Hirosaki Castle
Encyclopedia
is a hirayama-style Japanese castle
constructed in 1611. It was the seat of the Tsugaru clan
, a 47,000 koku
tozama
daimyō
clan who ruled over Hirosaki Domain
, Mutsu Province
, in what is now central Hirosaki
, Aomori Prefecture
, Japan
. It was also referred to as .
s, which were formerly walled and separated by moat
s. It is unusual in that its Edo period
donjon and most of its outline remains intact. Noted historian and author Shiba Ryōtarō
praised it as one of the "Seven Famous Castles of Japan" in his travel essay series Kaidō wo Yuku.
, former Nambu retainer Ōura Tamenobu was awarded revenues
of 45,000 koku by Toyotomi Hideyoshi
for his role in the Battle of Odawara in 1590. He take the family name of Tsugaru at that time. At the Battle of Sekigahara
, he sided with Tokugawa Ieyasu
and was subsequently confirmed as lord of Hirosaki Domain
with revenues increased to 47,000 koku.
In 1603, he began work on a castle in Hirosaki, however, work was suspended with his death in Kyoto
in 1604. Work was resumed by his successor, Tsugaru Nobuhira
in 1609, who stripped Horikoshi Castle and Ōura Castle of buildings and materials in order to speed its completion. The new castle was completed in 1611. However, in 1627, the main keep
, which was originally a 6-story, 5-roof structure was struck by lightning and exploded when the fire reached its gunpowder magazine
. It was not rebuilt until 1810, when the present 3-story structure was erected by the 9th daimyō, Tsugaru Yasuchika
.
With the Meiji Restoration
and subsequent abolition of the han system
, the Tsugaru clan surrendered the castle to the new Meiji government. In 1871, the castle was garrisoned by a detachment of the Imperial Japanese Army
, and in 1873 the palace structures, martial arts school and most of the castle walls were pulled down. In 1894, the castle properties were donated by the Tsugaru clan to the government for use as a park, which opened to the general public the following year. In 1898, an armory
was established in the former Third Bailey by the IJA 8th Division. In 1906, two of the remaining yagura
burned down. In 1909, a four-meter tall bronze statue of Tsugaru Tamenobu was erected on the site of the donjon. In 1937, eight structures of the castle received protection from the government as “national treasures”. However, in 1944, during the height of World War II
, all of the bronze
in the castle, including roof tiles and decorations, were stripped away for use in the war effort.
In 1950, under the new cultural properties
protection system, all surviving structures in the castle (with the exception of the East Gate of the 3rd Bailey) were named National Important Cultural Properties
. In 1952, the grounds received further protection with their nomination as a National Historic Site. In 1953, after reconstruction, the East Gate of the 3rd Bailey also gained ICP status, giving a total of nine structures within the castle with such protection.
Extensive archaeological excavations from 1999-2000 revealed the foundations of the former palace structures and a Shinto shrine. The castle was included in the listing of “100 Famous Castles of Japan” in 2006.
, rather than the stone base of the original donjon. The small size was partly due to the restricted finances of the domain towards the end of the Edo period, but its location and design were also intended to alleviate concerns which might be raised by the Tokugawa shogunate
should a larger structure be built. At present, it is a separate standing structure; however, prior to 1896 it had an attached gatehouse.
The donjon is surrounded by three surviving yagura from the Edo period (the Ninomaru Tatsumi Yagura, Ninomaru Hitsujisaru Yagura, Ninomaru Ushitora Yagura), on its second bailey, and five surviving gates (Sannomaru Ōtemon Gate, Sannomaru East Gate, Ninomaru South Gate, Ninomaru East Gate, Kitanokuruwa North Gate) in the walls of its second and third baileys. All of these structures, including the donjon itself, are National Important Cultural Properties.
The surrounding Hirosaki Park around the castle grounds is one of Japan's most famous cherry blossom
spots. Over a million people enjoy the park's 2600 trees (which were originally planted around in grounds in 1903) during the sakura matsuri (cherry blossom festival) when the cherry blossoms are in bloom, usually during the Japanese Golden Week holidays in the end of April and beginning of May.
