- Kishu domainRuled by the Kii Tokugawa family, one of the three Tokugawa families.
- The Wakayama (Kishu) domain was a domain that ruled over Kii Province, the southern part of present-day Wakayama Prefecture and Mie Prefecture, and the southern part of Ise Province. The name Wakayama Domain was given after the restoration of the Taisho, and during the Edo period it was called ``Kishu Domain.'' Tokugawa Ieyasu's tenth son, second shogun Toku
Wakayama CastleWakayama City, Wakayama Prefecture
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- Wakayama Prefecture
- Wakayama Castle
| Other name | Torabuse Castle, Takegaki Castle |
|---|---|
| castle construction | 1585 |
| address | 3 Ichibancho, Wakayama City, Wakayama Prefecture |
| telephone number | 073-422-8979 |
| Opening hours | 9:00-17:30 (Admission until 17:00) |
| closing day | December 29th-31st |
| Admission fee | Adults 410 yen / Elementary and junior high school students 200 yen |
- Access to Wakayama Castle
- Approximately 10 minutes walk from Wakayama City Station on the Nankai Main Line and Kisei Main Line.
HISTORYWakayama Castle was the residence of the Kishu Tokugawa clan.
Wakayama Castle is a flat castle located in Wakayama City, Wakayama Prefecture. It is also famous as the residence of the Kii Tokugawa family, and its castle tower remained there until it was burnt down in an American air raid in 1945. Currently, you can tour the reconstructed castle tower, Otemon Gate, Ichinohashi Bridge, etc. Let's unravel the history of Wakayama Castle.
- Wakayama Castle before the Edo period
- The land of Wakayama was ruled by the Saigashu, a group of gun mercenaries and local samurai, from around the 15th century. In 1585, Toyotomi Hideyoshi began the subjugation of Kishu, and his younger brother Hidenaga Toyotomi joined the war as vice general, and after subduing Kishu, he was rewarded with the two countries of Kii and Izumi. By order of Hideyoshi, Toyotomi Hidenaga built a castle on Mt. Torabuse, located at an altitude of 48.9 meters in the center of present-day Wakayama City. The person who served as the construction magistrate for the construction of the castle was Todo Takatora, who is famous as a master castle builder. Also, when the castle was completed, the place name that had been known as ``Wakayama'' at the time was changed to ``Wakayama.'' This castle built by Toyotomi Hidenaga was the predecessor of Wakayama Castle.
In 1586, Shigeharu Kuwayama was given 30,000 koku and became the castle owner. Shigeharu made some changes to the main keep, and in 1596 handed over the reins of the castle to his grandson, Kazuharu Kuwayama. When the Battle of Sekigahara occurred in 1600, Kazuharu Kuwayama sided with the eastern army and was once again given 20,000 koku in Kii Wakayama by the shogunate, but was soon transferred to the Yamato-Shinjo domain. Masu. After that, Yukinaga Asano, who also belonged to the Eastern Army, was given 376,000 koku and became the lord of the Kishu domain, and entered Wakayama Castle. Yukinaga Asano also built a clapboard castle tower, built a mansion on the site of the current Honmaru, Ninomaru, and Nishinomaru, and renovated the earthworks into stone walls.
In addition, they began developing the castle town, moving the current Otemon Gate from Okaguchi Gate to Ichi-no-bashi, and then developing the castle town using Honmachi-dori Street as the main street. In 1619, the Asano clan was transferred to the Hiroshima domain in place of Masanori Fukushima, who was transferred to Kii Wakayama, and Yorinobu, the tenth son of Tokugawa Ieyasu, entered Kii Wakayama for 555,000 koku. The Kishu Tokugawa family, one of the three Tokugawa families, was established in - Wakayama Castle in the Edo period
- Tokugawa Yorinobu, who entered Kishu Wakayama, received 5,000 kan of silver from his older brother, the second shogun Hidetada Tokugawa, and used this as capital to begin renovating the castle and expanding the castle town in 1621. did. It is recorded that the construction work was so large that the shogunate suspected him of rebellion. Throughout the Edo period, Wakayama Castle suffered many fires.
* In 1655, a fire broke out in a vassal's mansion adjacent to the Nishinomaru, and the fire spread to the Ninomaru and Nishinomaru.
* In 1813, a fire broke out in the inner part of the Nishinomaru Palace, and the Nishinomaru Palace was completely destroyed.
* In 1846, the main buildings of the main castle tower, including the large and small castle towers, were completely burnt down, excluding the palace, due to a lightning strike on the castle tower.
