- Tosa domainProduced many great figures who were active at the end of the Edo period
- The Tosa domain is a domain that has been ruled for generations by the Yamauchi family, whose founder was Kazutoyo Yamauchi. The end of the Edo period saw the birth of many great figures who are still popular today, such as Taisuke Itagaki and Ryoma Sakamoto. Let's unravel the history of the Tosa domain. Before Kazutoyo Yamauchi took over
Kochi CastleKochi City, Kochi Prefecture
- TOP
- Shikoku
- Kochi Prefecture
- Kochi Castle
| Other name | Takajo |
|---|---|
| castle construction | 1601 |
| address | 1-2-1 Marunouchi, Kochi City, Kochi Prefecture |
| telephone number | 088-824-5701 |
| Opening hours | 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. (last entry 4:30 p.m.) |
| closing day | December 26th - January 1st |
| Admission fee | Adults 420 yen / Under 18 years old free |
Kochi Castle is one of the 12 existing castle towers. Kochi Castle is the only castle where both the castle tower and Honmaru Palace still exist.
- Access to Kochi Castle
- Approximately 10 minutes by bus from Kochi Station on the JR Shikoku Dosan Line.
About 5 minutes walk from Tosaden Kotsu Ino Line "Kochijomae" stop.
HISTORYKochi Castle, one of Japan's 100 famous castles built by Kazutoyo Yamauchi
Kochi Castle is a Hirayama Castle located in Kochi City, Kochi Prefecture, built by Kazutoyo Yamauchi. It is built on Mt. Otakasaka (44.4m above sea level), almost in the middle of the Kochi Plain. It is the only castle in Japan where not only the castle tower but also the Honmaru Goten and Otemon gate built in the Edo period still exist. Let's unravel the history of Kochi Castle.
- A castle located on Mt. Otakasaka during the Nanbokucho period
- It is recorded that there was a castle on Mt. Otakasaka built by the Otakasaka clan, a local ruling family, during the period of the Northern and Southern Courts. Although it is not certain what kind of castle it was, it was home to a military commander named Otakasaka Matsuomaru, and belonged to the Southern Court. In 1338, he invited Imperial Prince Masayoshi, the seventh son of Emperor Godaigo, to the castle and fought against Hosokawa Zenjo and Saeki Tsunesada of the Northern Court, but was defeated and Otakasakayama Castle fell. , it seems to have become an abandoned castle. The whereabouts of Imperial Prince Mitsuyoshi are no longer known, and he has not appeared in subsequent records.
- About Kochi during the Azuchi-Momoyama period
- During the Azuchi-Momoyama period, Kochi (Tosa) was ruled by the Chosokabe clan, who had risen from the ranks to feudal lord. In 1587, Motochika Chosokabe, the 21st head of the Chosokabe clan, returned from the Kyushu expedition with Toyotomi Hideyoshi and built another castle on Mt. Otakasaka as his residence. However, this area had poor drainage and was covered in wetlands, so they abandoned the castle after three years and rebuilt Urato Castle in Urato in 1591, making it their residence again. However, this theory is controversial. It is said that Urato Castle was only a temporary residence of Hideyoshi when he dispatched troops to Korea, and that he was building and renovating the castle on Mt. Otakasaka. Even today, you can still see the stone wall built by Motochika Chosokabe called the "Chosokabe period stone wall" at Kochi Castle.
- Kochi Castle in the Edo period
- Chosokabe Morichika, the 22nd head of the Chosokabe clan, was abducted by Tokugawa Ieyasu in 1601 because he sided with the Western army at the Battle of Sekigahara. The person who was given the land of Tosa in his place was Kazutoyo Yamauchi, a Sengoku warlord famous for the story of Naisuke's exploits.
Kazutoyo Yamauchi decided to build a castle on the land of Mt. Otakasaka, which Motochika Chosokabe had abandoned, but he was a warlord who sided with the Western army and took shelter in Kyoto because he felt that his own skills were not sufficient to prevent flood damage. He hired a person named Momodotsunaie who was working at the company.
The Momotsuna family had excellent castle construction techniques, and they also had Omi Anatashu under their control who were excellent in stone walling techniques. Kazutoyo Yamauchi hires the Momotsuna family as general magistrate and begins construction of the castle. - Kochi Castle in the Edo period, continued
- At the same time, the Momozuna family began flood control work on rivers such as the Kagami River and Enokuchi River in order to improve the castle town.
Construction progressed at a rapid pace, and it is said that construction work was carried out at night when the moon was bright. As a result, the stone walls of Maru and Ninomaru were completed in 1603, and on August 21 of the same year, Kazutoyo Yamauchi entered Kochi Castle.
