Asuke castle (true mountain-castle)

In this article, we are explaining what was a real mountain-castle in the Sengoku period.

Because we want to visit a real mountain-castle, we investigated and finally focused the Asuke castle. The Damine castle where we had visited in a previous article, was also a mountain-castle, however, its facilities were not from the authentic but from one of ancient blue-prints of samurai residence at the same time the castle was made. We appreciate the decision of the owner of the castle, even so, there was a mismatch between the location and the building reconstructed.

Map of the Asuke castle

So, we happened to research another possibility, and found the information of this castle. We heard that the Asuke castle's structures had been reconstructed based on the survey results. The owner of this castle had researched the whole area before they started the reconstruction. They had found many remains such as pits used as holes for posts. So, they reconstructed the old buildings according to the records remained on the surface of its site. We want to describe the difference of reconstructed buildings of this castle from the Damine castle's building. How different they are?    

Toyota city where the Asuke castle is located is the city a world-famous car-manufacturer, Toyota corporation's headquarters and main factories are there. 
Most part of this city excepting the center where many factories street with is mountainous area sticking out the flat land. In this mountainous area, many mountain-castles were built during the Sengoku period. At that time, this mountainous area was appropriate to make castles for the rural lords who ruled this region. 


The history of the Asuke castle

The Asuke castle does not have special own history which influenced the Japanese history. There isn't an unique story staking everything (like the episode the Damine castle's solders betrayed their master and Takeda Katsuyori at the very end of the battle at Nagashino). We suppose this averageness of this castle made it not to be noticed until now.

By the way, this castle was disposed at the end of the Sengoku period because the lord of this castle removed to the Kanto district. However, after that, the whole area of this castle was not used other purpose and well preserved. For example, Kuruwa (baileys) were remained untouched, such as additional digging was not done. Furthermore, researchers such as professors of universities paid attention, some professor made the first reproduction drawing of this castle area in 1963.  

Regarding the history of this castle, these information is quite rare. For example the birth year is not written in the handout we get at the entrance booth. At that time, a mountain-castle was an emergency facility and the lord placed his residence at the bottom of the castle, and made a village where the
servants and general laborers lived usually. But we don't get such kind of information from handouts and other database, books, the Internet and so on. There are several comparatively small buildings there, then, are these the living place of the lords or not? We want to know more about the life of the lord of this castle. 


Reproduced area

Well, let us say it one more again. This castle's charm is authenticity of constructions which were made according to the result of the excavation. The buildings we are looking at now is exactly same as the originals.

Ichijodani medival town

We know another example that the Ichijodani medieval town was partly reproduced in the area where it had been using the effort of the excavation. 
Reproduced Ichijodani medieval town made us surprise by its authenticity. 
We can have a look around the whole excavated district and calculate the width of this town and the power of the Asakura clan who made it.

In comparison, how wide the Asuke castle is? In the Ichijodani area, there is the Ichijo mountain-castle, that was the emergency castle for the Asakura clan. 
The width of the Asuke castle is around one third of the Ichijo mountain-castle.

The Asuke castle was made by the Suzuki clan who was a rural lord of this region. We don't have information how wide his territory was and how many soldiers he employed at that time. A little disappointment we feel about smallness of such kind of information. However, according to the comparison of these two castles, he had relatively a spacious mountain-castle.    

The entrance gate

Now we enter the castle area going through the entrance gate. There is a bailey named 'Minamino-maru' (south bailey), and reproduced cabins on this area. 
This bailey is located on around 10 meters higher ground than we are standing. So we can't enter this bailey directly. And once soldiers who lived in this castle were looking down their enemy soldiers when the battle would happen.

The Minamino-maru bailey

Our routes, or narrow paths split in two in front of this bailey. We follow the direction shown on the sign. And we aim other bailey called 'Nishino-maru' (west bailey). These baileys are consisted with a main bailey and several secondary small baileys called 'Koshi-kuruwa'. And they make a shape like terraced fields. These baileys are connected with each other by narrow paths. The soldiers who lived in this castle used to move between these baileys.

The Nishino-maru bailey

Then we go ahead along the viewing routes and climb the exterior stairs. And we reach the Nishno-maru bailey. It's a relatively wide place, elliptical shape and surrounded by palisades. We can look down to the eastern region from here. And the opposite side of our distance, there is a wooden watch tower reconstructed.

According to information boards, there were other buildings around it but only it is reconstructed now. It is a two-story square shape building. And we, visitors are prohibited from climbing the ladder to the second floor. It's a shame.

Behind it is the Hon-maru bailey (the center bailey). The Hon-maru bailey is located on around 10 meters higher ground than we are standing. If we were the attacking soldiers, the Hon-maru bailey looked too high, so quite difficult to attack it directly.