Major buildings have been destroyed by fire three times on record. When the castle tower was burnt down, special permission was granted to rebuild Wakayama Castle, as it was the residence of the Kii Tokugawa family, one of the three major Tokugawa families, and the large and small castle towers were rebuilt in 1850. - Wakayama Castle after the Meiji period
- After the Imperial Restoration and the establishment of the Meiji government, the Castle Abolition Order was issued in 1871, and castles all over Japan were abandoned all at once. Many buildings at Wakayama Castle have been dismantled or destroyed, including the Ninomaru Palace, which was relocated to Osaka Castle in 1885. In 1901, the entire area of Honmaru and Ninomaru was opened to the public as Wakayama Park. At this time, 11 buildings, including the castle tower, still exist, and they were designated as national treasures in 1935 under the old National Treasure Preservation Law.
However, all of these buildings were destroyed in 1945 by an American air raid (the Great Wakayama Air Raid). After the war, in 1957, the Okaguchi Gate and the earthen wall that followed it were designated as important cultural properties of the country, and the following year, in 1958, under the direction of Michio Fujioka, professor emeritus of the Tokyo Institute of Technology, The castle tower group was rebuilt using reinforced concrete.
The Otemon Gate and Ichinohashi Bridge, which had deteriorated and collapsed in 1983 and 1909, will be restored.
In 2006, restoration work on the Ohashi Corridor, which is said to have connected Ninomaru and Nishinomaru, began, and the castle was recognized as one of Japan's 100 Famous Castles (number 62) by the Japan Castle Association. Today's Wakayama Castle has a zoo, garden, azalea garden, etc. on its grounds, and has become one of Wakayama's leading tourist attractions.
Read about incidents related to Wakayama Castle
- Kishu conquestOda Nobunaga/Toyotomi Hideyoshi vs. Saiga/Negoro
- What do you imagine when you think of "Kiokuni" during the Sengoku period? Kii Province is part of present-day Wakayama Prefecture and Mie Prefecture, but it is full of famous tourist spots such as Mt. Koya and Kumano Sanzan. The Saigashu, famous as the strongest gun mercenary group in the Sengoku period, is also here.
History of the Kishu domain, whose domain was Wakayama Castle
| Domain office | Wakayama Castle |
|---|---|
| old area | Kiikuni |
| stone height | 555,000 koku |
| Fudai/Tozama | foreigner/relative |
| main lord | Asano family, Tokugawa family |
| Estimated population | 458,826 people (first year of the Meiji era) |
Wakayama Castle, one of Japan's three largest joint castle towers
Wakayama Castle in Wakayama City, Wakayama Prefecture was built by Hidenaga, the younger brother of Toyotomi Hideyoshi, and is selected as one of Japan's three major joint castle towers along with Himeji Castle and Matsuyama Castle. The exterior of the white joint castle tower, which was restored in the Showa era, is imposing and impressive.
- History of Wakayama Castle
- Wakayama Castle dates back to 1585, when Toyotomi Hideyoshi, who ruled Kii Province (present-day Wakayama Prefecture and southwestern Mie Prefecture) after his conquest of Kishu, ordered his younger brother Toyotomi Hidenaga to build a castle in Okayama (Torafusayama) on the left bank of the Kino River. Hidenaga later moved to Koriyama Castle, and his vassal Kuwayama Shigeharu took over as castle lord. After the Battle of Sekigahara in 1600, Asano Yukinaga took over the castle with a stipend of 376,000 koku. At this time, a joint castle tower was built, and residences were constructed in the Honmaru, Ninomaru, and Nishinomaru, and the castle town was developed.
In 1619, Asano Yukinaga was transferred to the Hiroshima Domain with an increased fief, and in his place Tokugawa Ieyasu's 10th son, Tokugawa Yorinobu, entered the castle with a fief of 555,000 koku, thus establishing the Kishu Tokugawa family, one of the three main branches of the Tokugawa clan. In 1621, Yorinobu began major renovations of the castle and the expansion of the castle town, but the scale of the work was so large that the shogunate suspected him of treason.
Wakayama Castle remained as the residence of the Kishu Tokugawa family until the Meiji era. In the Meiji era, many of the buildings were demolished and relocated due to the castle abolition order, but the castle tower remained, and in 1935, 11 buildings, including the castle tower, were designated as national treasures. However, all of these national treasures were burned down in the Great Wakayama Air Raid during World War II. The Okaguchi Gate, which still remains today, and the earthen walls that follow it are designated as important national cultural properties, and are a sight to behold as they evoke the past.
