Were the people the castle, the stone walls, or the moats?
Location and History
Nobutora Takeda built Castle as Governor’s Residence
Takeda Clan Hall, which is also called Tsutsujigasaki Hall, was located in what is now Kofu City, the Prefectural Capital of Yamanashi Prefecture. I would say the hall is the origin of Kofu City. The Governor of Kai Province (now Yamanashi Pref), Nobutora Takeda first built the hall in 1519. The hall was not only for the official residence of the governor, but also for the home base of the Takeda Clan, so it is classified as one of the castles in Japan.
Its location had mountains behind on the north, and an alluvial fan spread down on the south from around there. This meant Nobutora was able to overlook the castle town and the area around. He built his hall on a square enclosure which was nearly 200m on one side, surrounded by earthen walls and water moats. This was a typical style of the residences for governors in Japan at that time, emulating the style of Shogun’s palace in Kyoto. In addition, he built another castle on a mountain about 2km away from the hall on the north, called Yogaisan Castle, for emergency. For example, he and his family could escape from the hall to the mountain castle when a battle happened. Indeed, his son, Shingen Takeda was born at Yogaisan Castle during the battle between Nobutora and the Imagawa Clan in 1521. The network of these castle was defensive enough to maintain their safety during that time.
The location of the castle
Shingen Takeda’s saying related to Castle
Shingen, who was one of the greatest warlords in Japan, developed the hall as well, adding the West Enclosure for residences of his family and relatives on the west of the center enclosure in 1551. Apart from that, the Umadashi system, which refers to a round shaped sticking out defensive position, was built in front of the Main Gate on the east. It is also said that the hall for Shingen’s mother was built on the north. Each enclosure was surrounded by nearly 10m high earthen walls and over 5m deep water moats.
However, the hall seems to be misunderstood by many people. This comes from Shingen’s saying “The people are the castle, the stone walls, and the moats…” recorded in the military science book called Koyogunkan in the 17th Century of the Edo Period. The sentence means it is more important to win the people’s hearts than to build a strong castle, but many people later have been thinking it shows the reason why Shingen only had such a small castle in comparison to other castles for other warlords such as Nobunaga Oda and Kenshin Uesugi.
Takeda Clan Hall itself is much smaller than Nobunaga’s Azuchi Castle or Kenshin’s Kasugayama Castle, but it is because their periods or situations were different. In the case of Shingen, his hall started from the governor’s residence. It was common for governors to live in such a hall at that time. The Takeda Clan added defense systems like the network of the castles and Umadashi to deal with their situation. It was enough for them.
Katsuyori Takeda moved to another
In 1582, Shingen’s son, Katsuyori Takeda decided to move his home base to a large new castle called Shinpu Castle, because the situation changed. Katsuyori was threatened by Nobunaga, so Katsuyori needed a stronger and larger castle than the Takeda Clan Hall which was once abandoned. Katsuyori was unfortunately beaten by Nobunaga before the hall was used by the Oda Clan and the Tokugawa Clan again. It was finally abandoned in 1590, when the Tokugawa Clan built Kofu Castle near the hall.
中世と近世が同居している城
A castle mixed with the Middle Ages and the Modern times
立地と歴史~Location and History
武田信玄の本陣~Stronghold for Shingen Takeda
長野県長野市にある松代城は、真田氏の城下町として有名な観光地です。この城には長い歴史があります。16世紀に武田氏が最初に築城し、その頃は海津城と呼ばれていました。この城の建設の理由は、近くの川中島が越後国(現在の新潟県)の上杉氏との最前線であったからです。城は北側が千曲川に接していて、土塁や水堀に囲まれていました。また、城の門の外側には馬出しという武田氏独特の防御システムが備えられていました。城は実際に、1561年の非常に有名な上杉謙信との川中島の戦いにおいて武田信玄の本陣として使われました。 Matsusshiro Castle is a famous attraction in Nagano City, Nagano Prefecture, which was known as a Sanada Clan castle town. The castle has a long history. It was first built by the Takeda Clan in the late 16th Century and was called Kaizu Castle. The reason for the construction was that the area nearby called Kawanakajima was the front line against the Uesugi Clan in Echigo Province (what is now Niigata Prefecture). The castle bordered Chikuma-gawa River on the north and was surrounded by earthen walls and water moats. It is also said that it was equipped with the Takeda Clan’s unique defense system called Umadashi outside the castle gates. The castle was actually used as the stronghold for Shingen Takeda when he fought with Kenshin Uesugi in the very famous fourth Battle of Kawanakajima in 1561.
