Guide to completing the castle: The largest stone castle in the west since Awaji Island, history and highlights
Is this the main castle?
Sumoto Castle is one of the Japanese castle forts, Kenyu military center, on Mt. Mikuma (133 meters above sea level), Maratani, Sumoto City. It is also called “Mikuma Castle”, which is a historical monument of Japanese national history. The length of the east and west areas is approximately 800 meters, the distance between north and south is approximately 600 meters (comprehensive lower castle), and it is one of the largest fortresses in the west.
On April 6, 2017, Honjo Castle was selected by the Japan Castle Fortress Association as one of Japan’s 100 Great Castles (No. 176), and was recognized as one of the castle forts in Japan’s history. The site of the castle is very well preserved, and it is a completely preserved all-stone castle burial mound, which is a complete stone burial mound, and is now one of the oldest remaining castle towers in Japan.
Historical background of Sumoto Castle
Built during Yasutaka era
The history of Sumoto Castle was traced back to 1526. The fort was built on Mikuma Mountain, and the base of the Awaji Naval Military Base was built by the Miyoshi clan’s high-ranking vassal Yasutaka Shun. Written by Mr. Yasutaka, he is the ruler of Awaji Island, located in a very important position, and is the key to maritime transportation in the Inland Sea.
One branch of the Miyoshi clan, the Yasutaka clan’s permanent residence at Awaji Island, the Awaji Marine Corps, and the control of the Inland Sea. For a period of time, the main part of Sumoto Castle was Ichiza Yamashiro, and its core was mountain defense construction (upper castle).
Hideyoshi Hashiba’s Awaji Island and Hidehisa Kuni
In 1581 (9th year of Tensho), Hashiba Hideyoshi (later known as vassal Hideyoshi) was commissioned by Nobunaga to lead the Awaji Islands. At this time, the Yasutaka clan surrendered, and the army of Kazuta Waba, Shiba, entered Awaji Island.
In 1585 (Tensho 13), he became the lord of Awaji Province, a domain with 50,000 koku of land since Hidehisa Takuni, and was the lord of Sumoto Castle. However, in 1586 (Tensho 14), Hidehisa went to Gi Province, and it took more than a year for Inko and other main castles in Suzu to be repaired.
Yasuharu Isuzaka’s large-scale reconstruction
From 1585 (13th year of Tensho) to 1609 (14th year of Eocho), Yasuharu Isuzaka was the lord of Sumoto Castle. Yasuharu Isuzaka is one of the “Shizugake Nanaku” and is also the most important person in the history of the castle.
Yasuharu Isuzaka’s main castle progressed through large-scale renovations, general remodeling, and modernization of the fort. As of now, we have seen the entire stone fortress in the castle, which was built at a time when it was still in existence. The most important thing to do is to build a “Kamimasu stone burial mound” in conjunction with the neighboring mountain castle (upper castle) and Wayama foot residence (lower castle). In order to improve the area, we saw a few similar constructions throughout the country, such as Hikone Castle in Matsuyama Castle, the most famous special conquest of the main castle in Japan.
In 1609, Yasuharu Ikusaka visited Otsu, Iyo Province, and opened Sumoto Castle.
Yura Seizan Castle during the time of the Hachiman clan
Founded in 1609 (14th year of the Emperor’s reign), Awaji Island was founded as a colony of the Hachiman clan in Awa Province (now Dek Island). Mr. Hachiman sent his vassals to Awaji Island, where it was originally established as the main castle.
However, in 1615 (Genna 1st year), Yufu’s “one country, one castle” law was passed, and the commander of the Hachiko clan was placed on Awaji Island, where his residence was Yura Seizan Castle (currently Yura, Yumoto City). Since then, in 1631 (the first year of Kane’aga), the castle pond has been visited, but the next time it has been returned to the castle, it has been moved to the lower castle of Usan, which means “lower castle.” Centered on construction, construction and repair of the lower city, and the administration of other works.
The mountain castle pond (upper castle) is currently closed to military use, and has been transformed into a temple building. At the beginning of the Meiji era, he was a vassal of the Hachiko clan, and the lord of Kazumoto Castle, in charge of his duty.
