Castles and castle ruins

The One-Eyed Dragon's Right-Hand Man, "Katakura Kojuro," and Shiraishi [Part 2] | A Rare Castle-Holding Senior Retainer and the Legendary "Shiraishi Domain" in the Edo Period

What is Shiraishi, the territory of Katakura Kojuro?

The Sendai Katakura clan, which began with Katakura Kojuro Kagetuna, a trusted confidant of Date Masamune, has ruled the Shiroishi area (present-day Shiroishi City, Miyagi Prefecture) for generations

This area was located in the southern part of the Date clan's territory and was a strategic point that served as a check against the Fukushima and Yonezawa areas

It could be said that Kojuro was entrusted with this area precisely because it was, in a sense, the absolute southern defense line for the Sendai domain and a strategically important region

Originally, Shiraishi was part of the Date clan's territory during the Sengoku period, but after Toyotomi Hideyoshi unified Japan, it came under the control of Gamo Ujisato, who was also the son-in-law of Oda Nobunaga, as part of the "Oshu Settlement."

After Ujisato's death, Shiroishi was taken over by Uesugi Kagekatsu, and in the Battle of Shiroishi Castle in 1600, Date Masamune recaptured the area

A view of present-day Shiroishi city from Shiroishi Castle keep
A view of present-day Shiroishi city from Shiroishi Castle keep

Given these circumstances, it's likely that Masamune entrusted Shiraishi to his trusted confidant, Katakura Kojuro, precisely because it was a strategically important transportation hub and a militarily significant region

From this Shiraishi area, we would like to introduce some noteworthy historical topics

Shiraishi Castle, an exception to the One Castle Per Province Decree

In Shiroishi stands Shiroishi Castle, whose three-story turret (castle tower) and other structures were restored in 1995

Also known as Masuoka Castle, it is a flatland castle built on an isolated hill in the Shiraishi Basin at an altitude of 76 meters

Shiraishi Castle (Shiraishi City, Miyagi Prefecture)
Shiraishi Castle (Shiraishi City, Miyagi Prefecture)

The castle , with its impressive, pristine white appearance, is also featured in the "Continued Top 100 Japanese Castles" list , but a question that suddenly comes to mind is the regulations of the "One Castle Per Province" decree

The "One Castle Per Province" decree was a law established by the Edo shogunate in 1615, which stipulated that each daimyo (feudal lord) was not permitted to possess any castles other than his own residence within the province he governed

The law generally states that there should be one castle per province, but Shiroishi, which has been ruled by successive generations of Katakura Kojuro, is a region within the Sendai Domain and not a separate province

However, there were exceptions to this law in some countries, and in some regions, flexible application was allowed, such as allowing multiple castles in one country, or several castles in the territory of multiple former provinces under the old statutory system

Shiraishi Castle was precisely one of those castles that survived due to such circumstances

The Sendai Domain was an exception to the "One Castle Per Province" decree

The main castle of the Sendai Date clan is Sendai Castle, also known as "Aoba Castle," but as we have seen, Shiroishi Castle was allowed to remain as an exception to the "One Castle Per Province" decree

The law stipulated that, in principle, any castles not permitted by the law should be demolished, meaning they should be destroyed and cease to function as castles. According to one theory, this led to a reduction in the number of castles nationwide from around 3,000 to about 170

It is thought that the number would have been even more enormous if we included the countless mountain castles of all sizes that fortified natural terrain, but the Sendai Domain was one of the provinces that was exempt from the "One Castle Per Province" decree

Wakutani Fortress Ruins (Wakutani Town, Toda District, Miyagi Prefecture)
Wakutani Fortress Ruins (Wakutani Town, Toda District, Miyagi Prefecture)

Besides Shiroishi Castle, several other de facto castles known as "fortifications" remain, and among them, the"Wakuya Fortification,", still has a two-story corner turret resembling a castle keep. The three-story castle-like building currently standing is a replica castle keep that serves as a museum, but the two-story corner turret is the only castle structure in Miyagi Prefecture that has survived from the feudal period.

Thus, the Sendai Domain itself was a unique entity that managed to maintain multiple castles under what could be called extra-legal measures, and Shiroishi Castle, belonging to the Katakura Kojuro family, can be said to have been an extremely exceptional fortress

Other exceptions to the "One Castle Per Province" decree in Tohoku

We've seen how the Sendai Domain was granted an exception to the "One Castle Per Province" decree, allowing the continued existence of castles like Shiroishi Castle. For reference, let's take a look at which other provinces in the Tohoku region had similar measures in place

  • Morioka Domain: Nanbu clan... Morioka Castle and Hanamaki Castle (one province, two castles)
  • Kubota Domain: Satake clan... Kubota Castle, Odachi Castle, Yokote Castle (Three castles in one province)
  • Yonezawa Domain: Uesugi clan... Yonezawa Castle, Fukushima Castle, Tateyama Castle (?) (One province has two or three castles)

Among these, there were many instances where demolished castles were converted into "jinya" (fortified residences) and put into use. Therefore, although they were not castles, there were multiple bases that effectively served various functions in both military and political aspects

Although there are still historical aspects that remain unclear, it can be seen that such exceptional measures were relatively common in the Tohoku region, including the Sendai Domain

