Samurai Castles: History / Architecture / Visitors’ Guides

274 Pages·2018·60.13 MB·English

by  Jennifer Mitchelhill

Matsumoto Castle
Osaka Castle
Kumamoto Castle
SAMURAI CASTLES
HISTORY | ARCHITECTURE | VISITORS’ GUIDES
JENNIFER MITCHELHILL
PHOTOS BY DAVID GREEN
Contents
Preface
Introducing Japan’s Samurai Castles
A History of the Japanese Castle
The Design of a Japanese Castle
VISITING JAPAN’S FINEST CASTLES
Kumamoto Castle
Himeji Castle
Hikone Castle
Nijo Castle
Osaka Castle
Kanazawa Castle
Okayama Castle
Iyo Matsuyama Castle
Matsumoto Castle
Matsue Castle
Kochi Castle
Bitchu-Matsuyama Castle
Inuyama Castle
Hiroshima Castle
Marugame Castle
Nagoya Castle
Edo Castle
Maruoka Castle
Hirosaki Castle
Wakayama Castle
Fukuyama Castle
Hagi Castle
Takeda Castle
Fort Goryokaku
Japan’s 100 Most Important Castles
Glossary
Photo Credits

Preface
Just before the largest clash of samurai in Japanese history, at the Battle of
Sekigahara in 1600, Chiyo, the wife of samurai Yamauchi Katsutoyo, wrote her
husband a letter, concealing it in the chin strap of a messenger’s hat.
The Battle of Sekigahara, fought between the two major powers, the
Toyotomi and the Tokugawa, was to decide the fate of Japan for the next 268
years. The side on which a samurai chose to fight would determine his fate and
that of his family for generations to come. The stakes were high and loyalties ran
deep. To fight on the losing side meant loss of territory, loss of one’s master and
the life of a wandering, masterless samurai called ronin. Victory could have
gone either way. It was finally determined by the betrayal of a Toyotomi loyalist
general who defected to the Tokugawa side in the midst of the battle.
Chiyo had received word of the potential betrayal. Her husband, Yamauchi,
had served under the great sixteenth-century leader Oda Nobunaga and his
successor, Toyotomi Hideyoshi. Her letter relayed vital information about
Toyotomi forces and suggested her husband switch allegiance. Fortuitously,
Katsutoyo took her advice and fought on the winning Tokugawa side. As a
reward, he was made first lord of the province of Tosa on the island of Shikoku.
With Chiyo, he constructed Kochi Castle, beginning the Yamauchi dynasty
where 16 consecutive generations ruled Tosa over the following 268 years. In
recognition of Chiyo’s efforts, today a bronze statue of Katsutoyo’s wise wife
watches over the approach to the main citadel.
Japanese castles are rich in stories of intrigue, sacrifice and betrayal. They
stand as majestic monuments to the samurai who once ruled Japan.
Some 160,000 samurai fought in the battle of Sekigahara on October 21, 1600 to determine the
supreme ruler of Japan. The Eastern Army led by Tokugawa Ieyasu, and the Western Army led
by Ishidi Mitsunari, each comprised allied daimyo (feudal lords) from provinces all over Japan.
The banners painted on this Japanese screen show the family crest of the 40 or so daimyo’s
armies who took part in the battle. After a day of fighting and the loss of 40,000 lives, Tokugawa
Ieyasu declared victory. Thus began the 268-year rule of Japan by the Tokugawa shogunate.
(Late Edo era, 19th century. Collection of the City of Gifu Museum of History)