Sukegawakaibou Castle Ruins - Hitachi

Well, there is nothing. Basically, I think about the past while just taking a walk.

It is a famous place for cherry blossoms ❗️ Because it is located on the mountaintop, the view is good, so why not bring your own lunch and invite your family and friends to go out?

On the hill where the sea is visible, there are earthworks, stone walls, and the remains of the museum. When driving, please note that the road is narrow.

From the vicinity of the former Honmaru mark, which is now a park, you can see the spacious sights of Hitachi city and the Pacific Ocean. The inside of the park was covered with lawn, it was easy to walk, the state of the castle taking advantage of the mountain topography was felt there and I wanted to visit again.

I had seen and heard the name of Sukegawa Kaibojo here and there, but I finally got the chance to visit it. It is a rare castle that is the last castle in the prefecture and one of the only two sea defense castles in Japan. Originally, there was Sukegawa Castle (Tatenumakan) under Mr. Satake on this plateau, but it is not so fluffy. At the end of the Tokugawa shogunate ... I will quote the explanation version here. "Nariaki, the ninth feudal lord of the Mito Domain, took the initiative in emphasizing the importance of sea defense, and in 1836, appointed Yoshikazu Yamanobe, a chief retainer, as a new senior officer named Kaibo Souji, overlooking the Pacific Ocean. A castle was built and settled on the hills of the village of Sukegawa (Keigawa), based on the terrain of the fortification, to prepare for the unauthorized invasion of foreign ships. This is the Sukegawa Kaibojo. This is because, unlike the castle of a great name, it was a castle for the purpose of sea defense, which was unprecedented in Japan at that time. It took five years to complete, and the total area was 680,000 square meters (more than 20). At Mantsubo), the height increases from the entrance (front gate of the castle) near the school gate of Sukegawa Elementary School to Sannomaru (partly the site of Sukegawa Elementary School) and Ninomaru (partly the house of the sun) Honmaru. There was also a turret that watched over foreign ships. The Kaibojo was burnt down during the Mito clan's internal turmoil at the end of the Edo period in September 1864, and the remains of that time were a dove on the foundation stone of the front gate of the main enclosure, Ninomaru. Only stones ... Hitachi City Board of Education " Yoshigei Yamanobe, the third lord of the Sukegawa Kaibojo, was caught up in the turmoil of the Tengu Party and the Mito Rebellion while paying the sparks, and surrendered as a rebellion of the Tengu Party. A small number of garrison soldiers left in the castle are exhausted by the Shogunate army, and the castle is plundered by the Shogunate army. The Zangiri corps led by Tanaka Genzo of the Tengu Party occupied the castle and fought against the Shogunate army, but finally set fire to the castle and retreated ... It was the end of his short life.

This marking position is where Honmaru was. There were also Omotesando and Tomi Bansho ruins. The view from here is nice.

The castle is unique in its history, territory and structure, and history leading up to the fall of the castle. It is also a mysterious castle because of the scarcity of existing historical materials and the significant changes in the current situation. By the way, there were seven sea defense facilities (sea defense camp and Daiba) on the coastline of the Hitachi region centered on this castle. Among them, Hatsuzaki Daiba on the Ose coast is about 2 km from Hitachi Station and the closest to Kaibo Castle. In the event of an emergency, a system was in place to carry out jōi (coastal defense = sea defense) in cooperation with these facilities. Hatsuzaki Daiba can be called the battery of Sukegawa Kaibojo, and I would like to visit it as a set if possible. Maybe you can experience the tension and presence of Joi. Nariaki Nariaki's proud Sukegawa Kaibojo does not work well on its own. A sea defense facility that complements the coastline of the Mito Domain, which is about 30 kilometers long, was indispensable. Sukegawa Kaibojo is an indigenous priest Yamanobe and his vassals, and is a major player in maritime defense such as military training (gun Yaba, Baba), education and martial arts (yoseikan), weapon production (swords, etc.) as well as maritime surveillance. It was a base and had a function like a command tower. To learn more about Sukegawa Kaibou Castle, see books related to the Hitachi City Museum's Folk Book Corner (there is an exhibition space, but it is small. There is also a leaflet introducing Sukegawa Kaibou Castle), and the Sukegawa Elementary School's Folk Museum (general). We recommend that you visit the museum), but due to the nature of the school, it is only on weekdays and advance notice is required, so be careful. Also, although photography is basically OK, posting on SNS is NG except for personal viewing (I was reminded by the school, but if you are a sensible adult, there should be no problem). There you can see a 1/500 restored model of Sukegawa Kaibojo (the building includes the estimated part), an actual measurement map, and excavated roof tiles.

The view is good. The bus is also running. You can climb from the back of Hitachi Municipal Hospital, but the road is difficult to understand. Go towards Seven-Eleven. It is the back of the welfare facility. There is also a public toilet. Good for a little exercise.