Japanese castle
' were fortresses composed primarily of wood and stone. They evolved from the wooden stockades of earlier centuries, and came into their best-known form in the 16th century...
constructed in 1611. It was the seat of the Tsugaru clan
Tsugaru clan
The was a Japanese samurai clan originating in northern Japan, specifically Mutsu Province . A branch of the local Nanbu clan, the Tsugaru rose to power during the Azuchi-Momoyama period. It was on the winning side of the Battle of Sekigahara, and entered the Edo period as a family of lords ...
, a 47,000 koku
Koku
The is a Japanese unit of volume, equal to ten cubic shaku. In this definition, 3.5937 koku equal one cubic metre, i.e. 1 koku is approximately 278.3 litres. The koku was originally defined as a quantity of rice, historically defined as enough rice to feed one person for one year...
tozama
Tozama
A ' was a daimyo who was considered an outsider by the rulers of Japan. The term came into use in the Kamakura period and continued until the end of the Edo period.-Edo period:...
daimyō
Daimyo
is a generic term referring to the powerful territorial lords in pre-modern Japan who ruled most of the country from their vast, hereditary land holdings...
clan who ruled over Hirosaki Domain
Hirosaki Domain
The ' was a Japanese domain of the Edo period, located in northern Mutsu Province . It was ruled by the Tsugaru clan...
, Mutsu Province
Mutsu Province
was an old province of Japan in the area of Fukushima, Miyagi, Iwate and Aomori prefecture and the municipalities of Kazuno and Kosaka in Akita Prefecture...
, in what is now central Hirosaki
Hirosaki, Aomori
is a city located in southwest Aomori Prefecture, Japan. It is a castle town and was the Tsugaru clan ruled the 100,000 koku tozama han Hirosaki Domain from Hirosaki Castle during the Edo period. The city is currently a regional commercial center and the largest producer of apples in Japan...
, Aomori Prefecture
Aomori Prefecture
is a prefecture of Japan located in the Tōhoku Region. The capital is the city of Aomori.- History :Until the Meiji Restoration, the area of Aomori prefecture was known as Mutsu Province....
, Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
. It was also referred to as .
Background
Hirosaki Castle measures 612 meters east-west and 947 meters north-south. Its grounds are divided into six concentric baileyWard (fortification)
In fortifications, a bailey or ward refers to a courtyard enclosed by a curtain wall. In particular, an early type of European castle was known as a Motte-and-bailey. Castles can have more than one ward. Their layout depends both on the local topography and the level of fortification technology...
s, which were formerly walled and separated by moat
Moat
A moat is a deep, broad ditch, either dry or filled with water, that surrounds a castle, other building or town, historically to provide it with a preliminary line of defence. In some places moats evolved into more extensive water defences, including natural or artificial lakes, dams and sluices...
s. It is unusual in that its Edo period
Edo period
The , or , is a division of Japanese history which was ruled by the shoguns of the Tokugawa family, running from 1603 to 1868. The political entity of this period was the Tokugawa shogunate....
donjon and most of its outline remains intact. Noted historian and author Shiba Ryōtarō
Ryotaro Shiba
, born in Osaka, Japan, was a Japanese author best known for his novels about historical events in Japan and on the Northeast Asian sub-continent, as well as his historical and cultural essays pertaining to Japan and its relationship to the rest of the world....
praised it as one of the "Seven Famous Castles of Japan" in his travel essay series Kaidō wo Yuku.
History
During the late Sengoku periodSengoku period
The or Warring States period in Japanese history was a time of social upheaval, political intrigue, and nearly constant military conflict that lasted roughly from the middle of the 15th century to the beginning of the 17th century. The name "Sengoku" was adopted by Japanese historians in reference...