After the Meiji era
After the beginning of the Meiji period, Omoto Castle was officially inaugurated. The castle fort was in ruins for a long time, but in 1928 (Showa 3), when Emperor Showa ascended the throne, the castle tower was built on the same site and was built as a one-person castle tower. The tower is constructed of a non-metallic structure with mixed clay, and it is built in the style of a wooden observation deck, which is currently the oldest existing tower in Japan.
On March 31, 1987 (Showa 62), Honmoto Castle was designated as a national historical monument. After that, from 1999 to 2001, the large-scale stone tomb repair process progressed. In 2017 (Heisei 29), the main castle was reviewed as one of “Japan’s 100 Famous Castles” (started), and the history of the book was also updated.
Sumoto Castle’s Organization Bureau
Combined type fortress special expedition
Sumoto Castle is a fort with a combined structure, consisting of two parts: the “upper castle” in Mikuma Mountain, and the “lower castle” in the northern foothills of Uyama (in the Palace district). This castle fort is a rare example of a castle fort from the early modern period to the early modern transition period.
Shangcheng military military fortification, military attack base for military emergencies. The castle was the administrative center of the castle, and was the administrative center of the area during the peace period. The connection between the two parts of the fort is to improve the extension of the stone tomb, and I will write a detailed description of what happened next. ### All stone walls built in Hong Kong
The most notable special attack on Sumoto Castle was to cover the stone tomb with the mountain and the capital. Located in the Guangyang area, which is approximately 800 meters long in the west and 450 meters north and south, is a stone tile burial mound (Kowa). As you can see, it is one of the largest caves in western Japan, and when it was finally developed, it had an extremely high level of skill and a powerful dynamic ability.
Various techniques were used for the construction of stone mounds, such as coarse stonework (Nozetsu) and finely detailed stonework (uchihagi), which reached the level of stonework technology during the period of Koji Wakisaka. The comprehensive castle tower, the main castle, the second castle, the third castle, and the various burial mounds inside the Saijo Kazumasa stable are now perfectly preserved.
The wall of the stairs
谈和黻本城, it is impossible or impossible to do so. The stone tomb is a stone tomb built along the mountain, and the fort is the residence at the foot of Heshan. These constructions consist of various defensive works, prevention of enemy invasion, and protection of traffic between the mountain and the foot of the mountain.
A stone wall with a stone wall in the whole country can be seen, there are currently confirmed examples of this, including the original castle, Matsuyama Castle (爱媛县) and Hikone Castle (滋贺县). It is confirmed that there are many stone tombs on the east and west sides of the main castle, which are large in size and well preserved, and have very high academic buildings.
Main castle tower and castle tower
Main castle structure
The main castle mound of Umoto Castle is Mikuma Mountain, which is the core part of the castle fort. The main castle has been removed from the castle tower, and one of the most prominent foreign temples in the area. The height of the stone wall in the main city is 5 to 10 meters, the height is 5 to 10 meters, the height is 5 to 10 meters, the height is 5 to 10 meters, and the people can stop looking at it.
A view of the main castle, a magnificent view of the fundus, a view of Sumoto City, a far-reaching view of the Kitan Strait, and a view of Osaka Bay and Harima. Haruaki’s Hikori, the Gunzan of Wakayama, Shikoku, and the military position of the Inland Sea in Sumoto Castle.
Consolidated castle tower
The castle tower was built in 1928, and the castle tower was built in 1928. However, the construction of the castle tower is one of the oldest in existence in Japan, and has an important history.
The construction of the three-layer wooden structure, the white roof of the black tiles, and the structure of the city of Sumoto City. Safety instructions for departure; entry is prohibited inside the castle tower, but visitors are free to view outside. After the night curtain came down, the tower’s lights were lit, and the main city of Suzu was clearly visible.
View of the main castle tower
The view from the castle tower is one of the most beautiful sights in the city. 133 meters high mountain, 360 degree panoramic view of the bottom of the eye, full of emotion, Awaji Island, rich natural scenery, beautiful scenery of the inland sea.
The scenery at sunset is particularly spectacular, and you can enjoy the night view of Sumoto City as well as the sunset of Kitan Strait. In addition, the beautiful natural scenery of the four seasons: spring flowers in full bloom, early summer’s green leaves, and autumn’s bright red leaves.
Existence history
Stone wall
Sumoto Castle’s most important existing monument is a stone tomb several kilometers long. The comprehensive castle tower, main castle, Nihikaku, Mihikaku, Seishiku, and East Hikuwama stables are all perfectly preserved.