城の位置~The location of the castle
真田氏による統治~Governance by Sanada Clan
1582年に武田氏が織田氏により滅ぼされた後は、この城の城主は何度も変わりました。最終的には真田氏が、城と城下町を含む松代藩を1622年から江戸時代末まで支配しました。また、1711年には徳川幕府により、城の名前が松代城と変更されました。城はそれまでに改修が続けられます。例えば、城の中心地である本丸は、内堀とともに石垣によって囲まれました。石垣の四隅の上には4基の櫓が築かれ、3基の門が本丸の入口に設置されました。本丸の内部には御殿があり、城主が住んでいました。一方、外堀とともに本丸と内堀を囲む二の丸は、まだ土塁があるだけでした。また、恐らくは武田時代に由来する馬出しも残っていました。 After the Takeda Clan was defeated by the Oda Clan in 1582, the lords of the castle were changed several times. The Sanada Clan finally governed the Matsushiro Domain including the castle and the castle town from 1622 until the end of the Edo Period. The castle was also renamed Matsushiro Castle by the Tokugawa Shogunate in 1711. The castle continued to be improved until then. For example, the center of the castle called the Main Enclosure was surrounded by stone walls with the Inner Moat. Four turrets were built on the four corners of the stone walls, and three gates were set at the entrances of the enclosure. The Main Hall was inside of the enclosure where the lord lived. On the other hand, the Second Enclosure with the Outer Moat surrounding the Main Enclosure and InnerMoat still had the earthen walls. The Umadashi system which probably originated in Takeda’s period, also remained.
新しい御殿~New Main Halls
しかしながら、この城の川に近い立地は防御には有利でしたが、統治や居住には不利でした。城は洪水の被害に何度も見舞われました。火災による被害もあり、真田氏は居宅を城の中心地から南西部分に移すことを決め、花の丸御殿を建設します。江戸時代末には城から離れた地に、親族関係者(婦女子)のための新御殿も建てました。 However, this castle’s location near the river was positive for defense, but negative for governance and living. The castle suffered damage from floods several times. It was also damaged by fires, so the Samada Clan decided to escape their home from the center of the castle to the southwest part, building Hananomaru Main Hall. The clan also built the New Main Hall for their relatives (women and children) far from the castle at the end of the Edo Period.
特徴~Features
江戸時代末期のように復元~Restored like End of Edo Period
現在、松代城の中心部は以前の姿に似通って見えます。本丸の石垣のみが現存しているのですが、本丸の2つの門、内堀と2つの橋、そして二の丸を囲む土塁さえもが長野市によって復元されています。市の関係者によると、江戸時代末期の姿を再現したということです。 Now, the center of Matsushiro Castle looks similar to its former appearance. Only the stone walls of the Main Enclosure are original, but two gates to the Main Enclosure, the Inner Moat with two bridges, and even earthen walls surrounding the Second Enclosure have been restored by Nagano City. The city officials say they tried to restore the castle to show its appearance at the end of the Edo Period.
城周辺の航空写真~The aerial photo around the castle
対照的な二の丸と本丸~Contrastive Second and Main Enclosures
観光客は通常、二の丸の入口である南門跡から城に入っていきます。この門跡は、復元された土塁に囲まれていて、その近くには馬出しの痕跡がわずかに残っています。この土塁と本丸の石垣はとても対照的です。それぞれが元々は別の時代に作られたからです。土塁は中世の戦国時代に由来し、石垣は主に江戸時代に作られました。 Visitors usually enter the castle through the ruins of the South Gate, the entrance of the Second Enclosure. The ruins are surrounded by the restored earthen walls and the trace of the Umadashi system slightly remains nearby. The earthen walls and the stone walls of the Main Enclosure are very contrastive because both of them come from different periods. The earthen walls are from the Sengoku Period of the Middle Ages and the stone walls are mainly from the Edo Period of the Modern Times.
本丸へは内堀にかかっている橋を渡り、太鼓門を通って入ります。これらは皆復元されたもので、城の新しいシンボルになりました。本丸の内側は1717年の大火以降は空き地になっています。角にあった4つの櫓は復元されていませんが、石垣は残っています。北西角のものは一番大きく、櫓の以前には天守が立っていたのではないかと言われています。また、この櫓の石垣とその積み方は他のものよりは古風であり、とても荒々しく見えます。櫓台の上に階段で登り、城周りの景色を見ることができます。 You can enter the Main Enclosure through the Taiko-mon Gate after crossing the bridge over the Inner Moat. These structures have all been restored and have become new symbols of the castle. The inside of the Main Enclosure has remained empty since the great fire in 1717. The four turrets on the corners have not been restored, but their stone wall bases remain. The northwest one is the largest and it is said that the Main Tower might have stood on it before the turret. Its stone walls and the method for piling them are also older than other stone walls, so they look very rough. You can go up the stairs to the top of the base to see a view around the castle.
