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The pride of the castles in the six Tohoku prefectures: "The largest in Michinoku"! Yamagata Castle, a tribute to the glory of the Mogami clan [Yamagata City, Yamagata Prefecture]
The pride of the castles in the six Tohoku prefectures: "The largest in Michinoku"! Yamagata Castle, a tribute to the glory of the Mogami clan [Yamagata City, Yamagata Prefecture]
Yamagata Castleis said to have been originally built in 1356 (Enbun 1) during the Muromachi period by Shiba Kaneyori, the founder of the Mogami clan, when he became the governor of Ushu Province and entered Yamagata.
The Mogami clan used Yamagata Castle as their base and expanded their territory in Dewa Province (present-day Akita Prefecture), reaching its greatest extent during the reign of the 11th head of the clan, Mogami Yoshiaki, when they are said to have had the largest territory in the Tohoku region
In addition, the term "territory" in the context of a castle does not refer to the "territory" of an animal or anti-social forces, but rather to the overall design of the castle (the layout of the moats, stone walls, earthen ramparts, moats, and trenches, etc.)
Yamagata Castle, the fifth largest castle in Japan (Yamagata City: National Historic Site, 100 Great Castles in Japan)
Ichimonjimon Gate, the main gate of the Honmaru
Yamagata Castle is a flatland castle with the Honmaru, Ninomaru, and Sannomaru built in concentric circles, surrounded by triple moats (water moats) and earthen ramparts. The Honmaru (2.83 hectares), where the palace was located, is at the center, with the Ninomaru (27.99 hectares) located outside of that. These remain as the current Yamagata Castle ruins (Kasumi Castle Park)
Map of the Mogami clan's castle towns (copy by Fujiwara Moriharu) Yamagata Prefectural Library Source: Yamagata Prefectural Library Digital Library
Outside of that234.86 hectares. This was the largest area among the castles in the six prefectures of Tohoku, and because it was located at the edge of an alluvial fan, it was at a lower elevation than the castle town, making it a rare castle structure nationwide.
Furthermore, when comparing the size of castles across Japan, including their outer walls, Yamagata Castle is the fifth largest after Edo Castle, Osaka Castle, Odawara Castle, and Nagoya Castle
What is the origin of Yamagata Castle's nickname?
Kajo Park is also famous as the best cherry blossom spot in Yamagata City
Yamagata Castle is also known by other names such as Kajō , Kasumigajō , and Kichijijō
The nicknames Kasumi Castle and Kasumigajo come from the fact that during the Battle of Hasedō, part of the Keichō Dewa War that took place in the Tohoku region in connection with the Battle of Sekigahara in 1600 (Keichō 5), Yamagata Castle was shrouded in fog and was not visible to the invading Uesugi forces
The remains of the Ninomaru North Gate, with beautifully stacked stone walls remaining
Furthermore,that Yamagata Castle had 11 gates in its vast third bailey, and that the character for "good fortune" (吉) was formed by adding a mouth shape to the number "eleven" (十一), and that it was also called "Kichiji Castle" (吉字の城).
The successive lords of Yamagata Castle
Kajo Park, Statue of Mogami Yoshimitsu Source: Yamagata Prefecture Official Tourism Site, Trip to Yamagata
From the time of its construction until the early Edo period, Yamagata Castle was ruled by the Mogami clan, but after the Mogami clan was abolished by the Edo Shogunate, the castle went through many successive changes of lords
As a result, the castle gradually fell into disrepair from the mid-Edo period onwards, and by the end of the Edo period, the size of the castle had shrunk to the point that about half of the Sannomaru area had become farmland
Shiba clan (Mogami clan) (1356-1622)
Statue of Shiba Kaneyori (Mogami Kaneyori) Komyo-ji Temple Source: Wikipedia (file name: Shiba kaneyori.jpg)
The Shiba clan was descended from the Ashikaga clan of the Seiwa Genji lineage. Yamagata Castle was built by Shiba Kaneyori, the governor of Ushu Province, and he was granted the " Yakata" title by the Muromachi Shogunate, which was given to samurai who had made significant contributions. As a result, he became known as " Mogami Yakata " and adopted the name Mogami
"Yoshimitsu pursuing Naoe Kanetsugu" from the "Battle of Hasedo Folding Screen" Source: Wikipedia (File name: Detail from Battle of Hasedo Standing Screen.jpg)
Then, during the time of the 11th head of the family, Mogami Yoshiaki, the domain expanded and he became a great daimyo with 570,000 koku of rice. Yamagata Castle also saw the construction of the Sannomaru bailey, and samurai residences and a castle town were developed
Torii clan (1622-1636)
Portrait of Torii Tadamasa by Kano Kirimoto Ikunobu. Owned by Chogenji Temple, Iwaki City. Source: Wikipedia (file name: Torii Tadamasa.jpg)
When Mogami Yoshiaki died in 1614, a succession dispute arose, and the family was dispossessed of their domain during the " Mogami Disturbance " in which the 13th head of the family (the 3rd lord of the Yamagata Domain), Yoshitoshi, was in power
The site of the South Main Gate of the Second Bailey, which is said to have been renovated by Tadamasa. Source: Wikipedia (File name: 220430 Yamagata Castle Yamagata Yamagata pref Japan02s3.jpg, Photographer: 663highland)
Then, Torii Tadamasa, who had a 100,000 koku domain in Mutsu Province's Iwaki-Taira region, was transferred to Yamagata Castle to oversee the various daimyo in the Tohoku region, and Tadamasa frequently carried out renovations to Yamagata Castle.