In fact, it is a stone burial mound for the castle tower, with a height of about 8 meters, and the exquisite stonework technique has been demonstrated. In addition to this, the improvement and expansion of the stone tower is also an important milestone, and there are many that are equal across the East and West. However, the structure is still clearly visible.
围墙遗迹
The castle’s main shrine (main enclosure), the second enclosure (Ninmaru), the third enclosure (Sanmaru), the western enclosure (Nishinomaru), the eastern enclosure (Eastern enclosure), and the Japanese enclosure enclosure (Mayanomaru). The size of each fort in its heyday was divided into two sections, each with its own capital and stone tombs.
However, it was confirmed that there was a small amount of grass cover in front of the grave, but it was confirmed that there was only a small amount of construction ground based on Mizui’s future, and the excavation work was carried out one step at a time.
Shimojo Castle
The “lower city” of the foothills of Ushan is located in the surrounding area of Sumoto No. 1 Elementary School, Wawaji Cultural History Museum. During the Jiang Dynasty, this was the residence of the vassals of the Hachikage clan, and the residence of the Tian clan.
The Awaji Cultural History Museum exhibit includes excavated cultural artifacts from the Sumoto Castle Museum, and the history of the castle’s fort. ## Transportation and tourism information
Location
Land site: 1272-2 Maratani, Hyogoku, Sumoto City (Mikumayama Mountain)
Transportation method
Self-indulgence:
- Departing from Sumoto IC on the Shinko-Awaji-Kanmen expressway, approximately 15 minutes by car
- Parking area for movable cars near the mountain (approximately 10 cars)
- It takes about 5 minutes to walk to the parking lot and you can reach the tower gate immediately.
Public transportation:
- Travel time around 40 minutes to the center of Hashi (Yasuyama)
- Departure from the Awaji Cultural History Museum at the foot of the mountain, approximately 20-30 minutes of walking along the mountain.
Walking mountain climbing:
- From the center of Isumoto City, you can walk up the mountain to Aritajo. hot gate walking route
- Take a walk along the ancient fort route, such as the Zheng gate and the back gate.
Reference information
Opening time: 24 short hours opening (but please be careful at night time)
Key vote: Disclaimer
Demand time: Approximate demand for a round trip to the parking lot: 30 minutes to 1 hour; Approximate demand for a round trip: 1.5 to 2 hours
Best season: Recommended scenery from the spring season (樱花season) to the fall season (red leaf season).
Precautions for viewing
- Yuyu is a mountain fort, and the construction is made of shoes and Japanese clothing.
- Summer drinking water for mosquitoes.
- The wind in the stone wall is very close.
- In rainy weather and after rain, the ground is wet and slippery, so walk cautiously.
Nearby tourist attractions
Awajishima Culture and History Museum
The museum is located at the base of Usumoto Castle, and the castle ruins are located below Bibin. Exhibits in the hall include exhibits that explore the history and culture of Awaji Island from the time of Omoto Castle. I visited this site before visiting the castle, and I will now go into more detail to understand the local situation. Seal of “Japan’s 100 Great Castles” that can be visited anywhere.
Land site: 1-1-27 Yamate, Hiyamoto City
Opening time: 9:00 am – 5:00 pm (stops and starts at 4:30 pm)
Closing day: Shuichi (the first day of Shuichi, the next day of the new year), New Year holiday
Gate vote: Standard ticket 500 days, High school/junior high/university student 300 day, Junior high/elementary school student 150 day
Old Street
This site is located in the central part of Umoto City, a small old town built in the Taisho and early Showa eras. If you’re on the highway and walk into the office, you’ll be happy to leave the store. After the construction, I visited the main castle and went back to the city center.
Dabin Haihan
It is about a 10-minute car ride from the main castle, and this is one of the most beautiful sea cruises in Japan. In the summer, the Lost Seascape of Awaji Island, where you can enjoy the pleasures of traveling around the country.
Sumoto Onsen
Sumoto City Center Yuuta Onsen Inn, officially known as Sumoto Onsen. After walking to the ruins of Yu City, this place is the ideal place for freedom of mind and body. The hotel has an open-air bathing pond with a sea view, which is a very attractive choice for you to enjoy.