At this time, the name of the castle was changed to Kawanakayama Castle (Kochiyama Castle) on the advice of a monk named Zaikawa of Shinnyo-ji Temple.
However, as the castle suffered from repeated floods, in 1610, the second lord of the domain, Tadayoshi Yamauchi, changed the name from Kawanakayama Castle to Kochiyama Castle on the advice of the monk Soukyo of Chikurinji Temple. The name was then shortened to Kochi Castle, and the name of the castle town was also changed to "Kochi." This place name is now Kochi City. - In 1727, a huge fire struck the castle town of Kochi, and most of Kochi Castle was destroyed except for the Otemon gate. From then on, the castle was rebuilt until 1753. Many of the buildings that still exist today, including the castle tower, were rebuilt at this time.
- Kochi Castle after the Meiji era
- According to the castle abolition ordinance issued in 1873, most of Kochi Castle was destroyed except for the existing buildings.
Later, in 1910, Japan's first garden designer, Yasuhei Nagaoka, turned most of the site into a park, which was opened to the public.
In 1934, 15 buildings including the castle tower were designated as national treasures under the old National Treasure Preservation Act. However, in 1945, the Great Kochi Air Raid occurred, and Kochi Castle was also damaged.
In 1950, 15 buildings including the castle tower were designated as national important cultural properties, and in 1959, they became national historic sites. On April 6, 2006, it was designated as one of Japan's top 100 castles.
Renovation work on the castle tower railing began in 2020 as part of a major renovation project, and was completed in 2021. - Currently, Kochi Castle is the centerpiece of Kochi's tourism, and at the same time, various events are held every season to entertain not only tourists but also locals. In addition, the area surrounding Kochi Castle is the birthplace of Ryoma Sakamoto, who was active at the end of the Edo period, and there are many stone monuments related to Fukuoka's filial disciples and Taisuke Itagaki, making it a sacred place for fans of the end of the Edo period. The castle has a lot to see, so we recommend taking plenty of time to explore it.
Read biographies related to Kochi Castle
- Kazutoyo YamauchiAdvancement in the Sengoku period and the merits of Naisuke
- The era of warring states. There was a daimyo who served Oda Nobunaga, Toyotomi Hideyoshi, and Tokugawa Ieyasu, and whose territory included Kochi Prefecture. This is Kazutoyo Yamauchi. Kazutoyo's father opposed Oda Nobunaga in Owari Province and was destroyed. After wandering, Kazutoyo served the Oda family and survived the Sengoku period.
- Motochika ChosokabeTosa's talent
- During the Warring States period, new powers rose to prominence in various regions. The Mori family claimed supremacy in the Chugoku region, the Oda family in the Kinki and Tokai regions, and the Hojo family in the Kanto region. In Shikoku, the Chosokabe family rose to prominence. In Tosa Province (present-day Kochi Prefecture), unrest continued.
History of the Tosa domain, whose domain was Kochi Castle
| Domain office | Kochi Castle |
|---|---|
| old area | Kochi, Tosa District, Tosa Province |
| stone height | 202,600 koku |
| Fudai/Tozama | Foreigner |
| main lord | Yamauchi family |
| Estimated population | 510,000 people (first year of the Meiji era) |
Kochi Castle, a famous castle on the South Seas: Noteworthy is the still-existing Honmaru Palace
Kochi Castle is a flatland castle located in Kochi City, Kochi Prefecture. The castle tower is one of 12 remaining castle towers, and 15 buildings, including the tower, are designated as Important Cultural Properties. It is a precious castle, the only one in Japan where the main citadel remains almost completely intact, and it is also called "Hawk Castle" because the color of the tiles and walls resembles a hawk.
- History of Kochi Castle
- It is said that Kochi Castle was originally Otakasaka Castle, which was built during the Nanboku-cho period. During the Sengoku period, it was ruled by the Chosokabe clan, but after the Battle of Sekigahara, Yamauchi Kazutoyo was awarded 240,000 koku of land by the Tosa clan. After entering Urado Castle, Kazutoyo reported to the shogunate that he would build a new castle on Otakasakayama.
Construction of Kochi Castle began in 1601, with the main and second baileys completed in 1603. In 1611, after Kazutoyo's death, construction of the third bailey was completed under the rule of his adopted son, Tadayoshi Yamauchi, and Kochi Castle was completed.
However, in 1727, a large fire in the castle town destroyed most of the buildings except for the Otemae Gate. Reconstruction began in 1729, but due to financial difficulties, it was not until 1749 that the castle tower was rebuilt, and by 1753, almost all of the buildings had been rebuilt. The current castle tower was built at this time.
