Misplaced Pages

#851148

40-568: Maruoka Castle is located on top of a small hill in the plains north of the city of Fukui . The area around the foot of the hill was levelled, and protected by ramparts and a pentagonal-shaped moat. The castle is located on the Hokurikudō highway connecting Kaga Province with Echizen Province , at the juncture of the Mino Kaidō highway connecting inland Mino Province with the Sea of Japan . Maruoka Castle

80-631: A directly elected mayor and a unicameral city legislature of 32 members. The city also contributes 12 members to the Fukui Prefectural Assembly. In terms of national politics, Fukui forms part of Fukui 1st district , a single-member constituency of the House of Representatives in the national Diet of Japan . Fukui is twinned with: The economy of Fukui is mixed. The city is a regional commercial and finance centre; however, manufacturing, agriculture and commercial fishing also are contributors to

120-457: A human sacrifice ( hitobashira ) to appease the gods. O-shizu, a one-eyed woman who had two children and lived a poor life, was selected as the Hitobashira. She resolved to become one on the condition that one of her children was taken in by Katsutoyo and made a samurai. Standing in position the base stones were positioned around her, until they eventually crushed her to death. Her sacrifice allowed

160-515: A small tomb to soothe her spirit. There was a poem handed down, "The rain which falls when the season of cutting algae comes Is the rain reminiscent of the tears of the poor O-shizu's sorrow". Although built in the Momoyama period (1575-1600) the design is more indicative of earlier fortresses of the Warring States period (1477-1575) . As it was being sited on top of a low hill it was decided to mount

200-532: A watchtower. The tenshu has a number of unique design features. While the roof originally had wood shingles at some stage these were replaced with roof tiles made from a local stone called shakudani . These stone tiles mean the roof is unusually heavy with a weight of 60 tons which is more than double the weight of a normal tile-roofed or wooden shingle roof. In Japanese. Other sources quote a weight of 120 tons. The reason for using stone tiles believed to have been because they provided superior thermal insulation during

240-466: Is about 476 persons per km . Most of the population lives in a small central area; the city limits include rural plains, mountainous areas, and suburban sprawl along the Route 8 bypass. After suffering devastation during World War 2 and an earthquake in 1948, Fukui was nicknamed 'Phoenix City', symbolising its rebirth from ashes and destruction. Fukui is located on the coastal plain in the north-central part of

280-445: Is considered to have been constructed in 1576 by Shibata Katsutoyo , who was the nephew and adopted son of Shibata Katsuie , one of Oda Nobunaga 's leading generals. According to the legend of "O-shizu, Hitobashira" the castle was constructed with a human pillar. During construction the stone base of the tenshu kept collapsing no matter how many times it was piled up. There was one vassal who suggested that they should make someone

320-482: Is famed for its approximately 400 cherry blossom trees. An annual cherry blossom festival is held during the first three weeks of April during which the trees are lit up in the evenings by over 300 paper lanterns. Sitting atop a 6.2-metre (20 ft 4 in) high stone platform set among Japanese black pine and cherry trees, access to the tenshu is via a long staircase leading directly into its black wooden interior. The tenshu has three floors, with uppermost serving as

360-528: Is known, though that it was built by Shibata Katsuie in 1575. Also, it appears that the tenshu (keep) was nine stories high, making it the largest of the time. Castle town and centre of Fukui Domain during the Edo period Tokugawa shogunate . Fukui Domain played a key role in the Meiji restoration . The modern city of Fukui was founded with the creation of the modern municipalities system on April 1, 1889. During

400-724: The Battle of Shizugatake in 1583, the castle was given to the Aoyama clan . However, the Aoyama sided with the Western Army under Ishida Mitsunari during the Battle of Sekigahara and were thus dispossessed by the victorious Tokugawa Ieyasu . Ieyasu awarded Echizen Province to his son, Yūki Hideyasu , who in turn created a 26,000 koku holding centered at Maruoka for his retainer, Imamura Moritsugu. In 1613, due to an O-Ie Sōdō within Fukui Domain ,

440-520: The Tokugawa shogunate raised Maruoka Domain to 40,000 koku and assigned it to Honda Narishige , the son of Honda Shigetsugu , one of Ieyasu's leading generals. Due to Honda Narishige's efforts at the Siege of Osaka in 1624, the kokudaka of the domain was further raised to 46,300 koku . His son and grandson completed the castle and the surrounding jōkamachi . However, his great-grandson, Honda Shigemasu

