Tenshu (天守, 天主, 殿主, 殿守,also calledtenshukaku; 天守閣) is an architectural typology found inJapanese castle complexes. They are easily identifiable as the highesttower within the castle. Common translations oftenshu includekeep, main keep, ordonjon.
Tenshu are characterized as typically timber-framed, having multiple stories, being seated onishigaki (dry stone) foundations, and having individual floors delineated by surrounding tiled eaves. Further,tenshu are typically decorated with varying patterns ofdormer gables (chidori-hafu), and are capped withhip-and-gabled roofs (irimoya-hafu) withshachihoko finials. Not all Japanese castles originally possessedtenshu (e.g.Sendai), many well-known castles have lost theirtenshu (e.g.Nijō,Edo), many have had thetenshu rebuilt on multiple occasions (e.g.Nagoya,Osaka).
While both the termtenshu and the emergence oftenshu as a distinct architectural typology occurred in the 1560s and 1570s, the early relationship between the etymology and typology are not well understood.
The first known use of the termtenshu can be found in Yoshida Kanemi's journal,Kanemi kyōki, in the entry for the 24th day, 12th month ofGenki 3 (27 January 1573):
明智為見廻下向坂本…城中天主作事以下悉披見也、驚目了…
Left the capital withAkechi [Mitsuhide] forSakamoto for the purpose of a survey...in the center of [Sakamoto] castle, all saw that atenshu (天主) was being built and were surprised…[1]
Subsequent mentions inKanemi kyōki and in other primary sources (such asTennoji-ya kaki,Tamonin nikki, and in the letters of bothOda Nobunaga andToyotomi Hideyoshi) during the 1570s reveal two points about the emergence of the term. First, the term was initially reserved for those castles under the direct control of Nobunaga or one of his vassals. These include Sakamoto Castle, Takatsuki Castle,Ashikaga Yoshiaki's Nijō Castle,Azuchi Castle,Itami Castle,Kitanosho Castle, Yamazaki Castle,Nagahama Castle, Ishigakiyama Ichiyoru Castle, Yodo Castle.[2] Second, in its earliest uses there was no single standard for writing the term. The earliest variants include天主 (lit. Master of Heaven),殿主 (lit. Master of the Palace/Mansion),殿守 (lit. Protector of the Palace/Mansion). The first known use of the current standard “天守” (lit. Protector of Heaven) appears in a letter dated the 27th day, 10th month ofTensho 7 (15 November 1579) issued by Nobunaga.[2] While this way of writingtenshu gradually became the standard during the reign of Toyotomi Hideyoshi, the older manner of writing is preferred when discussing certain castles. One important example of this is the Azuchi Castletenshu which is commonly referred as “天主”.
The history oftenshu as an architectural typology seems to have begun earlier than the use of the term. Towers at Tamonyama Castle (built early 1560s) andGifu Castle (built 1568) are known to have had the physical character of atenshu, but are referred to in the primary record asyagura (turret, tower).[3][4]
Azuchi Castle is often credited as the birthplace of thetenshu. Given the earliest usages of the name, however, it seems more likely that Azuchi played a key role in linking the typology and the name.
Unlike the other elements of Japanese castles,tenshu had little military function, but symbolised the power, wealth and extravagance of the castle's owner. MostEdo period castles were built during a period of peace lasting more than two centuries, but legends about earlier warfare suggested that once the outer defences of a castle had been breached, the defenders generally preferred to set fire to the remaining buildings and sally out to their deaths, rather than fight it out inside a fragiletenshu.[5]: 8–9
These structures have proved vulnerable to fire, earthquake and war. Hundreds of them were destroyed or dismantled during the final stages of the unification wars of theSengoku period at the turn of the 17th century. Others were demolished, collapsed from neglect or were allowed to burn down during theMeiji Restoration of the 1860s. Of nineteentenshu that survived into the 20th century, six were destroyed during Alliedair raids on Japan in theSecond World War,[6] and another, the donjon of Matsumae Castle, was destroyed by fire in 1949.[7] However, manytenshu have been rebuilt in modern times; examples areOsaka castle in 1931,Hiroshima castle in 1958 andŌzu Castle in 2004.[5]: 9
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