Sumoto Castle Festival
Every November 3rd (Culture Day), the Sumoto Castle Ruin City Festival is held. This activity includes vivid items of all ages, such as the examination of samurai armor, and the examination of the armor of the seaweed used since the samurai trip.
In addition, local history enthusiasts will be able to visit the castle fortress guides, and visitors will be able to understand the history of the castle. As you can see in the autumn travel season, the time has passed since the beginning of the autumn season.
School’s school district
The meaning of the selection “Japan’s 100 Famous Castles”
The castle was selected as one of Japan’s 100 most famous castles in 2017, and its history and studies were recognized by the government. Over the years, the Japanese castle fort association has been recognized, and the main castle has been abandoned, and the castle fort lovers across the country have taken note.
Research site of Kamigusu Stone Mound
The castle fort’s Shangke stone tomb is an important historical monument during research. The research focuses on a variety of topics, including comprehensive research on the needs of unique construction structures, specific techniques for construction time, and comparative research on similar constructions across the country and elsewhere.
In recent years, the research work has been progressing, the progress of the high-level stone wall has been investigated in detail, the date of its construction has been determined, and the number of new additions has been confirmed in the future.
Completely organized stone citadel venue
This is one of the largest complete stone tomb castle forts in western Japan, and is an important example of the exhibition of research on stone tomb construction techniques. The current research will focus on multi-angle development, comprehensive stone tomb construction techniques, stone acquisition methods, and the construction process during the period of Koji Wakisaka.
Protection and use of the castle
Stone burial process
From 1999 to 2001, the main castle was opened and completed a large-scale stone burial mound restoration project, comprehensive consolidation of the existing underground burial mound, cleaning, removal of vegetation, and improvement of drainage. After completing this work, I decided to make a stone wall that was a bit of a rarity.
Future Exhibition Guide
The site of the Kazumoto Castle is used by Kazumoto City, where the city’s official account is located. At present, we are currently thinking about the construction of the stone wall, the progress of the excavation and repair, and the improvement of the fortification road since the change of information.
Contribution to local area exhibition
Awaji Island is an important tourist resource for the construction of the main castle, and the investment was made for the exhibition of the area. Since the self-selection of “Japan’s 100 Famous Castles” (held), the number of people who have visited castles in the past has continued to increase, and the number of visitors has continued to increase.
Sumoto Castle Recommended Tour Route
Passenger tour route
- Preparation for the Awaji Cultural History Museum (30 minutes): Visit the exhibition, understand the history of the main castle, and remember the chapters.
- Ouyama bus stop in front of the car (15 minutes)
- Stop the car and walk to the castle tower (5 minutes): Along the way there is a beautiful scenery.
- Visit the castle tower and the castle tower base (30 minutes): A view of the castle tower and the surrounding area.
- Man walk to the east and west to the castle walls (30 minutes): Visit each castle.
- Down the mountain again to explore the stone tombs (30 minutes): It is possible to explore the stone tombs.
Depth tour line
- Understanding the details of Awaji Cultural History Museum (1 hour)
- Walking up the mountain to the castle fortress (30 minutes): Experience the route along the ancient road to the castle fortress.
- Visit the lower castle ruins (30 minutes): Visit the Western Stone Tomb.
- Visit Upper City Stone Tomb (30 minutes): Explore Upper City Stone Tomb from East and West.
- Visit the castle tower (1 hour): Visit the castle tower in detail.
- Mantai West City Mound, East City Mound and East Castle (1 hour): A castle owned by Yukan.
- Choose other routes to the lower city (30 minutes): Experience other routes to the upper city, such as the back gate alley.
Conclusion
This castle is a history of an arrogant nation since Awaji Island, and is also a historical fort with a high rank, and is one of the “100 famous castles of Japan”. It has many scenic views, is one of the largest all-stone tombs in western Japan, and is the oldest castle tower in Japan after the Shangjo Seishin.
A bird’s-eye view of Mt. Mikumadake, a magnificent scenery, and the strategic position of Sumoto Castle, an inland sea fortress. Sumoto Castle was first built by the Yasutaka clan, and later completed by Yasuharu Wakisaka, and the Hachikoku clan.
Sumoto Castle is free and open, transportation is convenient, it is the ideal destination for many tourists, comprehensive castle lovers, history lovers, sightseeing tourists. As you can see the beautiful scenery of Awaji Island, the ruins of Sumoto Castle, the majestic stone tombs that make you feel so beautiful.