独特な構造~Unique Structures
本丸の北側にはもう一つの復元された北不明門があります。その門をくぐっていくと、本丸を囲んでいる二の丸に戻っていきます。二の丸の北外側は、かつては千曲川でした。江戸時代に洪水を防ぐため、川の流路が替えられたのです。面白いものとしては、埋門という復元された小さな門が二の丸の土塁の所にあります。土塁に通した穴の中に組み込まれていますが、戦が始まったときには埋められるようになってました。 The northern side of the Main Enclosure has another restored gate called Kita-Akazu-mon. You can go through the gate back to the Second Enclosure surrounding the Main Enclosure. The outside of the Second Enclosure on the north was the Chikumagawa-River in the past. The route of the river was changed in the Edo Period to prevent floods. There is an interesting small, restored gate called Uzumi-mon in the earthen walls of the Second Enclosure. It was originally set in a hole through the walls which would have been filled when a battle happened.
その後~Later History
明治維新後、松代城は廃城となり、ほとんどの建物は売られるか撤去され、ほとんどの土地は元藩士に分け与えられ農地となりました。1904年、元藩主であり新御殿に住んでいた真田家は土地の一部を買い戻し、城跡を公園として公開しました。最終的には1951年にその土地を公共のものとして寄付しました。1981年には城跡は国の史跡に指定されましたが、当時は城の中心部に石垣だけが残っている状態でした。長野市は城跡を調査しいくつかの門、橋、土塁、水堀の復元を開始します。その復元は2004年に完了し、現在私たちは城が過去どのような姿であったか目にすることができるのです。 After the Meiji Restoration, Matsushiro Castle was abandoned, most of its buildings were sold or demolished, and most of its land was divided by former warriors to be turned into farm. In 1904, the former lord of the castle, the Sanada Clan, living in the New Main Hall, bought part of the land back to open the ruins of the castle as a park. The clan lastly donated the land to the officials in 1951. The ruins of the castle were designated as a National Historic Site in 1981, but only the stone walls remained at the center of the castle at that time. Nagano City investigated the ruins and started to restore some of gates, bridges, earthen walls and water moats. The restoration was completed in 2004 and we can now see what the castle looked like in the past.
私の感想~My Impression
松代城には、異なる時代の異なる特徴が同居しており、独特の雰囲気があると思います。石垣と土塁の面白い組み合わせを見ることができるからです。加えて、城から250m南にある真田邸をご覧になることをお勧めします。真田邸は実は新御殿の現在の名前なのです。城に関連する数少ない現存建物の一つです。これもまた国の史跡となっています。もともと藩主の近親者のために作られたものなので、その内装はとても優雅です。 I think that Matsushiro Castle has a unique atmosphere because it has different perspectives from different periods. You can see the interesting combination of its stone walls and earthen walls. In addition, I recommend that you visit the Sanada Hall, about 250m south of the castle. In fact, Sanada Hall is the present name of the New Main Hall, one of the few remaining buildings that form part of the castle. It is also designated as a National Historic Site. Its interior is very elegant as it was first built for the lord’s relatives.
ここに行くには~How to get There
上信越自動車道の長野ICから約5分のところです。城の周りにいくつか駐車場があります。 公共交通機関を使う場合は、長野駅からバスに乗り、松代駅バス停で降りてください。 It takes about 5 minutes from Nagano IC on Joshinetsu Expressway. There are parking lots around the castle. If you want to go there by public transportation, take the bus from Nanano Station and get off at the Matsushiro-eki bus stop.
