Dark Shachi

Article posted on Sunday, June, 12th, 2011 at 10:15 pm

It was a long and wet drive to Kama city in Fukuoka Prefecture. I’d set out early that morning to take in the Ichiya Jō Matsuri, a festival that celebrates the time when Toyotomi Hideyoshi had the walls of a fallen castle covered with paper over-night, to give the appearance of them being re-plastered.

After witnessing the seemingly infinite resources of the advancing army, the warriors of the Akizuki clan capitulated. Hideyoshi’s armies then continued their march to Kagoshima.

The festival wasn’t quite as successful, it was rained out. There were other things for me to see though. Two gates remained from the local castle of Masutomi. (益富城) and both had been moved to local temples. The former Ōte Gate merely fills an empty space at the Zenshō Temple (善照寺), while the former Karamete Gate (搦手門) is in use as the front gate of the Rinō Temple (麟翁寺).

Below is the Shachi (explained here) of the Karamete Gate, gritting its teeth under the grey sky.

The view from Hizen Nagoya castle

Article posted on Tuesday, May, 24th, 2011 at 10:23 pm

You may recall from previous posts that I recently had myself a little half-day trip to Karatsu. During that trip I was able to visit the ruins of Hizen Nagoya castle (肥前名護屋城). It should be noted that the decommissioned mess of Hizen Nagoya castle was where Karatsu castle got much of its building materials.

Hizen-Nagoya is such a unique beast. It was built in the late 1500′s, and it was huge. Such was its size that it is believed to be the second largest Japanese castle ever built. The epic citadel of Edo taking the top spot. Interestingly, Hizen-Nagoya was only in use for less than a decade. That being the case though, it was able to maintain its original shape; a rare feat.

The remnant stonework may be in rather poor condition, but I strongly recommend a visit to this castle if you find yourself in Kyūshū. It’s a fascinating place in a quiet corner of Japan.

Lightin’ up

Article posted on Monday, November, 16th, 2009 at 8:44 pm

Image credit: Yomiuri Online

For a good cause

Seems like castles all over Japan have been trying to out light up each other of late. And all for good causes. It was mid-October when Nagoya, Kokura & Kouchi castles where all dressed in a lovely shade of pink to raise the awareness of breast cancer, and now one month later several castles are donning a blue hue in aid of World Diabetes Day.

Pictured is Matsumoto castle of Nagano Prefecture. Toyama castle of Toyama Prefecture has also received the blue rinse.

Masutomi Castle, the overnight castle

There is one other castle that has just wrapped up its light up activities. It wasn’t in relation to a specific cause but to a legend instead. When Toyotomi Hideyoshi was in the process of pacifying Kyushu and about to engage the Akizuki clan, he had an enemy’s fallen castle covered in white paper overnight to give the illusion that it had been re-plastered. To the Akizuki clan, it had a demoralizing affect for it looked as though the invading armies had truly infinite resources. This prompted Akizuki Tanezane to surrender.

Every year the local residents celebrate this historical event by erecting scaffolding in the shape of a castle (it looks way better than it sounds) and illuminate it for a week to remember the castle that was built overnight.

Folding screen of Hideyoshi’s Osaka Castle

Article posted on Monday, October, 12th, 2009 at 9:55 pm

Folding screen depicting Hideyoshi's Osaka Castle

A friendship agreement now exists between Graz Palace in Austria & Osaka Castle. It all started in 2006 when the magnificent folding screen depicting Osaka castle was discovered decorating the walls of one of the Indian rooms of the Eggenberg Palace. It’s believed the screen was painted in the years prior to Osaka castle’s destruction during the Winter & Summer campaigns by Tokugawa forces in 1614 – 1615.

The screen most probably made it’s way to Europe in the mid to late 1600′s then into the hands of Prince Johann Seyfried von Eggenberg. The eight-part folding screen was dissembled in 1750 and the individual panels were embedded into the walls of the third Indian room of the Eggenberg Palace some years later. The Indian rooms were decorated with treasures brought to Europe by the East-India company.

More information can be found at the The Universal Museum Joanneum website and this Japan Times Article.