, former Nambu retainer Ōura Tamenobu was awarded revenues
Kokudaka
refers to a system for determining land value for tribute purposes in Edo period Japan and expressing this value in koku of rice. This tribute was no longer a percentage of the actual quantity of rice harvested, but was assessed based on the quality and size of the land...
of 45,000 koku by Toyotomi Hideyoshi
Toyotomi Hideyoshi
was a daimyo warrior, general and politician of the Sengoku period. He unified the political factions of Japan. He succeeded his former liege lord, Oda Nobunaga, and brought an end to the Sengoku period. The period of his rule is often called the Momoyama period, named after Hideyoshi's castle...
for his role in the Battle of Odawara in 1590. He take the family name of Tsugaru at that time. At the Battle of Sekigahara
Battle of Sekigahara
The , popularly known as the , was a decisive battle on October 21, 1600 which cleared the path to the Shogunate for Tokugawa Ieyasu...
, he sided with Tokugawa Ieyasu
Tokugawa Ieyasu
was the founder and first shogun of the Tokugawa shogunate of Japan , which ruled from the Battle of Sekigahara in 1600 until the Meiji Restoration in 1868. Ieyasu seized power in 1600, received appointment as shogun in 1603, abdicated from office in 1605, but...
and was subsequently confirmed as lord of Hirosaki Domain
Hirosaki Domain
The ' was a Japanese domain of the Edo period, located in northern Mutsu Province . It was ruled by the Tsugaru clan...
with revenues increased to 47,000 koku.
In 1603, he began work on a castle in Hirosaki, however, work was suspended with his death in Kyoto
Kyoto
is a city in the central part of the island of Honshū, Japan. It has a population close to 1.5 million. Formerly the imperial capital of Japan, it is now the capital of Kyoto Prefecture, as well as a major part of the Osaka-Kobe-Kyoto metropolitan area.-History:...
in 1604. Work was resumed by his successor, Tsugaru Nobuhira
Tsugaru Nobuhira
was the 2nd daimyō of Hirosaki Domain in northern Mutsu Province, Honshū, Japan . His courtesy title was Etchū-no-kami.-Biography:Tsugaru Noruhira was born as the 3rd son of Tsugaru Tamenobu, head of the Tsugaru clan...
in 1609, who stripped Horikoshi Castle and Ōura Castle of buildings and materials in order to speed its completion. The new castle was completed in 1611. However, in 1627, the main keep
Keep
A keep is a type of fortified tower built within castles during the Middle Ages by European nobility. Scholars have debated the scope of the word keep, but usually consider it to refer to large towers in castles that were fortified residences, used as a refuge of last resort should the rest of the...
, which was originally a 6-story, 5-roof structure was struck by lightning and exploded when the fire reached its gunpowder magazine
Gunpowder magazine
A gunpowder magazine is a magazine designed to store the explosive gunpowder in wooden barrels for safety. Gunpowder, until superseded, was a universal explosive used in the military and for civil engineering: both applications required storage magazines...
. It was not rebuilt until 1810, when the present 3-story structure was erected by the 9th daimyō, Tsugaru Yasuchika
Tsugaru Yasuchika
was the 9th daimyō of Hirosaki Domain in northern Mutsu Province, Honshū, Japan . His courtesy title, initially Dewa-no-kami, was later raised to Saikyo Daiyu.-Biography:...
.
With the Meiji Restoration
Meiji Restoration
The , also known as the Meiji Ishin, Revolution, Reform or Renewal, was a chain of events that restored imperial rule to Japan in 1868...
and subsequent abolition of the han system
Abolition of the han system
The was an act, in 1871, of the new Meiji government of the Empire of Japan to replace the traditional feudal domain system and to introduce centralized government authority . This process marked the culmination of the Meiji Restoration in that all daimyo were required to return their authority...
, the Tsugaru clan surrendered the castle to the new Meiji government. In 1871, the castle was garrisoned by a detachment of the Imperial Japanese Army
Imperial Japanese Army
-Foundation:During the Meiji Restoration, the military forces loyal to the Emperor were samurai drawn primarily from the loyalist feudal domains of Satsuma and Chōshū...