リンク、参考情報~Links and References
・松代城の環境整備、長野市(Nagano City Official Website) ・よみがえる日本の城14、学研(Japanese Book) ・「日本の城改訂版第7号」デアゴスティーニジャパン(Japanese Book)
過去は海の城、今は駅の城
Sea castle in the past, Station castle in the present
立地と歴史~Location and History
毛利氏の海軍基地~Navy Base for Mori Clan
三原城は最初は、戦国時代の16世紀後半に中国地方を支配していた毛利氏の支族、小早川隆景が築きました。毛利氏は近畿地方の織田氏から侵略されていて、それを防ぐための大きな城で、海軍の基地としても使えるものを必要としていたのです。三原城はそのうちの一つで、沼田川の河口にあったデルタ地帯の島の上に築かれました。この地域は三原浦と呼ばれており、そのためその城も三原城と呼ばれました。このような立地は、後に毛利氏の本拠地となった広島城と似通っています。 Mihara Castle was first built by Takakage Kobayakawa, the head of a branch family of the Mori Clan which owned Chugoku Region in the late 16th Century during the Sengoku Period. The clan was being invaded by the Oda Clan in Kinki Region, so they thought they needed large castles to prevent invasions and to use as the bases for their navy. Mihara Castle was one of them and was built on the islands on the delta in the estuary of Nutagawa River. The area had been called Mihara Bay, so the castle has been called Mihara Castle. Such a location is similar to Hiroshima Castle which later became the home base of the Mori Clan.
城の位置~The location of the castle
海の城~Sea Castle
城の主要部分は、中央にある大きな三角形の島の上にあり、本丸と二の丸がありました。南側の三角形の底辺の部分は海に面しており、北側の三角形の頂点には天守台石垣がありました。しかし、天守は築かれずに、代わりに3基の二階櫓が台の上に築かれました。主要部は水堀と海によって周りの地区から完全に切り離されており、周りとは2つの橋がある門のみとつながっていました。更には、石垣に沿っていくつもの船着き場がありました。この城は、海の城とでもいえるものだったのです。 The main portion of the castle was on the large central triangular island which included the Main Enclosure and the Second Enclosure. The base of the triangle on the south faced the sea, and the top of the triangle on the north had the stone wall base for the Main Tower, but the tower was not built, instead, the three two-story turrets were built on the base. The main portion was completely separated from the area around by water moats and the sea, and just connected with two gates with bridges to surrounding area. In addition, several ports were built beside the stone walls. The castle could be called a sea castle.
福島氏、浅野氏が引き継ぐ~Fukushima, Asano Clans follow it
毛利氏の後は、福島正則が江戸時代の17世紀初頭にこの城を支配しました。彼は海に面して10基もの二階櫓を築き、城の防御力を強化しました。ところが、1619年に徳川幕府により改易になってしまいます。浅野氏が城を引き継ぎ江戸時代末まで統治しました。浅野氏は、広島城を本拠地としていて、三原城は支城とみなされていました。幕府は通常は大名に対して2つ以上の城を持つことを禁じていましたが、浅野氏は例外として三原城を維持することができたのでした。 After the Mori Clan, Masanori Fukushima governed the castle at the beginning of the 17th Century during the Edo Period. He built as many as ten two-story turrets facing the sea, which made the castle more defensive. However, he was fired by the Tokugawa Shogunate in 1619. The Aasano Clan took over the castle and governed it until the end of the Edo Period. The Asano Clan lived in Hiroshima Castle as their home base while Mihara Castle was regarded as their branch castle. The shogunate usually didn’t allow the lords to have a second castle, but the Asano Clan was able to have Mihara Castle as an exception.
特徴~Features
まるで駅の城~Just like Station Castle
現在、三原城跡はJR三原駅と電車線に覆われているように見えます。実際、城跡の一部は専用通路により駅とつながっているのです。営業時間内であれば、誰でもこの通路を通ってそこに行くことができます。ここは天守台石垣の上で、城の主要部分ではもっとも北側に当たります。この区域は公園のように整備されていて、北側の方では、天守台を囲む水堀を眺めることができます。また、南側の方では山陽新幹線のホームをすぐ近くの同じ高さで見ることができます。ホームには新幹線の車両が頻繁に通り過ぎたり、止まったりしているのがよくわかります。大変ユニークであり、まるで駅の城とも言えるでしょう。 Now, the ruins of Mihara Castle look like being covered with JR Mihara Station and the JR Railway. In fact, part of the ruins is connected to the station by an exclusive path. Anyone can visit this part of the castle through the path during the opening hours. This is the top of the stone wall base for the Main Tower, which was the northmost part of the main portion of the castle. The area has been developed like a park where you can see a view of the water moat surrounding the base on the north. You can also see the platform for the Sanyo Shinkansen Super Express close by at the same level on the south. You can enjoy seeing the super express trains often passing by or stopping at the platform. It is very unique, and it could be called a station castle.