SECTION 10

#1732869314852

480-494: The United States Army Air Forces 's Strategic Bombing Survey . Fukui was again devastated by a major earthquake in 1948 . On February 1, 2006, the town of Miyama (from Asuwa District ), the town of Shimizu , and the village of Koshino (both from Nyū District ) were merged into Fukui. Fukui's city status was designated a core city on April 1, 2019. Fukui has a mayor-council form of government with

520-470: The tenshu on a high stone base in order to gain additional height. However at the time successful techniques of constructing such a steep faced base were still in their infancy, especially when using rough uncut stones (known as nozurazumi ) in a steeply inclined base as adopted at Maruoka. This random-style piling of stones is suggested as the source of the instability in the walls during the construction period. After Shibata Katsutoyo died of illness during

560-481: The Court, under the threat of military action. In return for surrendering their hereditary authority to the central government, the daimyos were re-appointed as non-hereditary governors of their former domains (which were renamed as prefectures), and were allowed to keep ten percent of the tax revenues, based on actual rice production (which was greater than the nominal rice production upon which their feudal obligations under

600-583: The Fukui University of Technology) was commissioned by the Board of Education of Sakai City to survey the castle. By dating the timber used in the construction of the tenshu from its rings, radiocarbon concentration, and oxygen isotope ratio, they reported after four years of investigations in March 2019 that most of the through pillars, which play a structurally important role, were cut down after 1626. Confusing matters

640-497: The Ichijōdani by constructing hilltop fortifications on the surrounding mountains and constructing walls and gates to seal off the northern and southern end of the valley. Within this area, he contracted a fortified mansion, surrounded by the homes of his relatives and retainers, and eventually by the residences of merchants and artisans, and Buddhist temples. He offered refuge to people of culture or skills from Kyoto attempting to escape

680-486: The Shogunate were formerly based). As governors, the former daimyos could name subordinates, but only if the subordinates met qualification levels established by the central government. Furthermore, hereditary stipends to their samurai retainers were paid out of the prefectural office by the central government, and not directly by the governor, a move calculated to further weaken the traditional feudal ties. The term daimyō

720-525: The Tokugawa cause. These lands accounted for approximately a quarter of the land area of Japan and were reorganized into prefectures with governors appointed directly by the central government. The second phase in the abolition of the han came in 1869. The movement was spearheaded by Kido Takayoshi of the Chōshū Domain , with the backing of court nobles Iwakura Tomomi and Sanjō Sanetomi . Kido persuaded

760-400: The capital. As a result, Nobunaga launched an invasion of Echizen Province . Due to Yoshikage's lack of military skill, Nobunaga's forces were successful at the Siege of Kanegasaki and subsequent Battle of Anegawa in 1570, leaving the entire Asakura Domain open to invasion. Ichijōdani was razed to the ground by Nobunaga during the 1573 Siege of Ichijōdani Castle . Kitanosho Castle

800-748: The conflict of the Ōnin War , and the Ichijōdani became a major cultural, military, and population center, and by the time of Asakura Takakage (1493–1548) it had a peak population of over 10,000 inhabitants. Yoshikage succeeded his father as head of the Asakura clan and castle lord of Ichijōdani Castle in 1548. The Asakura maintained good relations with the Ashikaga shogunate , and thus eventually came into conflict with Oda Nobunaga . Following Nobunaga's capture of Kyoto , Shōgun Ashikaga Yoshiaki appointed Asakura Yoshikage as regent and requested aid in driving Nobunaga out of

840-463: The construction to be successfully completed. Katsutoyo was however unable to fulfil his promise to O-shizu before he moved to another province. Resentful that her son had not been made a samurai her spirit according to legend would make the moat overflow with spring rain when the season of cutting algae came in April every year. People called it, "the rain caused by the tears of O-shizu's sorrow" and erected

SECTION 20

#1732869314852

880-409: The country were demolished. In the case of Maruoka while many of the castle buildings were demolished and various gates, stone walls, and trees were sold off, the tenshu and castle grounds was purchased in 1901 by the town of Maruoka and became a park. The pentagonal moat surrounding the castle was gradually filled in and partly built between the late Taishō era to the early Shōwa era . The tenshu

920-592: The han system The abolition of the han system ( 廃藩置県 , haihan-chiken ) in the Empire of Japan and its replacement by a system of prefectures in 1871 was the culmination of the Meiji Restoration begun in 1868, the starting year of the Meiji period . Under the reform, all daimyos ( 大名 , daimyō , feudal lords) were required to return their authority to the Emperor Meiji and his house . The process