This is because, in the Battle of Sekigahara, many daimyo families in western Japan who opposed the Tokugawa forces thoroughly demolished their castles. While there were exceptions, this suggests that vigilance against western Japan remained a crucial matter for the shogunate throughout the Edo period

However, Kii Province, one of the three main branches of the Tokugawa family, was treated differently. In addition to Wakayama Castle, there was Tanabe Castle belonging to the Ando clan, who were treated as daimyo (feudal lords) and chief retainers, Shingu Castle belonging to the Mizuno clan, and Matsusaka Castle and Tamaru Castle in part of present-day Mie Prefecture, which was then Kii territory. This created a system of five castles per province

Exceptions to the "One Castle Per Province" decree in the Tohoku region, such as the one at Shiroishi Castle in the Sendai Domain, can be seen as evidence of the trust placed in the castle by the shogunate and its defensive capabilities in times of emergency

A transportation hub where many roads intersect

As we have seen, Shiroishi was an important defensive base protecting the southern part of the Sendai Domain, but it was also a strategically important transportation hub

For example, if you were traveling overland from Edo to Sendai, you would inevitably pass through Utsunomiya, Koriyama, and Fukushima as you head north along the Oshu Kaido road

Furthermore, taking the route over the mountain pass meant that Yonezawa was to the west and Watari to the southeast, making it a so-called "transportation hub."

It is believed that these circumstances were a major reason why the Shiraishi region was subjected to tension in ancient times, and it can be inferred that in times of conflict, it became an important target for attack, with the aim of controlling the transportation network and establishing defensive lines

Earlier, I described Shiroishi as one of the "absolute defense lines" for the Sendai domain, and it is indeed a region with high geopolitical risk, which suggests that governing it must have been extremely difficult

While these are scenarios for emergencies, they are also directly related to the preservation of logistics networks in peacetime. Therefore, it can be seen that this region played a vital role in all aspects of military, political, economic, logistics, and human movement through its transportation network

What was the phantom domain of "Shiraishi Domain" in the early Meiji period?

Because Shiroishi has Shiroishi Castle, it is often thought to have been an independent country, but as mentioned earlier, it was a region of the Sendai Domain throughout the Edo period

However, there is the fact that a country called "Shiraishi Domain" actually existed for a very short period in the early Meiji era

This was deeply connected to the "Ouetsu Reppan Alliance," a coalition of domains from the Tohoku and Hokuriku regions that opposed the Meiji government during the Boshin War, which broke out in 1868 (Keio 4/Meiji 1)

The flag of the Ouetsu Reppan Alliance is on display inside Shiroishi Castle
The flag of the Ouetsu Reppan Alliance is on display inside Shiroishi Castle

The Sendai Domain served as the leader of the alliance, and the meetings related to its formation were held at Shiroishi Castle, where the alliance's governing body, the "Kōgifu," was also established

Although it was a powerful military and political alliance against the Meiji government, they surrendered within the same year, and Nanbu Toshiyuki, the lord of the Morioka domain, was transferred to Shiroishi in the form of a reduced territory, thus giving rise to the Shiroishi domain

On-site explanatory sign at Shiroishi Castle
On-site explanatory sign at Shiroishi Castle

However, because this would actually cause administrative chaos, the transfer was revoked in 1869 in exchange for a large donation to the Meiji government. Nanbu Toshiyasu returned to the Morioka domain, and the Shiroishi domain was abolished

The entire process took place over a mere 10 months, and many details about the matter remain unclear

However, the fact that it was briefly established as a feudal domain and treated as a separate administrative division suggests that the Meiji government recognized the importance of the Shiraishi region as something that could not be overlooked

Although it literally became a mythical country, the fact that Katakura Kojuro's territory maintained a significant presence until modern times is a noteworthy event in the pages of history

Relationship with Shiroishi Ward, Sapporo City

As a supplement, let me briefly touch upon Shiraishi's well-known actions since the Meiji era, specifically his migration to Hokkaido

Even today, there is an area in Sapporo called "Shiraishi Ward," and as the name suggests, its origins lie in a village established by people who migrated from Shiraishi in the former Sendai Domain

The Sendai Domain as a whole had been sending out groups of settlers to Hokkaido, and in September 1871, about 600 former retainers of the Katakura Kojuro family from Shiroishi departed from Sendai aboard the Kanrin Maru, a former shogunate ship

Kikonai, Hokkaido: Site of the Kanrin Maru grounding
Kikonai, Hokkaido: Site of the Kanrin Maru grounding

The ship ran aground off the coast of Kikonai, near Hakodate, but miraculously, the passengers were rescued thanks to the strenuous efforts of the local people. In November of the same year, 67 of them settled in what is now the Chuo area of ​​Shiroishi Ward in Sapporo, known as "Motsukisappu."

Kojuro's retainers accomplished the construction of residences and other structures in a short period of time. Iwamura Michitoshi, the magistrate of the Hokkaido Development Commission at the time, was deeply impressed by their leadership and work ethic, and named the area "Shiraishi Village."

This became the foundation of present-day Shiroishi Ward

Incidentally, 241 of the retainers settled in an area called Kamiteine ​​with the help of Iwamura Michitoshi, which became the predecessor of the present-day Teine Ward in Sapporo City

Thus, in the modern history of Hokkaido, where people from various regions across the country settled, the role played by the people of Shiroishi, who were ruled by the Katakura Kojuro family, was immense

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