Shimabara Castle (2/2)Shimabara Castle told by the castle owner

Shigemasa spent seven years building Shimabara Castle, but he passed away six years after its completion. During the 14 years since Shigemasa came to the Shimabara Peninsula, the social situation had changed considerably. The Nanban trade, which was supposed to bring in abundant profits, was increasingly controlled by the shogunate, and it became impossible for a single daimyo to intervene. In the first place, the ban on Christian faith and missionary work, which connects Japan with the South-South trade, has become stricter year by year, to the point where the shogunate is promoting executions and oppression of Christians and Christians.

Before Shigemasa ruled Shimabara, Harunobu Arima, a Christian daimyo, ruled Shimabara. The wealth and armaments that Harunobu obtained through trade between the two countries must have been considerable. There is also an anecdote that during the Bunroku War, he surprised the other daimyo with armaments that were hard to believe for a daimyo on the Shimabara Peninsula with a 40,000 koku koku. The reason why Harunobu was able to gain so much profit from the South-Band trade was because he protected Christianity. Despite repeated bans on Christianity issued by the shogunate, Harunobu hid priests and Christians within his territory. Harunobu himself did not renounce Christianity in spite of the wave of prohibition, and many of the people of the territory were Christians, as were the feudal lords.

I can't help but imagine how the people of the territory would feel about Shigemasa, who had emerged as the new feudal lord in place of the Arima family, who had ruled the Shimabara Peninsula for over 100 years, and how they would feel about Shigemasa, who was carrying out the oppression of Christians that society demanded. It shouldn't be difficult.

After Shigemasa passed away, the lives of the residents of the Shimabara domain became even more difficult. Shigemasa's son Katsuie persecuted Christians even more than Shigemasa, imposing heavy taxes and carrying out harsh collections. As if the heavens had abandoned the people of the territory, poor harvests and natural disasters that led to famine struck Kyushu. The people, exhausted, dissatisfied, and filled with anger, rose up and formed the Shimabara-Amakusa Uprising.

Shimabara Castle was attacked by uprising groups, as if it were a symbol of bad government. Shimabara Castle, which is said to be the reason for the heavy taxes, was so strong that the uprising forces were not even able to break through the Otemon gate. This is an ironic story.

Afterwards, the uprising group took up residence in Hara Castle, which was abandoned at the time and was located about 30 km south of Shimabara Castle. The Shogunate could not stand by and surrounded it with approximately 120,000 soldiers. The war, which lasted for about six months, ended with the death of all 37,000 people, including the Ikki, with the exception of one person.

This is a simple explanation, but this is the Shimabara Rebellion, the Shimabara-Amakusa Uprising. It is a well-known story that Amakusa Shiro Tokisada led the uprising.

Hinoe Castle is located next to Hara Castle, where the Ikki forces were besieged. Before Shimabara Castle was built, Shigemasa entered Hinoe Castle. As the aforementioned Arima Harunobu used to live there, it is assumed that the so-called Christian kingdom spread out around the castle. Shimabara Castle was built as a new political base in order to physically distance themselves from the Christian people.

Ironically, this battle proved that the area around Hinoe Castle and Hara Castle was an easy place for Christians to gather, and not only the necessity of building Shimabara Castle, but also the fact that it was ``a castle too large for a feudal lord with 40,000 koku''. It can also be said that this proves why Shimabara Castle, which is known as Shimabara Castle, had to be so strong.
This is the first incident.

The other incident is called the ``Shimabara disaster''.
In contrast to the Shimabara Amakusa Uprising, which was a threat caused by humans, this was a natural disaster caused by Mt. Fugendake, which protected the castle.

1792, late Edo period. Unzen Fugendake erupted. As a result, swarms of earthquakes occur on the Shimabara Peninsula. Matsudaira Tadayasu, the lord of the domain at the time, evacuated to Moriyama Village, about 30 km north of Shimabara Castle, with his vassals to prevent anything from happening. It seems that there were pros and cons to evacuating, and it is said that some people admonished Tadayoshi, who was about to leave the castle gates, saying that he should not evacuate and instead stay with the people, using the castle as a pillow.

The swarm of earthquakes caused the worst possible situation. Mt. Bizan, which towers next to Mt. Fugendake, collapsed. The collapsed earth and sand engulfed the town and flowed into the Ariake Sea, causing a tsunami. The tsunami not only swept over Shimabara, but also reached Kumamoto, across the Ariake Sea. This was the ``Shimabara Great Higo Disaster,'' the worst volcanic disaster in recorded history, which caused approximately 15,000 casualties in Shimabara and Kumamoto.

The tsunami caused by the Shimabara disaster approached the base of Shimabara Castle. According to records, the waves reached right next to the castle gates, but the castle did not suffer any major damage.

Some of you may remember the eruption of Mt. Fugen in 1991 (Heisei 3), which caused severe damage due to the pyroclastic flows that claimed the lives of 41 people. At this time, there was no major impact on Shimabara Castle. Not only that, but I heard that it was used as a garrison for the Self-Defense Forces who were on their way to provide support.

As you can see from the two volcanic disasters, Shimabara Castle is resilient against natural disasters. It is built in an exquisite location, unaffected by either the sea or the mountains. It is a truly strong castle, as it cannot be invaded not only by enemy invasions but also by natural disasters.
What kind of existence did such a castle have for the people during a disaster?

During the Shimabara disaster, how would a castle without a castle appear to the people, who were frightened by a natural disaster that could occur at any time? And in a land where the waves had taken everything away, what kind of thoughts did he have when he looked at Shimabara Castle, which still stood there, unchanged? During the Heisei eruption, what did Shimabara Castle look like in the eyes of everyone and in the eyes of the Self-Defense Forces members who went to provide support?

6.Finally

I have been talking about Shimabara Castle for a long time.
The book focuses on the ``feelings'' associated with Shimabara Castle, from its functional beauty to the ambitions of Shigemasa Matsukura, the castle's builder, and the suffering of the people who were at its mercy. As I go to Shimabara Castle every day, I believe that words and photos can only convey a piece of the story.
Therefore, I would like you to actually visit Shimabara Castle, be overwhelmed by its scale, and think about its various history. I want people to realize that Shimabara Castle is a castle whose appearance changes depending on whose perspective you look at its history.

And last but not least, military commanders, including myself, march every day at Shimabara Castle. Please come and meet our Shimabara Castle Shichimangoku Bushotai. I'm looking forward to hearing feedback directly from those who read this article!