 1932, the mayor, Chuhei Nakagami suggested the Main Tower be rebuilt in order to revitalize the town. Other people agreed with him and began making donations. The tower was constructed using the external design plans of Ogaki Castle whose Main Tower remained at that time, however it would be burned down by an air raid in 1945. People also considered how the tower would have looked like when they look up at it from the town. The rebuilt tower was finally completed in 1933.

The old photo of Ogaki Castle, the Main Tower on the right (licensed under Public Domain via Wikimedia Commons)

The rebuilt Main Tower of Gujo-Hachiman Castle

My Impression

When I visited Gujo-Hachiman town, I thought the purpose of the town was to successfully built a beautiful castle as its symbol. You can see a good view of the Main Tower from any parts of the town. I also finally understood that no matter weather the original tower was there or not, the castle is still very important and much needed by the people of the town.

How to get There

If you want to visit the castle by car, it is about 15 minutes away from Gujo-Hachiman IC on the Tokai-Hokuriku Expressway. There are several parking lots for visitors aroud the castle.
By public transportation, it takes about 20 minutes on foot from the Gujo-Hachiman Jokamachi Plaza.
To get to the plaza from Tokyo or Osaka: Take the Tokaido Shinkansen Super Express, transfer to Tokaido Local Line at Nagoya Station and get off at Gifu Station. Then, take the Gifu bus on the highway Hachiman line and get off at the Jokamachi Plaza bus stop.

The parling lot at the foot of the mountain

That’s all. Thank you.
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110.Miharu Castle Part3

It is also a famous place for cherry blossoms.

Later History

After the Boshin War during the Meiji Restoration, Miharu Castle was abandoned. All the buildings and even most of the stone walls on the mountain were demolished and sold. Only the Main Hall for the lord was developed into the local government building. In 1922, the castle ruins on the mountain was developed as a park. Many of the remaining foundation of the castle was unfortunately destroyed, while lots of cherry trees were planted instead.

My Impression

I have learned a lot about how the local clans and Miharu Castle survived under difficult situations. The castle may be simpler than other popular castles like Wakamatsu Castle, but it also has an interesting history and distinct taste. I also hope some new discoveries about the castle will be found in the future. In addition, Miharu Town is very famous for cherry blossoms, especially Miharu Takizakura or The cherry blossom flowers that look like water falling down is about 4km away from the castle. However, the castle ruins also have great cherry blossoms and many other ones are around, too. I would like to visit the ruins in the spring next time.

The cherry blossom flowers that look like water falling down of Miharu *(taken by nana201855 from phtotoAC)*

The cherry blossom flowers in the ruins of Miharu Castle *(quoted from the website of Miharu Tourism Association)*

How to get There

If you want to go there by car:
It is about 15 minutes away from Funehiki-Miharu IC on the Banetsu Expressway.
The parking area is halfway up the mountain.
By train, it is about 30 minutes away from JR Miharu Station on foot.
I recommend using a taxi from the station to avoid getting lost.
To get to Miharu Station from Tokyo: Take the Tohoku Shinkansen super express and transfer at Koriyama Station to the Banetsu-Tou Line.

The parking area which is halfway up the mountain

Links and References

・Find! Miharu, Miharu Tourism Association

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110.Miharu Castle Part1

A castle that struggled to survive

Location and History

Tamura Clan first governed Castle which became branch of Wakamatsu Castle later

Miharu Castle was located in the Tamura District of Mutsu Province (what is now the modern day Miharu Town in Fukushima Prefecture). The area connected the inland and seaside areas, so it was regarded as being important. In the first 16th Century, the Tamura Clan governed the area and built Miharu Castle on the highest hill around the area. In the middle 16th Centrury, the lord of the clan, Kiyoaki Tamura was threatened by other larger warlords such as the Ashina Clan in the west, the Soma Clan in the east and the Satake Clan in the south. Therfore, he decided to form an allegiance with Masamune Date, a great warlord in the north, by marrying his daughter with Masamune. Masamune stayed in Miharu Castle for a while in 1588 before conquering the Tohoku Region and beating the Ashina Clan in 1589. The Tamura Clan succeeded to survive under Masamune. Miharu Castle was developed and it spread to other hills by the clan.

The location of the castle

However, the Tamura Clan was disbanded by the ruler, Hideyoshi Toyotomi in 1590. This is because the lord of the clan, Muneaki Tamura didn’t respond to the call from Hideyoshi who considered the Tamura Clan as an indipendent lord. However the Tamura Clan didn’t feel this way. It may have been the clan’s mistake, but some historians say it might have been a conspiracy of Masamune who should have madiated Hideyoshi and the Tamura Clan because of the clan’s territory including Miharu Castle finally belonging to Masamune.

The family crest of the Tamura Clan called the Tamura Japanese Ginger *(licensed by Fraxinus2 via Wikimedia Commons)*

The portrait of Masamune Date owned by Sendai City Museum (licensed under Public Domain via Wikimedia Commons)

Miharu Castle became a branch castle of Wakamatsu Castle which became Masamune’s home base. After that, the lords of Wakamatsu Castle were changed to other clans – the Gamo, Uesugi and Kato Clans. Miharu Castle was made stronger by them. They built stone walls and developed a castle town. However, sometimes it was not used and would eventually be abandoned. Finally in 1627, the Matsushita Clan was transferred by the Tokugawa Shogunate to Miaharu Castle. This meant it had been a while since they had been independent . Miharu Castle remained a mountain castle until the end.

Akita Clan maintained Castle as home base of Miharu Domain in Edo Period

After the Matsushita Clan was unfortunately disbanded in 1645, the Akita Clan governed Miharu Castle and the Miharu Domain until the end of the Edo Period. They modernized Miharu Castle. The lord built the Main Hall for him at the foot of the mountain and he usually lived there. There were also the former Main Hall and the Three Story Turret in the Main Enclosure at the top of the mountain. These older buildings were used for ceremonies and became the symbols of the castle. When the great fire burned most of the castle buildings in 1785, the buildings at the foot were restored. Everything on the top was burned by the fire, and only the Three Story Turret was restored in the end.

The place where the main hall for the lord was (what is now Miharu Primary School)

The layout of Miharu Castle ( from the signboard at the site)

Castle survived in Meiji Restoration

In 1868 during the Meiji Restoration, the Boshin War between the New Government and the domains supporting Tokugawa Shogunate finally happened. The Miharu Domain first belonged to the domains, but it secretly surrendered to the New Government which opened Miharu Castle. The domains eventually left. However, the domains who were abandoned felt very angry. The people in Miharu survived and aviided a serious tragedy. Otherwise, they would have been defeated by the New Government such as those in Shirakawa-Komine Castle, Nihonmatsu Castle and Wakamatsu Castle.

Akisue Akita, the last lord of the Miharu Domain (*licensed under Public Domain via Wikimedia Commons*)

To be continued in “Miharu Castle Part2”