"Our castle is impregnable!" Tsuruga Castle, the pride of Aizu, which held off large armies during the Boshin War [Aizuwakamatsu City, Fukushima Prefecture]

During the Boshin War of the Meiji Restoration, the feudal domains in Fukushima Prefecture fought fiercely against the Meiji government forces (Imperial Army) as part of the Oshu-Uetsu Alliance Army, and many castles were damaged in the fighting that ensued.

Tsuruga Castle in Aizu , and a siege ensued. The castle was heavily damaged by artillery fire, but it held on until the very end.

territory that cleverly utilized the terrain , making it clear that it was a famous and impregnable castle.

By the way, the term "territory" in the context of a castle does not mean the "territory" of an animal or anti-social forces, but refers to the overall design of the castle (the layout of the moats, stone walls, earthen ramparts, moats, and trenches, etc.).

---

Tsuruga Castle (Aizuwakamatsu City: National Historic Site) withstood the fierce attack of the new government forces

Also known as Aizuwakamatsu Castle, Wakamatsu Castle, Kurokawa Castle, and Aizu Castle, this castle was once the seat of government for the Aizu domain and is now designated as a national historic site as Tsuruga Castle Ruins

During the Boshin War, the Aizu clan secured a military force of approximately 9,400 men by mobilizing not only its samurai but also the children of the clan's samurai, the Byakkotai and the Women's Corps (Joshitai), townspeople, and farmers. However, this was a hopeless loss compared to the new government army of 75,000 men.

However, during the month-long siege, the Aizu clan fought bravely as one, and although the castle tower and other structures were half-destroyed, the castle did not fall until it was finally surrendered and opened up.

---

The successive lords of Tsuruga Castle

The castle was built in 1384 during the Nanboku-cho period by Ashina Naomori, the seventh head of the Ashina clan , Matsudaira Katamori , vacated the castle in 1868.

---

Ashina clan (1384-1589)

Naomori, the seventh head of the Ashina clan, built Higashi Kurokawa Castle in an area that was then called Kurokawa, and this is said to be the predecessor of Kurokawa Castle.

During the reign of the 16th lord, Moriuji, the domain expanded to its greatest extent, bringing the entire Aizu region under its control, and it flourished to the point that many cultural figures visited.

However, in 1589 (Tensho 17), the 20th head of the clan, Yoshihiro, was defeated by Date Masamune at Suriagehara at the foot of Mount Bandai, and Yoshihiro fled to Hitachi, where Kurokawa Castle came under the control of Date Masamune.

Date clan (1589-1590)

In 1587 (Tensho 15), two years before the Battle of Suriagehara, Toyotomi Hideyoshi, who had almost unified the country, issued So-Muji-rei

As a result, Masamune's invasion of Aizu incurred Hideyoshi's wrath, and Masamune went to Hideyoshi, who was on a campaign to conquer Odawara, to express his intention to surrender. Hideyoshi accepted his offer and transferred him to Iwateyama Castle.

Gamou clan (1590-1595)

Hideyoshi gave the 910,000 koku Aizu fief Gamo Ujisato , who renamed Kurokawa " Wakamatsu " and built a castle and town based on the Gamo clan's territory.

In 1593 (Bunroku 2), the castle tower, which is said to have a seven-story watchtower-style structure, was completed, and the castle was renamed "Tsuruga Castle" after the Maizuru crest of the Gamo family, becoming the foundation for the development of Aizu-Wakamatsu.

Uesugi clan (1598-1601)

In 1589, when Ujisato died at the age of 40, internal conflict broke out within the Gamo clan, and Hideyoshi transferred Uesugi Kagekatsu

After Hideyoshi's death, Kagekatsu became one of the Five Elders of the Toyotomi government, but his conflict with Tokugawa Ieyasu deepened within the Toyotomi government, leading to Ieyasu's conquest of Aizu and the Battle of Sekigahara.

The Battle of Sekigahara ended in one day with the victory of the Eastern Army, and Uesugi Kagekatsu, who had allied with Ishida Mitsunari of the Western Army, was transferred from Aizu, with a fief of 1.2 million koku, to Yonezawa, with a fief of 300,000 koku, in just three years.

Gamo clan (1601-1627)

The Gamo clan was transferred to Aizu again, and Ujisato's eldest son, Hideyuki, entered Tsuruga Castle.

However, Hideyuki died at the age of just 30, possibly due to the stress caused by the extensive damage caused by the Great Aizu Earthquake that occurred around that time.

Due to internal conflict within the Gamo clan over the succession, the clan was transferred to Matsuyama in Iyo Province, and Kato Yoshiaki , took over the domain.

Kato clan (1627-1643)

" Seven Spears of Shizugatake ," was also a master of castle construction and promoted the development of Tsuruga Castle's boundaries and territory.After his death, his eldest son, Akinari, took over.

The current appearance of Tsuruga Castle was mostly created during this period, with the castle tower being renovated to its current five-story structure, the Kitaidemaru and Nishiidemaru extensions being added, and the main entrance, which had previously been on the east side, being moved to the north.

However, a family dispute arose within the Kato clan between Akinari and the chief retainer, Hori Shusuke, and the Tokugawa shogunate intervened, resulting in Akinari's confiscation of Aizu.