The castle towers were rebuilt with reinforced concrete in 1958, and the Ninomaru Garden was restored in 1973, the Otemon Gate in 1982, and the Ohashi Corridor in 2006. - Highlights of Wakayama Castle #1: The multi-tiered castle tower
- The main attraction of Wakayama Castle is the reconstructed connected castle tower. It was originally built by Asano Yukinaga and consisted of the main tower, Tamon Gate, Tenshu Ninomimon Gate, Ninomimon Tower, Tamon Gate, Inui Tower, Tamon Gate, Midorikawado, and the small tower.
However, in 1846, it was burned down by a lightning strike. At the time, rebuilding the castle tower was not permitted, but as one of the Gosanke, special permission was granted, and it was rebuilt almost exactly as it was in 1850. The current castle tower was restored based on old photographs and drawings. The karahafu (gabled roof) is ornately decorated with blue sea ripples and chidorihafu (plover-shaped gabled roof), and the onigawara (roof tiles) engraved with shachihoko (shachi), peach tiles, and hollyhocks are also worth seeing.
The interior is an exhibition facility, and you can enter from the small castle tower and walk around it. The large castle tower is a viewing spot where you can see the Wakayama cityscape and the mouth of the Kinokawa River beyond the two turrets.
Additionally, Wakayama Castle-related exhibits can also be found at the Wakayama History Museum on the castle grounds, so be sure to stop by there as well. - Highlights of Wakayama Castle ② Diverse Stone Walls
- Wakayama Castle has a variety of stone walls remaining from various eras, including the original stone walls from when the castle was built. The oldest is the castle tower base stone wall made of chlorite schist from the Toyotomi period, which is made of rough-faced granite. You can also see sandstone wall joints made from the Asano period and cut-and-paved granite from the Kishu Tokugawa period in various places. The stone wall separating the Minami-no-maru and Suna-no-maru is made of rough-faced stone walls with a hammered-in wall attached later, allowing you to see the transition of stone walls.
Also, pay attention to the wide variety of markings on the stone walls. At Shin-Urasakashita, there are stone walls from the Asano period that were made by ramming together, and here alone there are approximately 800 markings, ranging from circles and crosses to designs that resemble bird feathers. By the way, it is said that there are more than 2,100 markings of approximately 170 different types remaining in the entire Wakayama Castle. - Wakayama Castle Highlights 3: Nishinomaru Garden and the Ohashi Passage
- Nishinomaru Garden, a daimyo garden with a pond and strolling style built in the early Edo period, has been redeveloped. It is commonly believed that it was designed by the Kobori Enshu school during the reign of Tokugawa Yorinobu, but the more likely theory is that it was designed by the chief retainer Ueda Soko during the reign of the Asano clan. It has been designated a national scenic spot, and is also known as the "Momijidani Garden" due to the beautiful autumn foliage.
Inside the temple is the Sukiya-style teahouse "Koshoan," donated by Konosuke Matsushita, where you can take a break with some matcha green tea and seasonal sweets.
After enjoying the Nishinomaru Garden, cross the corridor bridge "Obashi-rokaku" to Ninomaru. Nishinomaru was the lord's place of leisure, while Ninomaru was the place of living, with the residence, government office, and Ooku. The Obashi-rokaku connecting the two places was built during the Kishu Tokugawa period and was used by the castle lord and his ladies-in-waiting to travel back and forth. It has a roof and walls to protect from the wind and rain and to prevent people from being seen.
Due to the difference in elevation between the two banks, the bridge is slanted at an angle of about 11 degrees, making it rare in Japan. It was restored in 2006. You can cross it for free. - Wakayama Castle photo spot
- Wakayama Castle Park is a famous cherry blossom viewing spot. If you want to take photos, the best time is in the spring cherry blossom season. You can take great photos from a variety of spots, such as taking close-up photos of the cherry blossoms and castle tower from in front of the castle tower, or taking photos with depth from the ruins of the Honmaru Palace.
Additionally, Wakayama Castle will be lit up at night with the "Wakayama Castle - Corridor of Light" event starting in November 2024. You can enjoy various illuminations throughout the year.
- WriterNaoko Kurimoto(Writer)I am a former travel industry magazine reporter. I have loved history, both Japanese and world history, since I was a child. I usually enjoy visiting temples and shrines, especially shrines, and often do ``pilgrimages to sacred places'' themed around historical figures. My favorite military commander is Ishida Mitsunari, my favorite castle is Kumamoto Castle, and my favorite castle ruins is Hagi Castle. My heart flutters when I see the ruins of battle castles and the stone walls of castle ruins.
