| Akō Castle | |
|---|---|
赤穂城 | |
| Akō,Hyōgo Prefecture, Japan | |
 Akō Castle reconstructedYagura | |
| Site information | |
| Type | flatland-style castle |
| Owner | Bessho clan |
| Condition | partial reconstruction |
| Location | |
  Akō Castle Akō Castle Show map of Hyōgo Prefecture Akō Castle Akō Castle (Japan) Show map of Japan | |
| Coordinates | 34°44′44.41″N134°23′20.34″E / 34.7456694°N 134.3889833°E /34.7456694; 134.3889833 |
| Site history | |
| Built | 1615 |
| Built by | Asano Naganao |
| In use | Edo period |
| Demolished | 1873 |
Akō Castle (赤穂城,Akō-jō) is a flatlandJapanese castle located in the city ofAkō,Hyōgo Prefecture, Japan. Built by theAsano clan in theEdo period, it was the center ofAkō Domain in westernHarima Province. The castle was designated aNational Historic Site in 1971, with the area under protection expanded in 2003.[1] Within the castle grounds is theNagayamon gate to the residence ofŌishi Kuranosuke, thekarō of the domain underAsano Naganori. The house itself no longer exists, but its location has a separateNational Historic Site designation.[2] Both the Honmaru Garden and the Ni-no-Maru Gardens have been restored to an approximation of their appearance in the Edo period, and are collectively designated a NationalPlace of Scenic Beauty in 2021.[3]
Akō Castle is located on the southern seashore of Akō city, and guarded the border between formerHarima Province andBizen Province. It was originally a small fortification erected by the local Oka clan in the 15th century. However, after the area was awarded toTokugawa Ieyasu's general and son-in-lawIkeda Terumasa after theBattle of Sekigahara, and a new castle was constructed. The Ikeda clan ruled fromHimeji Castle, and Akō Castle was constructed as a secondary fortification to secure the domain's western borders. Ikeda Terumasa's vast holdings were broken up after his death, and his fifth son, Ikeda Masatsuna, received a 35,000koku portion which had been assigned as the widow's portion to his motherTokuhime. His younger brother, Ikeda Teruoki, inherited the domain in 1631. However, he went insane in 1645, murdering his concubine and several ladies-in-waiting, and was dispossessed. The Ikeda were replaced by a cadet branch of theAsano clan. Asano Naganao spend 13 years rebuilding Akō Castle on a scale far in excess of hiskokudaka of 53,000koku and also reconstructed thecastle town. The castle had 12 gates and 10yagura towers. The design of the castle was unusual in that it consisted of concentric moated enclosure each shaped in a geometric pattern, which may have been influenced by knowledge of Westernstar fort designs. The stone foundation base of a five-storytenshu was constructed, but it remained only as a foundation, and notenshu was ever actually constructed. Although it is now far from the coastline, at the time of its construction it was built on the seashore, and it was possible to sail from docks located in the castle.[4]
The Asano clan were dispossessed following the famousforty-seven rōnin incident, and the castle passed into the hands of theMori clan who ruled over a much reduced Akō Domain from 1706 until theMeiji restoration.[4]
Subsequent to Meiji Restoration outer areas and most buildings were lost due to the 1873 Abolition of Castles Ordinance by theMeiji government. Many of the buildings were pulled down, and portions of the stone walls were demolished to be used as arevetment when the Chikusa River flooded in 1892. Many of the moats were filled in, and the site of the Honmaru central enclosure became a school in 1928. A portion of moats and oneyagura werereconstructed in 1935 and more moats in 1953. Subsequently, several buildings and structures of the inner area have been restored, including the Otemon main gate in 1955.[5] The school was relocated in 1981, ten years after the site received National Historic Site designation. From the 1990s, reconstruction of the Honmaru garden began. Several more gates were restored by 1996. In 2006 Akō Castle was selected as one ofJapan's Top 100 Castles by the Japan Castle Association.[6]
| Oishi Shrine | |
|---|---|
大石神社 | |
 | |
| Religion | |
| Affiliation | Shinto |
 | |
 Glossary of Shinto | |
Oishi Shrine is aShinto shrine located inJapan. Dedicated to theforty-seven rōnin.[7] It is aBeppyo shrine, or a shrine that is particularly notable in a certain way with a significant history to it.[8] IT is located in the ruins of Akō Castle.[9]
Media related toAkō Castle at Wikimedia Commons
"Akō Castle on Google maps" (Map).Google Maps. Retrieved16 July 2013.
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