![Itagaki Taisuke01](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/3/33/Itagaki_Taisuke01.JPG)
is an
Edo Period
The or is the period between 1603 and 1867 in the history of Japan, when Japan was under the rule of the Tokugawa shogunate and the country's 300 regional '' daimyo''. Emerging from the chaos of the Sengoku period, the Edo period was characteriz ...
Japanese castle
are fortresses constructed primarily of wood and stone. They evolved from the wooden stockades of earlier centuries, and came into their best-known form in the 16th century. Castles in Japan were built to guard important or strategic sites, such ...
in the city of
Kōchi,
Kōchi Prefecture
is a prefecture of Japan located on the island of Shikoku. Kōchi Prefecture has a population of 757,914 (1 December 2011) and has a geographic area of 7,103 km2 (2,742 sq mi). Kōchi Prefecture borders Ehime Prefecture to the northwest and ...
, Japan. It is located at Otakayama hill, at the center of Kōchi city, which in turn is located at the center of the Kōchi Plain, the most prosperous area of former
Tosa Province
was a province of Japan in the area of southern Shikoku. Nussbaum, Louis-Frédéric. (2005). "''Tosa''" in . Tosa bordered on Awa to the northeast, and Iyo to the northwest. Its abbreviated form name was . In terms of the Gokishichidō syste ...
on the island of
Shikoku
is the smallest of the four main islands of Japan. It is long and between wide. It has a population of 3.8 million (, 3.1%). It is south of Honshu and northeast of Kyushu. Shikoku's ancient names include ''Iyo-no-futana-shima'' (), '' ...
. From 1601 to 1871, it was the center of
Tosa Domain
The was a feudal domain under the Tokugawa shogunate of Edo period Japan, controlling all of Tosa Province in what is now Kōchi Prefecture on the island of Shikoku. It was centered around Kōchi Castle, and was ruled throughout its history by ...
, ruled by the
''tozama'' Yamauchi clan
The Yamauchi clan (山内氏) were a family of rulers over what was then the Tosa Province which spanned the southern half of Shikoku island.
The province was given to the family in 1600 after Yamauchi Kazutoyo led troops under Tokugawa Ieyasu a ...
under the
Tokugawa Shogunate
The Tokugawa shogunate (, Japanese 徳川幕府 ''Tokugawa bakufu''), also known as the , was the military government of Japan during the Edo period from 1603 to 1868. Nussbaum, Louis-Frédéric. (2005)"''Tokugawa-jidai''"in ''Japan Encyclopedia ...
. The castle site has been protected as a
National Historic Site since 1959, with the area under protection expanded in 2014.
History
During the
Sengoku period
The was a period in History of Japan, Japanese history of near-constant civil war and social upheaval from 1467 to 1615.
The Sengoku period was initiated by the Ōnin War in 1467 which collapsed the Feudalism, feudal system of Japan under the ...
, Tosa Province was dominated by
Chōsokabe Motochika
was a prominent '' daimyō'' in Japanese Sengoku-period.
He was the 21st chief of the Chōsokabe clan of Tosa Province (present-day Kōchi Prefecture), the ruler of Shikoku region.
Early life and rise
He was the son and heir of Chōsokabe Ku ...
, who conquered most of Shikoku from stronghold at
Okō Castle
was a Japanese castle structure located in what is now part of the city of Nankoku Kōchi Prefecture, Japan. It was the original base of power for the Chōsokabe clan who were feudal lords of Tosa Province during the late Muromachi and Sengok ...
. However, Okō Castle was a mountain stronghold with little room for the development of a
castle town
A castle town is a settlement built adjacent to or surrounding a castle. Castle towns were common in Medieval Europe. Some examples include small towns like Alnwick and Arundel, which are still dominated by their castles. In Western Europe, ...
