Aizu-Wakamatsu Castle
| Aizu-wakamatsu-jō | ||
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| Alternative name (s): | Wakamatsu-jō, Tsuru-ga-jō, Kurokawa-jō | |
| Creation time : | 1384 | |
| Castle type : | Hirayamajiro (hill castle) | |
| Construction: | Stone, wood | |
| Place: | Aizu-wakamatsu | |
| Geographical location | 37 ° 29 '15.8 " N , 139 ° 55' 47.2" E | |
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The Aizuwakamatsu Castle ( Jap. 会津若松城 , Aizu-Wakamatsu-jō ) is a historic castle in Aizu-Wakamatsu , Fukushima Prefecture in Japan. The building is also called "Kranichburg" ( 鶴 ヶ 城 , Tsura-ga-jō ).
history
The Higashi-Kurokawa-Yakata ( 東 黒 川 館 ) residence , the forerunner of this castle, was built by Ashina Naomori in 1384 . It was later called Kurokawa Castle ( 黒 川 城 , Kurokawa-jō ).
In 1589 Date Masamune defeated the Ashina and took possession of the castle. The following year Toyotomi Hideyoshi pacified the province of Ōshū and Kamō Ujisato received the castle with an income of 60,000 koku . It was he who renamed the castle Wakamatsu-jō, built a castle tower from 1592 and repaired the whole complex.
1627 Katō Yoshiaki became lord of the castle with 40,000 koku. His son Akinari strengthened the complex by adding fortresses in the north and west and improved the moats. He is said to have reset the castle tower from seven to five levels.
In 1643 the Hoshina moved in, but had to be content with 32,000 koku. They remained lords until the end of the Tokugawa - shogunate and fought bitterly in the Boshin War under Matsudaira Katamori (1836-1893) against the imperial troops , but eventually had to give up. The castle fell to the new Meiji government; in 1874 the castle was demolished.
The attachment
The castle on the plain was protected by wide moats that have been preserved to this day. Around the central area of the castle, outer castles were created in the west, north and east. The central area, in the middle of which the castle tower (天 守, Tenshu; red) is located, encloses the innermost castle area, the Hommaru (本 丸; 1), in the southeast. In the north-west the "belt pre-area" protects (帯 曲 輪, Obi-kuruwa; 3). In the west the Nishi-Demaru (西 出 丸; 4) is upstream, in the north the Kita-Demaru (北 出 丸; 5). In the east of the central area, a larger castle area encompasses the second castle district (二 の 丸, Ni-no-maru; 2) and the outer bailey of Fukubei-Kuruwa (伏兵 曲 輪; 6).
The castle tower, which has five floors above ground and two below ground, can also be recognized from the outside as a structure with five levels above ground. Six watchtowers (yagura) within the walls protect the inner area. They had the following names: "Thousand-board watchtower" (千 板 櫓, Semban-Yagura), "Moon-viewing watchtower" (月 見 櫓, Tsukimi-Yagura), "Tea vessel watchtower" (茶壺 櫓, Chatsubo-Yagura), "Arcuate watchtower" (御 弓 櫓, Oyumi-Yagura) and twice "nameless watchtower" (御 櫓, Oyagura). There were also two watchtowers on each of the upstream areas in the west and north. The castle was accessible through six gates through the complex moat system.
In 1965 the castle tower was restored.
Remarks
- ↑ From 1696 they were allowed to call themselves Matsudaira.
- ↑ The shape of these facilities indicates their function: they block the view of the actual castle gate, so that riders can gather protected in front of the gate before they break out to the right and left.
literature
- Mizoguchi: Aizuwakamatsu-jo in: Miura, Masayuki (Ed.): Shiro to jinya. Tokoku-hen. Gakken, 2006. ISBN 978-4-05-604378-5 .
- Nishigaya, Yasuhiro (Ed.): Wakamatsu-jo In: Nihon meijo zukan, Rikogaku-sha, 1993. ISBN 4-8445-3017-8 .
Web links
- Aizu Wakamatsu Castle. JCastle - Guide to japanese Castles, 2013, accessed October 1, 2013 .