Imabari Castle
Imabari Castle | |
---|---|
今治城 | |
Imabari, Ehime Prefecture, Japan | |
![]() Imabari Castle tenshu and Yamazato Yagura | |
Coordinates | 34°3′48.01″N 133°0′24.5″E / 34.0633361°N 133.006806°E |
Type | Japanese castle |
Site information | |
Condition | reconstructed |
Site history | |
Built | 1602-1606 |
Built by | Tōdō Takatora |
In use | 1604-1873 |
Demolished | 1873 |
![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/8/8b/Imabari_city_castle_japan_cropped.jpg/220px-Imabari_city_castle_japan_cropped.jpg)
Imabari Castle (今治城, Imabari-jō) is a
This castle is well known as one of the three Mizujiro, or "Castles on the sea", in Japan, along with Takamatsu Castle in Kagawa Prefecture and Nakatsu Castle in Ōita Prefecture.[1]
History
Imabari Castle is located in the center of the city of Imabari and faces the
The castle consisted of three concentric enclosures, each surrounded by a water moat that was connected to the sea. The second enclosure also had a small anchorage area surrounded by walls so that the castle could be accessed directly by sea. The inner bailey had a five-story tenshu, but this structure was later dismantled and relocated to Tanba Kameyama Castle, which had also been built by Tōdō Takatora.
In 1609, just after the completion of Imabari Castle, Tōdō Takatora was transferred to Tsu Domain. He was replaced at Imabari in 1635 by a cadet branch of the Hisamatsu-Matsudaira clan headed by Matsudaira Sadafusa who was a nephew of Tokugawa Ieyasu, and his descendants ruled Imabari for the rest of the Edo period.
After the
The castle is located a 20-minute walk from the
Features
Imabari Castle features a vast seawater moat, a high stone wall and a rare style of main gate. The moat averages 60 meters in length and is intended to neutralize arrows. Almost all parts of the high stone wall have remain unchanged since the Edo Period. The main gate, Kurogane Main Gate (鉄御門, Kurogane-gomon), is iron-plated and flanked by turrets.
State of reconstruction
Imabari Castle has remained intact only regarding the walls and moat. The remaining buildings are reconstructions. The tenshu in particular, or keep, is a modern concrete construction, only imitating the outer appearance of the original. The interior is modern and not representative of the original design. It houses several exhibitions regarding weapons, armor, writings and castle photography. Its top floor serves as viewing point over the city. The tenshu also houses the city's natural science museum.
The Kurogane-gomon and Bugu-yagura turrets have been reconstructed also with interior and a small exhibition including a model and various videos explains their function and the castle's history. Further buildings include the Yamazato-yagura and Okane-yagura turrets, which are home to the antiquity museum and local art museum.
References
- ^ "ぐるなび出張・観光お助けナビ -中津城-". Gourmet Navigator Incorporated. 2004.
- ^ Japan Castle Foundation
External links
Media related to Imabari Castle at Wikimedia Commons
Literature
- Benesch, Oleg and Ran Zwigenberg (2019). Japan's Castles: Citadels of Modernity in War and Peace. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. p. 374. ISBN 9781108481946.
- 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.