Picture 1 Donjon of Osaka Castle |
WE have many castles or Shiro around the country. They were
originally built in the 16th to 18th centuries by feudal lords. But most of existing castles are replicas which were built in the 20th century. A good example is Osaka-jo Castle in Osaka, which has an
enormous donjon(see Picture 1), and are very popular among people. Japanese castles commonly consist of moats, stone walls, watch
towers, a donjon and several buildings such as Honmaru and
Ninomaru.
YOU'LL also find similar castles in local cities. They are generally not so big as that in Osaka, but they have unique ideas in the designs made by local lords.
Here we have a report on a local castle called Ueda-jo by Ms. J. O., who visited the city of Nagano, located about 200 kilometers northwest of Tokyo.
Picture 2 Yagura-mon of Sanada-jo Castle |
The castle was built in 1583, during the
Age of Civil Wars, by Sanada Masayuki, a local
lord who was respected with his distinctive strategies.
According to old documents, the lord Sanada didn’t build a donjon. The reason would be that he regarded it as something impractical for wars, nothing but a decorative building in good appearance. Instead, he enforced the defensive power of gates and watch towers. This picture shows the front view of Yagura-mon, a gate which is unique in having two Yagura or watch towers at a gate. You see a two-storied bulding on the right which is connected with another two-storied one on the left through a corridor on a stone wall. The gate was restored in 1994. You can enter both Yagura to see how warriors inside defended the gate against enemies.
(Admission fee is 250 yen, including the municipal museum on the castle site.)
According to old documents, the lord Sanada didn’t build a donjon. The reason would be that he regarded it as something impractical for wars, nothing but a decorative building in good appearance. Instead, he enforced the defensive power of gates and watch towers. This picture shows the front view of Yagura-mon, a gate which is unique in having two Yagura or watch towers at a gate. You see a two-storied bulding on the right which is connected with another two-storied one on the left through a corridor on a stone wall. The gate was restored in 1994. You can enter both Yagura to see how warriors inside defended the gate against enemies.
(Admission fee is 250 yen, including the municipal museum on the castle site.)
Picture 3 "Sanda ishi" stone |
It's 2.5 meters wide and 3 meters high.
The size of stone is supposed to correspond to the power of war lord, and Sanada stone would be a symbol of the clan's strength.
The small local castle became famous as an invincible fort. It completely succeeded in rejecting overwhelming attacks repeated twice by Tokugawa clan, the largest power at the time that built a huge castle at Edo (present Tokyo).
Unfrotunately, Honmaru, or the main building where the Sanda lord lived, didn’t remain. we can, however, walk around a wide open area where Honmaru used to be, seeing three existing Yagura-mon gates stand at the corners in the south, north and west.
A funny story I've heard is that Sanada shrine there provides Omamori or a charm, and it's popular for students to buy the charm wishing success in exams.
This charm is connected with the historical fact that the castle never fell (or lost).
It might give you an invincible power.
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Tourists who are interested in Japanese castles would be recommended to visit the cities of Himeji and Kyoto as well as Osaka. Himeji castle is famous for its magnificent architecture covered with white plaster, and Nijo-jo castle in Kyoto is characterized by its gorgeous pictures inside buildings.
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