During the Meiji era, some of the castle grounds and buildings were destroyed, but the buildings around the main citadel and the Otemae Gate remain. In the Kochi air raids of July 1945, the city was burned to the ground and suffered great damage, but Kochi Castle miraculously escaped. - Highlights of Kochi Castle #1: The ingenious castle tower
- The castle tower of Kochi Castle is three stories and six floors high, with a watchtower on top of the main building roof. When viewed from the Ninomaru side, it looks like it has four stories. There is no castle tower base, and the castle tower is built directly on the high stone walls.
The top floor has a black lacquered veranda (a veranda that goes around the castle tower) and a balustrade (handrail), and you can actually go outside and walk around. The only other veranda you can walk on is the castle tower of Inuyama Castle, making it a rare sight. Also, Kochi Castle is the only one that has giboshu (a decorative ornamental stone) on the balustrade.
The bronze shachihoko (roof ornament) on the roof of the castle tower can also only be seen at Kochi Castle and Uwajima Castle. Under the outer wall on the first floor of the castle tower, on top of the stone wall on the north side, is the only surviving "shinobi-gaeshi" (a protective barrier) in Japan. It is made of a dense row of iron skewers, and is one of the devices to ward off intruders. - Highlights of Kochi Castle 2: The only place in Japan where you can see the Honmaru Palace "Kaitokukan" directly connected to the castle tower
- Kochi Castle's Honmaru has been left almost intact. In particular, the Honmaru Palace is one of only two castles to remain: Kawagoe Castle and Kochi Castle. Kochi Castle is the only one that still has both the castle tower and the Honmaru, and it has been designated an Important Cultural Property.
The Honmaru Palace of Kochi Castle is named "Kaitokukan" and is directly connected to the castle tower. The Shoin of the Honmaru Palace consists of the Seiden, Tamari no Ma, and the entrance hall, and the Seiden includes the upper room of the feudal lord's throne and a warrior's hiding place. You can visit the interior.
When it was first built, it was ornate, with gold-leaf sliding doors and other ornaments, but when it was rebuilt, due to budgetary constraints, the structure was made more modest overall. - Highlights of Kochi Castle 3: Otemon Gate and Tsumemon Gate
- Kochi Castle is also famous for its strong defenses. The Ote-mon Gate at the front of the castle was rebuilt in 1801, and although it was partially destroyed in an air raid, it was dismantled and repaired in the Showa period. It is shaped like a square, allowing you to attack enemies from the gate or the wall above the stone wall. There is also a stone drop tower on the second floor of the gate. The stone steps that continue past the Ote-mon Gate are designed to be wide and have different levels, making them difficult to climb and easy to descend.
There is a moat between the Ninomaru and Honmaru, and in the middle is a black-painted "tsume-mon" gate. The entrance and exit doors are positioned at different angles, making it difficult to pass through. The second floor was the guardhouse for the elder retainers and middle retainers, and salt was also stored there for use in the siege.
In addition, there are still earthen walls with long observation windows to make it easier to spot enemies, which can only be seen at Kochi Castle. There are many ingenious features throughout the castle that make it difficult to attack but easy to defend, so it's interesting to look around as if you were attacking a castle. - Highlights of Kochi Castle #4: Stone walls
- The stone walls of Kochi Castle were built by the Anoshu, a group of stonemasons from Omi, and most of them are unglazed, using natural stones as they are. This is because Kochi is an area with a lot of rain, and unglazed stones, which are resistant to collapse and have high drainage capacity, were perfect for Kochi Castle.
Additionally, there are many waterways built into the castle to protect it from rain, and stone gutters are protruding from the stone walls to prevent them from collapsing due to water. There are 16 stone gutters in the castle, and the one in the main citadel is still in use today.
Additionally, the stone walls of Ote-mon Gate are full of huge stones that are well worth seeing. There are also some markings made on the stones during construction, so try to find them. The Tetsu-mon Gate has beautiful stone walls made with uchikomi-hagi (pile-up joints), and in Sannomaru you can see old stone walls from the Chosokabe Clan era that were discovered during excavation. - Photo spot of Kochi Castle
- The best photo spot in Kochi Castle is in front of the Ote Gate. Kochi Castle is the only place where you can get both the Ote Gate and the castle tower in the same photo.
If you want to take a photo of both the Honmaru Palace and Kochi Castle in one shot, we recommend the area in front of the Honmaru Palace. If you want to take a photo of just the castle tower, the best spot is halfway up the stairs leading up to the ruins of the Ninomaru Palace.
In addition, the castle tower and other buildings are beautifully lit up at night, making it a great place to take photos. Kochi Castle has been selected as one of Japan's Three Greatest Castles at Night by the Night View Convention Bureau, and the night view from the castle is spectacular.
- 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.