. After his defeat by
Toyotomi Hideyoshi
, otherwise known as and , was a Japanese samurai and ''daimyō'' (feudal lord) of the late Sengoku period regarded as the second "Great Unifier" of Japan.Richard Holmes, The World Atlas of Warfare: Military Innovations that Changed the Cour ...
in 1585, Motochika decided to construct a new castle at Otakayama hill and the ruins of an ancient fortification which had been constructed by
Otakasa Matsuomaru sometime during the late
Heian or
Kamakura
is a city in Kanagawa Prefecture, Japan.
Kamakura has an estimated population of 172,929 (1 September 2020) and a population density of 4,359 persons per km² over the total area of . Kamakura was designated as a city on 3 November 1939.
Kamak ...
period. Although the new castle had the advantages of space and a central location, the area around the hill at this time was extremely swampy, due to the influx of alluvial sediments from the
Kagami River
Kagami, sometimes spelled Kagamine, may refer to:
People
* Takaya Kagami, Japanese manga writer.
* Toshio Kagami, chairman CEO of The Oriental Land Company
* Kenkichi Kagami, Japanese businessman
* Kensuke Kagami, Japanese football player
* Kisho ...
, and was prone to flooding.
[Kochi City Online Guide, "History"](_blank)
in English Motochika shortly afterwards moved once again to a new location at Urado Castle on the coast, which also had the advantage of being closer to his fleet.
However, Motochika's successor
Chōsokabe Morichika joined the pro-
Toyotomi
The was a Japanese clan that ruled over the Japanese people, Japanese before the Edo period.
Unity and conflict
The most influential figure within the Toyotomi was Toyotomi Hideyoshi, one of the three "unifiers of Japan". Oda Nobunaga was a ...
Western Army at the
Battle of Sekigahara
The Battle of Sekigahara (Shinjitai: ; Kyūjitai: , Hepburn romanization: ''Sekigahara no Tatakai'') was a decisive battle on October 21, 1600 (Keichō 5, 15th day of the 9th month) in what is now Gifu prefecture, Japan, at the end of ...
in 1600, and was subsequently deprived of his title, and later his life. The victorious
Tokugawa shogunate
The Tokugawa shogunate (, Japanese 徳川幕府 ''Tokugawa bakufu''), also known as the , was the military government of Japan during the Edo period from 1603 to 1868. Nussbaum, Louis-Frédéric. (2005)"''Tokugawa-jidai''"in ''Japan Encyclopedia ...
ordered
Yamauchi Kazutoyo
, also spelled Yamanouchi (1545/1546? – November 1, 1605). He was retainer of Oda Nobunaga and later Toyotomi Hideyoshi. His father Yamauchi Moritoyo, was a descendant of Fujiwara no Hidesato, a senior retainer of the Iwakura Oda clan (op ...
, lord of
Kakegawa Castle
is a ''hirayama''-style Japanese castle. It was the seat of various ''fudai daimyō'' clans who ruled over Kakegawa Domain, Tōtōmi Province, in what is now central Kakegawa, Shizuoka Prefecture, Japan.
Background
Kakegawa Castle is located ...
in
Tōtōmi Province
was a province of Japan in the area of Japan that is today western Shizuoka Prefecture. Nussbaum, Louis-Frédéric. (2005). "''Tōtōmi''" in . Tōtōmi bordered on Mikawa, Suruga and Shinano Provinces. Its abbreviated form name was . The or ...
to take control of the province as ''daimyō'' of the newly-created
Tosa Domain
The was a feudal domain under the Tokugawa shogunate of Edo period Japan, controlling all of Tosa Province in what is now Kōchi Prefecture on the island of Shikoku. It was centered around Kōchi Castle, and was ruled throughout its history by ...
, with a nominal ''
kokudaka
refers to a system for determining land value for taxation purposes under the Tokugawa shogunate of Edo-period Japan, and expressing this value in terms of ''koku'' of rice. Nussbaum, Louis-Frédéric. (2005)"Koku"in ''Japan Encyclopedia'', p. 54 ...
