[Tagajo City, Miyagi Prefecture] Tagajo, the mysterious northern capital that appears in Utamakura poems from the Heian period

Tagajo (Tagajo City, Miyagi Prefecture) is a castle built by the Yamato Imperial Court during the Nara period as a base to control the unexplored region of Emi (Tohoku region). The capital and military base of the Tohoku region, which was called Mutsuno-kuni, was located here.

Taga Castle completely lost its functionality at the end of the Heian period.

In the 800s, Sakanoue no Tamuramaro's conquest of Ezo continued northward, and the military base was moved to Isawa Castle (Mizusawa, Oshu City, Iwate Prefecture). After that, with the rise of the Oshu Fujiwara clan, Hiraizumi (Hiraizumi Town, Iwate Prefecture) became the center of Mutsu Province, and Tagajo gradually declined, and it is thought that its role ended in the mid-11th century.

Taga Castle Ruins＜Information＞

• Name: Taga Castle Ruins
• Address: Ichikawa, Tagajo City, Miyagi Prefecture, 985-0864
• Phone number: 022-364-5901 (Tagajo City Tourism Association)
• URL: Tagajo City Tourism Association

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“Taga Castle Abandoned Temple Ruins” is a ruin that proves that “Taga Castle” was the capital of the north.

``Taga Castle Ruins'' is located about 800 meters southeast of the Taga Castle Ruins, and was built at the same time as ``Taga Castle.'' Recent excavations have revealed that this temple has the same structure as Kanzeon-ji Temple, which is attached to Dazaifu (Dazaifu City, Fukuoka Prefecture), and it is possible that this temple was an attached facility to Taga Castle. It is considered to be of high quality. Currently, the "Tagajo Abandoned Temple Ruins" is maintained as a park. A special national historic site.

Tagajo Abandoned Temple Ruins＜Information＞

• Name: Tagajo Abandoned Temple Ruins
• Address: 3-13-3 Takasaki, Tagajo City, Miyagi Prefecture 985-0862
• Phone number: 022-364-5901 (Tagajo City Tourism Association)
• URL: Tagajo City Tourism Association

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The remains of the residence of the Kokushi who was appointed from the capital? "Tatemae ruins"

Approximately 200 meters southeast of the Taga Castle ruins, the remains of six buildings (Tatemae ruins), centered around a building as large as the Taga Castle government office, have been discovered, indicating the remains of people who came from the capital around the 9th century. It is considered to be a residence or an important facility of ``Taga Castle.'' It is a special national historic site.

Tatemae Ruins＜Information＞

• Name: Tatemae ruins
• Address: Ukishimadate, Tagajo City, Miyagi Prefecture, 985-0861
• Phone number: 022-364-5901 (Tagajo City Tourism Association)
• URL: Tagajo City Tourism Association

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``Kashiwagi Ruins'' where the remains of a steel mill were discovered

At the Kashiwagi Ruins, located approximately 4km southeast of the Taga Castle Ruins, iron-making furnaces and charcoal kilns have been discovered, and it is thought to be the remains of an ironworks built in the first half of the 8th century. At that time, iron sand could be found on the coast right in front of the area, and it seems that it was used as a raw material for iron. The Kashiwagi Ruins are a national special historic site.

Kashiwagi Ruins＜Information＞

• Name: Kashiwagi Ruins
• Address: 5-16-40 Oshiro, Tagajo City, Miyagi Prefecture 985-0832
• Phone number: 022-364-5901 (Tagajo City Tourism Association)
• URL: Tagajo City Tourism Association

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Taga Castle, a place admired by metropolitans, written about in a poem called Utamakura.

``Taga Castle'' was an unknown place that was far away for people living in Nara and Kyoto, and that only special people could go to. The ``northern capital'' that people hear about is a place that people aspire to and are very curious about. I imagined Taga Castle from the poems written by people who had seen Taga Castle while working there.

Matsuo Basho toured around the Taga Castle ruins with the help of song pillows.

As time passed, during the Edo period, there was a person who was interested in Oshu (Tohoku region), including "Taga Castle", which had disappeared in the 11th century and only rumors remained. That person is Matsuo Basho. Accompanied by his disciple Sora, he ventured on a journey through Oshu from 1689 to 1691, and summarized the results in ``Oku no Hosomichi'' (Oku no Hosomichi, published in 1702/Oku no Hosomichi).

An old monument from the Nara period that describes Taga Castle, “Tsubohi”

Basho walked from Sendai along the Shiogama Kaido Road to Taga Castle. The first place we visited was the Tsubono Isibumi.