However, Tadamasa's eldest son, Tadatsune, who succeeded him after his death, was sickly, and the shogunate took notice of him in the succession process, so he was stripped of his position and transferred to Takato in Shinno
The Hoshina clan (1636-1643)
Masayuki Hoshina Source: Wikipedia (File name: Hoshina Masayuki2.jpg, Photographer: Gameposo)
Replacing Torii, Hoshina Masayuki was transferred from Takato to become the lord of YamagataCastle.
Hoshina Masayuki was the half-brother of the third Tokugawa Shogun, Iemitsu.He was a skilled politician and was highly trusted and valued by Iemitsu.After the Kato clan was transferred due to a family dispute in the Aizu domain, Hoshina Masayuki was transferred to Aizu to keep the various daimyo in the Tohoku region in check
Map of Yamagata Castle Town during the Hoshina Clan Period, Yamagata Prefectural Library Collection, Source: Yamagata Prefectural Library Digital Library
Hoshina Masayuki is also said to have renovated Yamagata Castle in preparation for a rebellion. Unlike the maps from the Mogami clan era, the "Map of Yamagata Castle Town during the Hoshina Clan Era" shows that the residences of Yamagata domain retainers were located in the third bailey, while townhouses and temples and shrines were located outside the moat.
After Hoshina Masayuki moved to Aizu, the lord of Yamagata Castle began to change rapidly between Tokugawa related daimyo and Fudai daimyo
The lineage continued from the Yuki Matsudaira clan to the Okudaira Matsudaira clan, then to the Okudaira clan, then to the Hotta clan, then back to the Yuki Matsudaira clan, then to the Okudaira Matsudaira clan, then to the Hotta clan, then to the Ogyu Matsudaira family, then to the Shogunate's direct territory, then to the Akimoto clan, and finally to the Mizuno clan. In 1870 (Meiji 3),Mizuno Tadahirobecame the last lord of Yamagata Castle and left the castle.
Mizuno Tadahiro, the last lord of Yamagata Castle. 1879. "Portrait Album of People" commissioned by Emperor Meiji. Source: Wikipedia (File name: Mizuno Tadahiro.jpg)
During the Meiji period, Yamagata Castle became a barracks for the 32nd Infantry Regiment of the Imperial Japanese Army, and the towers and palace were demolished, the main castle was filled in, and the moat of the Sannomaru was filled in, allowing for the expansion of farmland
I thought about the layout of Yamagata Castle
The moat at the current Yamagata Castle ruins is that of Ninomaru
Yamagata Castle is a flat-land castle with an outline structure, and old castle drawings show that the Honmaru, Ninomaru, and Sannomaru are each surrounded by a moat filled with water
The Honmaru only has a palace and no castle tower, while the Ninomaru had a three-story turret until the early Edo period. The moat that can be seen in Kasumigaoka Park today is from the Ninomaru and has been preserved in the same condition as it was back then
The remains of the Honmaru moat, now a dry moat (Yamagata Castle Honmaru Ichimonjimon Gate)
However, the moat around Honmaru is now a dry moat, and the moat around Sannomaru, which became part of the city, was filled in around the time of the Meiji Restoration, so there are only a few traces left today
The remains of the Minami Otemon Gate of the "Uchimasugata" as seen from inside the Ninomaru
There were entrance and exit gates at various points along the earthen walls, with five in Ninomaru and eleven in Sannomaru
During the time of the Mogami clan, each gate was built in the " sotomasugata " style, projecting outwards towards the outer moat. However, when the second bailey was later expanded, it was rebuilt in the " uchimasugata " style that remains today
The Ninomaru Higashi Otemon Gate was restored in 1991 using wood, and the Yaguramon and Tsuzukiyagura gates can be seen in the square (masugata) that forms the keyhole
The remains of the Honmaru Ichimonjimon Gate tower, with stone walls surrounding both gates
Yamagata Castle has many earthen ramparts, and each gate is a turret gate to increase defensive power, with stone walls built at each corner where the gates are located
Additionally, the foundation stones of a folding screen earthen wall, which can be bent like a folding screen to attack enemies climbing the wall from the side, have been discovered on top of the earthen rampart on the north side of the Ninomaru, and are the first of their kind in the country, creating a buzz
Yamagata Castle Ruins, a Nationally Designated Historic Site <Information>
Facility name: Nationally designated historic site Yamagata Castle (Kajo Park)
Address: 1 Kasumicho, Yamagata City, Yamagata Prefecture
Phone number: 023-641-1212
Opening hours: Yamagata City Local Museum (former Saiseikan Main Building) 9:00-16:30
After the Meiji Restoration, Yamagata Castle fell into disrepair and was used as a barracks for the former army. After the war, however, it was transformed into Kasumigaoka Park, and cultural and sports facilities such as a museum, gymnasium, and baseball field were developed
Currently, plans are underway to relocate these facilities and redevelop the park, including restoring the moat and earthen ramparts of the main castle, with completion scheduled for 2033
I'm a former Edoite (Tokyoite) who loves Morioka and the six prefectures of Tohoku, and I'm a big fan of history, gourmet food, travel, sports, alcohol, and choral singing.
I'll introduce you to interesting things, delicious food, and great places in Tohoku!
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