Hoshina Matsudaira Clan (1643-1868)

and appointed Hoshina Masayuki , the younger brother of the third shogun, Iemitsu, as the lord of the region in order to make it a Tokugawa-affiliated

Masayuki established the " 15 Family Precepts " and made his family swear absolute loyalty to the Tokugawa Shogunate for generations to come, but this is said to have been a distant cause of the Boshin War.

The Hoshina clan changed their surname to Matsudaira during the reign of the third feudal lord, Masakata, and served the shogunate as a related clan, continuing through the last castle lord, the ninth feudal lord, Katamori.

---

The majestic Tsuruga Castle is revived today

After the Meiji Restoration, the castle was decided to remain standing under the " Castle Abolition Law ," but the stone walls, standing trees, and most of the castle tower were demolished. In 1908 (Meiji 41), an army training ground was established on the east side of Sannomaru, and approximately 6 hectares of the castle, including part of Sannomaru, the moat, and earthworks, were removed.

However, parts of the Honmaru, Ninomaru, Sannomaru, Kitaidemaru, Nishiidemaru and the moats surrounding them remain, allowing us to see the layout of Tsuruga Castle during the Boshin War.

In 1965 (Showa 40), the exterior of the castle tower was reconstructed using reinforced concrete, and in 1990 (Heisei 2), the teahouse " Rinkaku " (designated an important cultural property by Fukushima Prefecture), which had been moved outside the castle, was relocated and restored to its original location in the main castle, restoring the castle to its former grandeur.

---

Consideration of Tsuruga Castle's territory

To the east of the main keep of Wakamatsu Castle are the vast Ninomaru, the Ambush Bailey Bailey, and the Sannomaru, which are capable of housing a large number of defenders, and to the west and north of the main keep are outer baileys, and from these are built obiguruwa

Masugata Ishigaki Gates, in which the stone walls and gates are not parallel but staggered, creating a difficult-to-attack gate .

The south side of the main castle appears thinly defended as there are no outer castles there are turrets horizontal arrow posts for attacking enemies climbing the high stone walls from the side

Ushinuma, located directly below the high stone wall, is considered to be a wide inner moat, and further south of that is Yukawa, which serves as an outer moat.

Nishidemaru

The Nishidemaru of Umadashi was originally located at a lower elevation than the plateau where the Honmaru was located, and if the Nishidemaru fell, the soldiers defending the Obikuru could repel enemies attacking up Umesaka, which leads to the Honmaru, by performing a reverse fall from a higher position

Even if they advanced further, Nishinakamon gate called Yumimon Obi-Kai , and the attacking forces would be stopped there and exposed to attacks by guns and bows.

However, to take Nishidemaru before that, they would have to the Nishi Otemon Gate or the Uchi Sanuki Gate , which are located in gates , or cross the wide Minamimachidori moat and climb the high stone walls, either way it would result in heavy losses.

Kitademaru

Like Nishidemaru, this was originally a horse-drawn enclosure, Kato Akinari to become Kitademaru. The Otemon Gate, which was originally located on the east side of the castle, was later moved to Kitademaru.

This castle also has a difference in elevation from the main castle, and even if they took Kitademaru and climbed the slope known as Yokote-zaka they would still be caught in the crossfire at Taikomon Gate

The gate of the Kitademaru, the main part of the castle, was subject to a concentration of fire from the outer bailey, main enclosure, belt enclosure, turrets, and the adjacent Nishidemaru, so it was also nicknamed Minagoroshimaru

Ninomaru and Sannomaru

To the east of the Honmaru are the vast Ninomaru and Sannomaru areas, which were originally the main entrance to the castle when it was first built.

Since there is no difference in elevation between these and the main castle, the dry moat was dug and the stone walls on the main castle side were made into " high stone walls " to strengthen the defenses.

Furthermore, if the Ninomaru were to fall, the wooden bridge between it and the Honmaru, called the Rokabashi Bridge , would be taken down, and the Honmaru would be protected by high stone walls, turrets, and cross-arrow posts.

Aizu Tsuruga Castle (Wakamatsu Castle) <Information>

• Facility name: Tsuruga Castle (Tsuruga Castle Ruins Park)
• Address: 1-1 Otemachi, Aizuwakamatsu City, Fukushima Prefecture
• Phone number: 0242-27-4005
• Opening hours: Castle Museum 8:30am - 5:00pm (last entrance 4:30pm, please check the official website for prices)
• Opening hours: Tsuruga Castle Museum Shop 8:30-17:00
• Opening hours: Teahouse "Rinkaku" 8:30-17:00 (last entrance 16:30, last orders 16:00, please check the official website for prices)
• No regular holiday
• Parking: Nishidemaru Parking Lot, East Exit Parking Lot, South Exit Parking Lot (all of these require a fee; please check the official website for fees)
• URL: Aizu-Tsuruga Castle official website

Google Map

---

summary

During this investigation, we learned that Aizu's pride and joy, Tsuruga Castle, was one of the most impregnable castles not only in the Tohoku region but in all of Japan.

By the way, when the castle tower was first restored, it had black tiles, but renovation work was carried out from 2010 to 2011, and it was restored to the red tiles that were in place before the Meiji period.

it was selected as one of 100 Famous Castles of Japan in 2006 (Heisei 18) in 1990 (Heisei 2), it was also selected as one of the "100 Famous Cherry Blossom Spots of Japan Tsuruga Castle Park

---