巨大な天守台~Huge base for Main Tower
また、駅の外で堀の周りを歩きながら天守台石垣を見上げることもできます。この天守台は、日本で最も大きなものの一つで、将軍の江戸城のものと同じくらいの大きさです。但し、天守の代わりに3基の二階櫓が立っていました。この天守台のもう一つの珍しい点は、違う時代の石材によりできていることです。西側の石は小早川時代のもので、東側は福島時代のものです。小早川の石は古い方式により積まれており、福島の方は新しい方式のよるとのことです。 You can also walk around the moat looking up at the stone walls for the base outside the station. This base for the Main Tower is one of the largest ones in Japan which has similar size to the Shogun’s Edo Castle. However, there were three two-story turrets on it instead of a Main Tower. Another unique point is that it has stones from different periods. The stones on the western side come from Kobayakawa’s period, and those on the eastern side come from Fukushima’s. Kobayakawa’s stone walls were built using an older method, whereas Fukushima’s method is newer.
城跡の他の部分~Other parts of Ruins
城周辺の航空写真~The aerial photo around the castle
城跡としては他にはあまり残っていませんが、駅から三原港の方に歩いて行くと、現存している石垣を見ることができます。その上には現代の建物が建っています。ここは、城の主要部分の西端に当たります。石垣の中ほどには、2つの入口の一つであった中門跡があります。石垣の南端部分は、臨海一番櫓跡です。かつてこの櫓は海に面していました。ここから三原港までは海だったわけです。 Other ruins of the castle remain few, but if you walk down from the station to Mihara Port, you can see the remaining stone walls on which modern buildings stand. They were the western border of the main portion of the castle. On the middle of the stone walls, there are the ruins of Naka-mon Gate which was one of the two entrances to the portion. The southmost part of the stone walls are the ruins of Rinkai-Ichiban-Yagura Turret or the First Seaside Turret. The turret faced the sea in the past. The area from the ruins to Mihara Port was once the sea.
主要部分の東側の城跡は、城町公園として残っています。この公園には船入櫓という櫓の跡があります。ここの石垣は岩礁の上に乗っていて、かつては海岸だったことがわかります。 The ruins of the eastern part of the main portion remain as Shiromachi Park. The park has the ruins of another turret called Funairi-Yagura Turret or the Port Turret. Their remaining stone walls are on a shore reef where it was once seaside.
その後~Later History
明治維新後、三原城は廃城となり、全ての建物は売られるか撤去されました。1894年、鉄道の三原駅と山陽本線が作られたとき、天守台石垣のすぐ南の本丸の用地がその建設のために供されたのです。本丸のほとんどの石垣は、他の港の資材として運ばれ、ほとんどの水堀はその工事中に埋められてしまいました。城跡は、1957年に国の史跡に指定されました。1975年、山陽新幹線が作られたとき、高架橋が城跡を壊さないよう、その上を覆って設置されました。 After the Meiji Restoration, Mihara Castle was abandoned, and all of its buildings were sold or demolished. In 1894, when Mihara Railway Station and Sanyo Railway Line were built, the ground for the Main Enclosure, just to the south of the stone wall base, was used for the construction of the train line and the station. Most of the enclosure’s stone walls were carried to another port as materials, and most of the water moats were filled during the construction. The ruins have been designated as a National Historic Site since 1957. In 1975, when the Sanyo Super Express Line was built, the overhead railway was placed across the ruins so as not to harm them. This is what we see there now.
私の感想~My Impression
三原城を最初に見た印象は人によってちがうかもしれません。城跡が現代の建物によりほとんど壊されていると思うかもしれませんし、城跡と駅の組み合わせが面白いと思うかもしれません。私は、ここを訪れる前は前者だったのですが、訪れた後は後者に近い印象です。また、一方で行政側に対しては、視覚に訴える掲示やVR技術を使ったりして、もっと三原城はどのような姿をしていたのか知らせるべきと思います。 The first impression of Mihara Castle may be different for each person. One might think the ruins were mostly destroyed by modern buildings, or others might think the combination of the ruins and the station looks interesting. I believed the former before I visited the ruins; my impression is now similar to the latter after visiting them. I also feel that officials should let people know what Mihara Castle looked like using visual image boards as well as VR technology.
ここに行くには~How to get There
三原城跡は、三原駅のすぐ北隣です。 The ruins of Mihara Castle neighbors Mihara Station to the south.
リンク、参考情報~Links and References
・三原城跡、三原市(Mihara City Official Website) ・よみがえる日本の城7、学研(Japanese Book) ・「日本の城改訂版第42号」デアゴスティーニジャパン(Japanese Book)