, and in 1873 the palace structures, martial arts school and most of the castle walls were pulled down. In 1894, the castle properties were donated by the Tsugaru clan to the government for use as a park, which opened to the general public the following year. In 1898, an armory
Armory
Armory or armoury may mean:*Armory , a military location used for the storage of arms and ammunition*Armory , the study of coats of arms*Armory , a Marvel Comics character...
was established in the former Third Bailey by the IJA 8th Division. In 1906, two of the remaining yagura
Yagura
Yagura is the Japanese word for "tower" or "turret." The word is most often seen in reference to structures within Japanese castle compounds, but can be used in a variety of other situations as well. The bandstand tower erected for Bon Festival is often called a yagura, as are similar structures...
burned down. In 1909, a four-meter tall bronze statue of Tsugaru Tamenobu was erected on the site of the donjon. In 1937, eight structures of the castle received protection from the government as “national treasures”. However, in 1944, during the height of World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
, all of the bronze
Bronze
Bronze is a metal alloy consisting primarily of copper, usually with tin as the main additive. It is hard and brittle, and it was particularly significant in antiquity, so much so that the Bronze Age was named after the metal...
in the castle, including roof tiles and decorations, were stripped away for use in the war effort.
In 1950, under the new cultural properties
Cultural Properties of Japan
As defined by the Japanese government's Agency for Cultural Affairs, the are tangible properties and intangible properties created or developed in JapanDespite the official definition, some Cultural Properties of Japan were created in China, Korea or other...
protection system, all surviving structures in the castle (with the exception of the East Gate of the 3rd Bailey) were named National Important Cultural Properties
Important Cultural Properties of Japan
The term is often shortened into just are items officially already classified as Tangible Cultural Properties of Japan by the Japanese Agency for Cultural Affairs and judged to be of particular importance to the Japanese people....
. In 1952, the grounds received further protection with their nomination as a National Historic Site. In 1953, after reconstruction, the East Gate of the 3rd Bailey also gained ICP status, giving a total of nine structures within the castle with such protection.
Extensive archaeological excavations from 1999-2000 revealed the foundations of the former palace structures and a Shinto shrine. The castle was included in the listing of “100 Famous Castles of Japan” in 2006.
Structures and gardens
The current donjon of the castle was completed in 1811. It is a three-story building with three roofs, and a height of 14.4 meters. The design is smaller than early Edo-period varieties of donjons, and it was built on a corner of the inner bailey on the site of a yaguraYagura
Yagura is the Japanese word for "tower" or "turret." The word is most often seen in reference to structures within Japanese castle compounds, but can be used in a variety of other situations as well. The bandstand tower erected for Bon Festival is often called a yagura, as are similar structures...
, rather than the stone base of the original donjon. The small size was partly due to the restricted finances of the domain towards the end of the Edo period, but its location and design were also intended to alleviate concerns which might be raised by the Tokugawa shogunate
Tokugawa shogunate
The Tokugawa shogunate, also known as the and the , was a feudal regime of Japan established by Tokugawa Ieyasu and ruled by the shoguns of the Tokugawa family. This period is known as the Edo period and gets its name from the capital city, Edo, which is now called Tokyo, after the name was...
should a larger structure be built. At present, it is a separate standing structure; however, prior to 1896 it had an attached gatehouse.
The donjon is surrounded by three surviving yagura from the Edo period (the Ninomaru Tatsumi Yagura, Ninomaru Hitsujisaru Yagura, Ninomaru Ushitora Yagura), on its second bailey, and five surviving gates (Sannomaru Ōtemon Gate, Sannomaru East Gate, Ninomaru South Gate, Ninomaru East Gate, Kitanokuruwa North Gate) in the walls of its second and third baileys. All of these structures, including the donjon itself, are National Important Cultural Properties.
The surrounding Hirosaki Park around the castle grounds is one of Japan's most famous cherry blossom
Sakura
A cherry blossom is the flower of any of several trees of genus Prunus, particularly the Japanese Cherry, Prunus serrulata, which is sometimes called sakura after the Japanese . Many of the varieties that have been cultivated for ornamental use do not produce fruit...
spots. Over a million people enjoy the park's 2600 trees (which were originally planted around in grounds in 1903) during the sakura matsuri (cherry blossom festival) when the cherry blossoms are in bloom, usually during the Japanese Golden Week holidays in the end of April and beginning of May.