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| Akashi Castle | |
|---|---|
明石城 | |
| Akashi,Hyōgo Prefecture, Japan | |
 Tatsumi Yagura(r) and HitsujisaruYagura(l) | |
| Site information | |
| Type | flatland-styleJapanese castle |
| Condition | Ruins, save twoyagura and a connecting wall |
| Location | |
  Akashi Castle  Akashi Castle | |
| Coordinates | 34°39′09″N134°59′30″E / 34.65250°N 134.99167°E /34.65250; 134.99167 |
| Site history | |
| Built | 1617 to 1619 |
| Built by | Ogasawara Tadazane |
| In use | 1619 to 1874 |
| Demolished | 1874 |
 | |
Akashi Castle (明石城,Akashi-jō) is anEdo periodJapanese castle located in the city ofAkashi,Hyōgo Prefecture, Japan. It was also known asKiharu Castle (喜春城,Kiharu-jō) orKinkō Castle (錦江城,Kinkō-jō). Its ruins have been protected as aNational Historic Site since 1957.[1]
Akashi Castle is located on Mount Akamatsu, a hill in central Akashi, to the north ofAkashi Station. The site was the location of aburial mound which was believed to have been the grave of theNara period poetKakinomoto no Hitomaro. The location dominates theSan'yōdō highway connecting theKinai region with western Japan and also the main route north toTanba andTango Provinces. It is also very near the coast of theSeto Inland Sea, overlooking the narrows toAwaji island. Considered by theTokugawa shogunate to be a backup toHimeji Castle, it was the final line of defences for theKansai region against any attack from the west.[2]
The construction of the castle was by order ofShogunTokugawa Hidetada from 1617 to 1619, who had assignedOgasawara Tadazane to the area asdaimyō of the newly created 100,000kokuAkashi Domain.[3] Ogasawara Tadazane's fatherOgasawara Hidemasa had married a granddaughter ofTokugawa Ieyasu and wasdaimyō ofMatsumoto Domain. He was killed in action at theSiege of Osaka. It is claimed without clear documentary evidence thatMiyamoto Musashi assisted in building the castle as a "Construction Supervisor", as it is recorded that he was in the service of Ogasawara Tadazane at the time.
The castle only took one year to complete, which was relatively fast for the time period.[3] This was done so quickly as a result of the 1615 decree mandating castle per clan, so many castles in the area were dismantled and some materials and buildings were recycled for the construction of Akashi Castle. This included wood fromMiki Castle, Takasago Castle, Edayoshi Castle, andFunage Castle and a number of buildings fromFushimi Castle and Funage Castle includingyagura towers. Although notenshu main tower was ever built, Akashi Castle became a large castle with 20yagura and 27 gates. TheInner bailey had four three-story corneryagura, two of which have survived to the present.[2]
The Ogawasawa clan were transferred toKokura Domain in 1632, and afterwards the castle was ruled by a succession offudai daimyō orshimpan clans. Akashi Castle underwent major repairs in 1739, and was largely demolished by theMeiji Government in 1874. The castle site became the Hyogo Prefectural Akashi Park.[2] The castle suffered considerable damage in the 1995Great Hanshin Earthquake, with some collapsed stone walls and extensive damage to itsyagura towers.
Akashi Castle was listed as one ofJapan's Top 100 Castles by the Japan Castle Foundation in 2006.[4]
The castle is a ten-minute walk fromAkashi Station on theJR WestSan'yō Main Line.[2]
The two remainingyagura towers of Akashi Castle have been designatedImportant Cultural Properties:
Media related toAkashi Castle at Wikimedia Commons
100 Fine Castles of Japan by region | ||
|---|---|---|
| Hokkaido | .svg) | |
| Tōhoku | ||
| Kantō | ||
| Chūbu | ||
| Kansai | ||
| Chūgoku | ||
| Shikoku | ||
| Kyūshūa | ||
a includingOkinawa. | ||
| International | |
|---|---|
| National | |