The minamino-maru bailey and Watch tower

Going through a narrow side road, we visit the Minamino-maru bailey. It is the bailey we look at first when we enter the castle area. The entrance gate is a flip-up door. In the bailey, there are two cabins reconstructed.

Inside of the cabin

Each cabin is a one-story, and there is an earthen floor, a front room with a hearth, and an inner room, so, inside of the cabin is relatively spacious. Another cabin's inside is also same. We don't have extra information whether the lord's family lived in these cabins or not. Or these are accommodation for the servants.

We go out the Minamino-maru bailey and we go up another narrow path to the Hon-maru bailey (the center bailey). At the end of a slope, there is another watch tower, it was called the 'Minami-monomidai' (the south watch tower). We also can't enter it. However, we can look quite far landscape even at the bottom of this tower. From the tower, we go up again to the Hon-maru bailey. There is a bridge-like structure that leads to the path to the Hon-maru bailey. We go through the bridge-like structure and climb a narrow slope again.

In the Hon-maru bailey, there is a two-story tower and a one-story building called 'Nagaya', however, this building's use is unknown. We can enter the tower, and the inside looks like living space of the lord's family. There is a small corner named the lord's space, however it is too small to live his daily life. At that time, even the lord, his living space was not wide enough. Otherwise, this building was only for commanding and he lived in other wide residence. There is no further information. We suppose if there was no information, the planner of these reconstructions won't make imaginative additions.

According to the information board, second floor was used for meetings. The lord invited his allies to this fine view room. We can climb the steep ladder this time, and appreciate the 360-degree view. And Asuke town is located far side of the forest, that was a post town in the Ina road (connecting Suwa and Okazaki, two big towns at that time). We agree the Suzuki clan's decision when he chose this mountain. Asuke town would be the source of his wealth.

The Hon-maru bailey

The historical impact

We researched the information about the number of the Suzuki clan's servants and the width of their territory. However, we can't find it in neither hand-out we get at this sightseeing facility nor other information source such like books in libraries. If we dare to mention one information, it says 'the Matsudaira clan invaded the Suzuki clan's territory by 2000 soldiers and the Suzuki clan became under control of the Matsudaira clan.' So, we suppose the number of his soldiers was the scale would not be enough to resist 2000 invading soldiers. 

The two-story tower and the Nagaya

On the other hand, there is no vestige of battles in the castle area from the result of the excavation. So, the Suzuki clan might not fight against the invader and became under the control of them. The Suzuki clan came under the Matsudaira clan during 1560's, and they moved to the Takeda clan at the beginning of 1570's. After the battle of Nagashino (1573), the Takeda clan moved backward from the Asuke region, so, they moved to the Tokugawa clan again. (Tokugawa Ieyasu, the head of the Tokugawa clan changed his family name from Matsudaira to Tokugawa at 1566.) Later, the Suzuki clan changed their territory according to his master's immigrate in the Kanto district. After a while, the Asuke castle was abolished.

Around the Asuke town, there were several mountain-castles.
Some of them were also excavated and some research are progressing. Why so many mountain-castles were built around the Asuke town? We have no answer but we suppose they were for the defense of the town.

If the mountain-castles acted properly when the Matsudaira clan's soldiers came to invade, the Suzuki clan could go through with the defense. This was too serious to people at the scene, they wanted to avoid wars, even if they had strong fortresses. As the result, this castle didn't appear on the stage named the Japanese history. We can't assume that it's unfortunate or right decision for them.


The Excavation (from a information tiled borad)

The excavation survey was conducted at the site of the Asuke Castle Remains from 1990 to 1992. An excavation survey of a castle that stood in the mountainous region during the periods of Muromachi up to the Sengoku Period is uncommon in Japan. During wars, castles were built in mountainous regions for the purpose of serving as a fort. The Asuke Castle, however, seemed to have been a castle of residence, as seen from the pillar holes found in each bailey (Kuruwa), suggesting that some residential buildings stood across the castle ground, while the unearthing of many utensils for daily use, tea utensils, writing items, and imported items such as white porcelain also supported this theory. Clearly distinct remains of buildings found were in Honmaru (main bailey), Minami-no-maru (south bailey), Kita Koshi-kuruwa (north waist bailey) 1, Kita Koshi-kuruwa 2, and Nishi Monomidai (west watchtower). All the buildings were post-in ground structure. A cornerstone of a building was found in the Honmaru Koshi-kuruwa (main waist bailey) 3. A bridge, well and waterway, connecting Honmaru and the Minami Monomidai (south watchtower), were also discovered.