'' of 202,600 ''
koku
The is a Chinese-based Japanese unit of volume. 1 koku is equivalent to 10 or approximately , or about . It converts, in turn, to 100 shō and 1000 gō. One ''gō'' is the volume of the "rice cup", the plastic measuring cup that is supplied ...
''.
[M. B. Jensen, ''The making of modern Japan'', (Harvard University Press, 2002), pp. 51–52] Kazutoyo first entered Urado Castle, but its defenses were weak, so he rebuilt Otakayama Castle from 1601 to 1611 on a larger scale. He renamed the castle "Kawanakayama Castle", and later changed the name to Kōchi Castle.
[Kōchi City Online Guide, "Sightseeing in Kochi City"](_blank)
in Englis
/ref>
Much of the original fortress burned down in 1727; it was reconstructed between 1729 and 1753 in the original style. During the Boshin War
The , sometimes known as the Japanese Revolution or Japanese Civil War, was a civil war in Japan fought from 1868 to 1869 between forces of the ruling Tokugawa shogunate and a clique seeking to seize political power in the name of the Imperi ...
, Kōchi escaped any damage, and the castle was also exempted from the post-Meiji restoration
The , referred to at the time as the , and also known as the Meiji Renovation, Revolution, Regeneration, Reform, or Renewal, was a political event that restored practical imperial rule to Japan in 1868 under Emperor Meiji. Although there were ...
orders to destroy all remaining feudal fortifications.The castle also survived World War II
World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...
unscathed, and underwent major restoration from 1948 to 1959. Though no battles were fought at the castle, it is noteworthy because the castle is the original structure, and not a post-war replica. It is also the only castle in Japan to retain both its original ''tenshu
is an architectural typology found in Japanese castle complexes. They are easily identifiable as the highest tower within the castle. Common translations of ''tenshu'' include keep, main keep, or ''donjon''.
''Tenshu'' are characterized as ty ...
'', or keep
A keep (from the Middle English ''kype'') is a type of fortified tower built within castles during the Middle Ages by European nobility. Scholars have debated the scope of the word ''keep'', but usually consider it to refer to large towers in c ...
, and its palace, the residence of the local ''daimyō''.[Architecture in the Feudal Style: Japanese Feudal Residences, Hashimoto Fumio, trans. and adapted by H. Mack Morton, Kodansha International Ltd. and Shinonbu, 1981, pp. 144-6] In fact, it is the only castle to have all the original buildings in the '' honmaru'', or innermost ring of defense, still standing.
Kōchi Castle was listed as one of Japan's Top 100 Castles
The castles in were chosen based on their significance in culture, history, and in their regions by the in 2006.
In 2017, Japanese Castle Association created an additional finest 100 castles list as Continued Top 100 Japanese Castles. Hokkaidō ...
by the Japan Castle Foundation in 2006.Japan Castle Foundation
/ref> The castle is a 20-minute walk from the JR Shikoku
The , commonly known as , is the smallest of the seven constituent companies of the Japan Railways Group (JR Group). It operates of intercity and local rail services in the four prefectures on the island of Shikoku in Japan. The company has it ...
Kōchi Station.
Cultural Property Status
As one of only twelve intact castles in Japan, Kōchi Castle was formerly designated a National Treasure
The idea of national treasure, like national epics and national anthems, is part of the language of romantic nationalism, which arose in the late 18th century and 19th centuries. Nationalism is an ideology that supports the nation as the fundame ...
