Akashi Castle

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Akashi Castle
明石城
Important Cultural Properties of Japan
Map

Akashi Castle (明石城, Akashi-jō) was an

National Historic Site since 1957.[1]

History

Akashi Castle is located on Mount Akamatsu, a hill in central Akashi, to the north of

Awaji island. Considered by the Tokugawa shogunate to be a backup to Himeji Castle, it was the final line of defences for the Kansai region against any attack from the west. [2]

The construction of the castle was by order of

daimyō of the newly-created 100,000 koku Akashi Domain.[3] Ogasawara Tadazane's father Ogasawara Hidemasa had married a granddaughter of Tokugawa Ieyasu and was daimyō of Matsumoto Domain. He was killed in action at the Siege of Osaka. It is claimed without clear documentary evidence that Miyamoto Musashi
assisted in building the castle as a "Construction Supervisor", as it is recorded that he was in the service of Ogasawara Tadazane at the time.

The castle only took one year to complete, which was relatively fast for the time period.[3] This was done so quickly as a result of the 1615 decree mandating castle per clan, so many castles in the area were dismantled and some materials and buildings were recycled for the construction of Akashi Castle. This included wood from Miki Castle, Takasago Castle, Edayoshi Castle, and Funage Castle and a number of buildings from Fushimi Castle and Funage Castle including yagura towers. Although no tenshu main tower was ever built, Akashi Castle became a large castle with 20 yagura and 27 gates. The Inner bailey had four three-story corner yagura, two of which have survived to the present.[2]

The Ogawasawa clan were transferred to

Great Hanshin Earthquake
, with some collapsed stone walls and extensive damage to its yagura towers.

Akashi Castle was listed as one of

Japan's Top 100 Castles by the Japan Castle Foundation in 2006.[4]

The castle is a ten-minute walk from

JR West San'yō Main Line.[2]

Gallery

  • Layout map
    Layout map
  • Section of wall and the Hitsujisaru Yagura
    Section of wall and the Hitsujisaru Yagura
  • Tatsumi Yagura
    Tatsumi Yagura

Cultural properties

Hitsujisaru yagura and Central Akashi city.

Two of the remaining yagura towers of Akashi Castle have been designated

Important Cultural Properties
:

  • Hitsujisaru Yagura (坤櫓) [5]
  • Tatsumi Yagura (巽櫓) [6]

See also

Further reading

  • De Lange, William (2021). An Encyclopedia of Japanese Castles. Groningen: Toyo Press. pp. 600 pages.
    ISBN 978-9492722300
    .
  • Schmorleitz, Morton S. (1974). Castles in Japan. Tokyo: Charles E. Tuttle Co. pp. 144–145.
    ISBN 0-8048-1102-4
    .
  • Motoo, Hinago (1986). Japanese Castles. Tokyo: Kodansha. p. 200 pages.
    ISBN 0-87011-766-1
    .
  • Mitchelhill, Jennifer (2004). Castles of the Samurai: Power and Beauty. Tokyo: Kodansha. p. 112 pages.
    ISBN 4-7700-2954-3
    .
  • Turnbull, Stephen (2003). Japanese Castles 1540-1640. Osprey Publishing. p. 64 pages.
    ISBN 1-84176-429-9
    .

References

  1. ^ "明石城跡". Cultural Heritage Online (in Japanese). Agency for Cultural Affairs. Retrieved 15 September 2021.
  2. ^
    ISBN 978-4311750403
    .(in Japanese)
  3. ^ a b "Akashi Castle – Jcastle.info". jcastle.info. Retrieved 5 March 2022.
  4. ^ Japan Castle Foundation
  5. ^ "明石城 坤櫓". Cultural Heritage Online (in Japanese). Agency for Cultural Affairs. Retrieved 15 September 2021.
  6. ^ "明石城 巽櫓". Cultural Heritage Online (in Japanese). Agency for Cultural Affairs. Retrieved 15 September 2021.

External links

Media related to Akashi Castle at Wikimedia Commons

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