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(literally, "four-point fort") is a fort in the city of
(literally, "four-point fort") is a fort in the city of Hakodate
is a city and port located in Oshima Subprefecture, Hokkaido, Japan. It is the capital city of Oshima Subprefecture. As of July 31, 2011, the city has an estimated population of 279,851 with 143,221 households, and a population density of 412.8 ...
in southern Hokkaidō
is Japan's second largest island and comprises the largest and northernmost prefecture, making up its own region. The Tsugaru Strait separates Hokkaidō from Honshu; the two islands are connected by the undersea railway Seikan Tunnel.
The la ...
, Japan. It was constructed in April 1869, during the Battle of Hakodate
The was fought in Japan from December 4, 1868 to June 27, 1869, between the remnants of the Tokugawa shogunate army, consolidated into the armed forces of the rebel Ezo Republic, and the armies of the newly formed Imperial government (composed ...
, three kilometres to the northeast
The points of the compass are a set of horizontal, radially arrayed compass directions (or azimuths) used in navigation and cartography. A compass rose is primarily composed of four cardinal directions—north, east, south, and west—each se ...
of Goryōkaku by two hundred soldiers of the former 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 ...
and a hundred local villagers, likely under the direction of Ōtori Keisuke
was a Japanese military leader and diplomat.Perez, Louis G. (2013)"Ōtori Keisuke"in ''Japan at War: An Encyclopedia,'' p. 304.
Biography
Early life and education
Ōtori Keisuke was born in Akamatsu Village, in the Akō domain of Harima Pro ...
. Shiryōkaku has four bastions , and is sometimes known as the "butterfly fort" as opposed to the "star fort".
The fort covers an area of 21,500 m2, stretching approximately a hundred metres east to west and seventy metres north to south; the earthworks rise to a height of 3 m with a width of 5.4 m; they are surrounded by a dry moat 0.9 m deep and 2.7 m wide; the entrance is to the southwest.
Shiryōkaku fell to government forces within a few hours on 11 May 1869.
In 1934 the area was designated an Historic Site
A historic site or heritage site is an official location where pieces of political, military, cultural, or social history have been preserved due to their cultural heritage value. Historic sites are usually protected by law, and many have been rec ...
. Repairs were carried out from 1970-2 and again in 1990.
See also
*Ezo Republic
The was a short-lived separatist state established in 1869 on the island of Ezo, now Hokkaido, by a part of the former military of the Tokugawa shogunate at the end of the ''Bakumatsu'' period in Japan. It was the first government to attempt t ...
* 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 ...
* List of Historic Sites of Japan (Hokkaidō)
This list is of the Historic Sites of Japan located within the Circuit of Hokkaidō.
National Historic Sites
As of 1 September 2019, fifty-five Sites have been designated as being of national significance (including one * Special Historic Si ...
* List of foreign-style castles in Japan
This is a list of foreign-style castles in Japan. In Japan, the word ' 城(''shiro'') has broader meanings than western world, so this list includes the buildings near to fortresses.
Korean style castles
Chinese style castle
Portuguese st ...
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Shiryokaku Forts in Japan Historic Sites of Japan Hakodate 1869 establishments in Japan 19th-century fortifications in Japan