() before the 1950 National Treasure Protection Law (文化財保護法施) was enacted. After the law was passed, several surviving structures within the castle grounds were individually given National Important Cultural Property designations:
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
Kochi Castle08.JPG, Tenshu and Tenshu Northwest Arrow Wall
高知城黒鉄門.JPG, Kuroganemon
Kochi Castle14s3872.jpg, Tsume-mon
Kochi Castle11.JPG, Ōtemon
Structure
Two rivers, the and the Enokuchi River, form the outer moat of the castle. The castle is relatively small, as it was constructed primarily as a defense against possible rebellion by former Chōsokabe retainers, who were very unhappy with the death of their lord and the imposition of rule by the Yamauchi clan and Tokugawa Shogunate. The central bailey at the peak of the hill is an isolated area connected to secondary bailey only by bridge, and wholly surrounded by stone walls and ''yagura'' watchtowers. In case of emergency the bridge could be destroyed and the isolated defenders in the ''tenshu
is an architectural typology found in Japanese castle complexes. They are easily identifiable as the highest tower within the castle. Common translations of ''tenshu'' include keep, main keep, or ''donjon''.
''Tenshu'' are characterized as ty ...
'' could wait for the reinforcements from branch castles. The ''tenshu'' is five stories high and sits atop Otakasa Hill, commanding an extensive view of the city. Each roads from hillside area to central area are steep and folded, and climbing enemies are exposed to continuous attack from upper area, including main tower. Inside central area, other than the ''tenshu'', the Kaitokukan palace was located. This was constructed in the ''Shoin
is a type of audience hall in Japanese architecture that was developed during the Muromachi period. The term originally meant a study and a place for lectures on the sūtra within a temple, but later it came to mean just a drawing room or stu ...
'' style. The castle retains this structure today and has been fitted with period-appropriate items in the lower rooms. In addition to a tearoom
A teahouse (mainly Asia) or tearoom (also tea room) is an establishment which primarily serves tea and other light refreshments. A tea room may be a room set aside in a hotel especially for serving afternoon tea, or may be an establishment whic ...
, genkan
are traditional Japanese entryway areas for a house, apartment, or building, a combination of a porch and a doormat. It is usually located inside the building directly in front of the door. The primary function of is for the removal of sh ...
(entrance area), and latrine, the Kaitokukan contains eight traditional rooms, ranging in size from three to twelve tatami
A is a type of mat used as a flooring material in traditional Japanese-style rooms. Tatamis are made in standard sizes, twice as long as wide, about 0.9 m by 1.8 m depending on the region. In martial arts, tatami are the floor used for traini ...
. It is surrounded by a veranda
A veranda or verandah is a roofed, open-air gallery or porch, attached to the outside of a building. A veranda is often partly enclosed by a railing and frequently extends across the front and sides of the structure.
Although the form ''veran ...
on the east and south sides. The Kaitokukan also burned during the fire of 1727, but it was not repaired until 1747, with work completed in 1749.
Below the central area seondary area and other terraces covered with tall stone walls were built. The main gate of the castle located at south east direction of the hill, and outer moat surrounded south half. The castle grounds are now a public park, and a popular location in spring for ''hanami
is the Japanese traditional custom of enjoying the transient beauty of flowers; in this case almost always refer to those of the or, less frequently, trees. From the end of March to early May, cherry trees bloom all over Japan, and around ...
''. They contain the Prefectural Library and the Kōchi Literary Museum, in addition to statues of notable scions of the Yamauchi clan
The Yamauchi clan (山内氏) were a family of rulers over what was then the Tosa Province which spanned the southern half of Shikoku island.
The province was given to the family in 1600 after Yamauchi Kazutoyo led troops under Tokugawa Ieyasu a ...
.
See also
*List of Historic Sites of Japan (Kōchi)
This list is of the Monuments of Japan, Historic Sites of Japan located within the Prefectures of Japan, Prefecture of Kōchi Prefecture, Kōchi.
National Historic Sites
As of 1 July 2019, twelve Sites have been Cultural Properties of Japan, des ...
References
Literature
*
*
*
*
*
External links
*
*
Kōchi Castle official site
in Japanese
{{DEFAULTSORT:Kochi Castle
Castles in Kōchi Prefecture
Parks and gardens in Kōchi Prefecture
Museums in Kōchi Prefecture
Important Cultural Properties of Japan
Historic Sites of Japan
Tosa Province