Mutsuno-no-ku's secret, my thoughts come to mind, the rocks in the pot, the beach breeze outside (Saigyou [Yamaga Collection])

Saigyo, a samurai who traveled all over the country from the late Heian period to the Kamakura period, was also known as a monk and a poet.The ``pot monument'' on which he wrote, ``I want to go,'' was erected near the south gate of the Taga Castle ruins. This is the Taga Castle Monument. This is an ancient monument that is said to have been built around the 8th century. It records the distance from Nara (Heijokyo), Shimousa Province, and Hitachi Province to Taga Castle, and the time of its construction. It was discovered in the early Edo period, and is currently preserved in a building that covers the entire area, and has been designated as a national important cultural property as the "Taga Castle Monument."

Jar monument (Tagajo monument) <Information>

• Name: Jar Monument (Tagajo Monument)
• Address: 16 Kawadayaba, Tagajo City, Miyagi Prefecture, 985-0864
• Phone number: 022-364-5901 (Tagajo City Tourism Association)
• URL: Tagajo City Tourism Association

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“Noda no Tamagawa” was the most scenic spot in Tagajo

Basho walks near the Taga Castle ruins from the ``pot monument'', but the appearance of the surrounding area has changed due to natural disasters, and it is difficult to see the scenery like the one in the poem.

We finally found ``Noda no Tamagawa'' and then visited ``Okinoi'' (Okinoishi/Okinoi) and Matsuyama at the end of the day.

If the water falls, the wind will blow, and the river will disappear, and the plover will disappear (Noin Hoshi [Shin Kokin Wakashu])

The Heian period monk Noin Hoshi wrote, ``In the evening, you can hear the voices of plovers on the Noda Tamagawa River, carried by the sea breeze.'' The ``Noda no Tamagawa'' is a small river flowing near Taga Castle. It's a river. It currently flows through the city, and due to bank protection construction, it is difficult to see what it looked like before, but it must have been a very scenic place during the Edo period.

Tamagawa in Noda＜Information＞

• Name: Tamagawa of Noda
• Address: 3-1 Rugaya, Tagajo City, Miyagi Prefecture 985-0871
• Phone number: 022-364-5901 (Tagajo City Tourism Association)
• URL: Tagajo City Tourism Association

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``Oki'' has a heart-wrenching female heart that doesn't want to break up.

Rather than staying awake and slowing down, it is sadder to say goodbye to Miyakoshimabe (Ono Komachi [Kokin Wakashu])

This is a poem written by Onono Komachi in the Kokin Wakashu, expressing sadness over the breakup between a man and a woman. A man who wants to return to the capital and a woman who does not want to part with him are regretting parting ways near Miyakoshima (Oki).

``Okinoi'' (Okinoi) is a large stone that stands alone in a pond in the residential area of ​​Sendaiai, about 1 km long, and is thought to have been a lonely place at the time, with a view all the way to the coast. ``Oki'' was developed and preserved by the Sendai clan during the Edo period. ``Oki'' is a national scenic spot called ``Oku no Hosomichi Scenic Area.''

Oki (Oki no stone) <Information>

• Name: Oki (Oki no stone)
• Address: 2-19 Tagajo City, Miyagi Prefecture 985-0874
• Phone number: 022-364-5901 (Tagajo City Tourism Association)
• URL: Tagajo City Tourism Association

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“Matsuyama at the end” has never been crossed by waves, both in the past and now.

Basho's last stop was Sue no Matsuyama. ``Sue no Matsuyama'' is a small hill located behind Hokokuji Temple on the north side of ``Okii'', and is approximately 8 meters above sea level. Near the top stands a black pine tree estimated to be 480 years old and approximately 19 meters tall.

Who is Namikosaji, the youngest Matsuyama, while tying his sleeves in a formal manner ?

This is a poem about the feelings of a woman who left "even though we promised that we would never change our minds, just as the waves never cross Matsuyama at the end of the year." Matsuyama" is best known as the poem that he wrote.

The tsunami that hit during the Great East Japan Earthquake never made it past Matsuyama. This inadvertently proved ``what is Kosaji Nami, the last Matsuyama?'' In 869, around the time the poem was written, a large earthquake of magnitude 8.3 (Jogan Earthquake) occurred in the Tohoku region. It is recorded in the Heian period history book ``Nihon Sandai Jiroku'' that the tsunami hit Taga Castle and submerged the Sendai Plain. However, even with the tsunami, the "Last Matsuyama" remained and saved people. ``Matsuyama at the end'' was a metaphor for something that would never happen.

Matsuyama at the end <Information>

• Name: End Matsuyama
• Address: 2-8-28 Yahata, Tagajo City, Miyagi Prefecture 985-0874
• Phone number: 022-364-5901 (Tagajo City Tourism Association)
• URL: Tagajo City Tourism Association

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Basho leaves Shiogama and heads for Matsushima after leaving Matsuyama.

*There is some disagreement about the ``pot monument'' and ``Noda no Tamagawa'' in Utamakura. That's for another time.

*The ruins of the temple attached to the Taga Castle ruins, the Taga Castle Monument (vase monument), Oki, and Sueno Matsuyama have been certified as cultural heritage sites included in the Japan Heritage ``Date culture fostered by Masamune''.