960-463: The large number of ex- samurai revolts occurring around the country. In August 1871, Okubo, assisted by Saigō Takamori , Kido Takayoshi , Iwakura Tomomi and Yamagata Aritomo , forced through an Imperial Edict which reorganized the 261 surviving ex-feudal domains into three urban prefectures ( fu ) and 302 prefectures ( ken ). The number was then reduced through consolidation the following year to three urban prefectures and 72 prefectures, and later to

1000-538: The local economy. Fukui is home to several companies, including: Shinkansen service began on 16 March 2024, when the route was extended from Kanazawa in Ishikawa, north of Fukui Prefecture, to Tsuruga in the south of Fukui. Hapi Line Fukui Service on the third-sector line formerly belonging to JR West began operations on 16 March 2024 when the Hokuriku Shinkansen was extended to Tsuruga. Abolition of

1040-491: The lords of Chōshū and of Satsuma , the two leading domains in the overthrow of the Tokugawa, to voluntarily surrender their domains to the Emperor. Between July 25, 1869, and August 2, 1869, fearing that their loyalty would be questioned, the daimyos of 260 other domains followed suit. Only 14 domains failed to initially comply voluntarily with the return of the domains ( 版籍奉還 , hanseki hōkan ) , and were then ordered to do so by

1080-637: The northeast exterior wall of the tenshu was damaged by an typhoon and were subsequently repaired by the Tanaka Shrine Co. Maruoka Castle is one of just twelve castles in Japan which has managed to keep its original tenshu . The former castle grounds are now incorporated in the Kasumigajo Park, which contain some remnants of the ramparts and moats as well as a small museum that displays some arms, armour, and household items related to its former lords. The area

1120-481: The past 40 years. Fukui originally consisted of the old provinces of Wakasa and Echizen , before the prefecture was formed in 1871. During the Edo period , the daimyō of the region was surnamed Matsudaira , and was a descendant of Tokugawa Ieyasu . In 1471, Asakura had displaced the Shiba clan as the shugo military commander of Echizen Province . The same year, Asakura Toshikage (1428–1481) fortified

1160-451: The pre-war period, Fukui grew to become an important industrial and railroad centre. Factories in the area produced aircraft parts, electrical equipment, machine motors, various metal products and textiles. Fukui was largely destroyed on June 19, 1945 during the Bombing of Fukui during World War II . Of the city's 1.9 sq mi (4.9 km ) at the time, 84.8% of Fukui was destroyed, per

1200-563: The prefecture. It is bordered by the Sea of Japan to the west and the Ryōhaku Mountains to the east. The Kuzuryū River flows through the city. Fukui has a humid subtropical climate ( Köppen climate classification Cfa ) with hot, humid summers and cool winters. Precipitation is high throughout the year, and is especially heavy in December and January. Per Japanese census data, the population of Fukui has remained relatively steady over

1240-407: The present three urban prefectures and 44 prefectures by 1888. The central government accomplished this reorganization by promising the former daimyos a generous stipend, absorbing the domain's debts, and promising to convert the domain currency ( hansatsu ) to the new national currency at face value. The central treasury proved unable to support such generosity, so in 1874, the ex-daimyōs' stipend

Maruoka Castle - Misplaced Pages Continue

1280-414: The size of the tenshu and its interior are very similar to that of contemporary Inuyama Castle . Fukui, Fukui Fukui ( 福井市 , Fukui-shi ) is the capital city of Fukui Prefecture , Japan. As of 1 March 2024 , the city had an estimated population of 255,332 in 107,553 households. Its total area is 536.41 square kilometres (207.11 sq mi) and its population density

1320-469: The windows on the top floor was changed from sliding doors to push-up windows. The castle was designated an Important Cultural Property in 1950. A number of the castle gates also survive in private hands, including one at the temple of Kōzen-ji in Komatsu, Ishikawa and one at the temple of Renshō-ji in the city of Awara, Fukui . The Maruoka Castle Research and Research Committee led by (Junichi Yoshida from

1360-429: The winter. The roof also features stone shachihako (fish/tiger) ornaments. The right-hand side of the tenshu has a series of protruding ishiotoshimado (stone-dropping windows) that allowed defenders to shoot at enemies via timber slats and also via a trap door to drop stones or pour oil or boiling water on attackers underneath. The tenshu also has a hidden floor not apparent from the exterior, but in general both

1400-478: Was abolished in July 1869 as well, with the formation of the kazoku peerage system. Although the former daimyos had become government employees, they still retained a measure of military and fiscal independence, and enjoyed the customary veneration of their former subjects. This was considered an increasing threat to central authority by Ōkubo Toshimichi and other members of the new Meiji oligarchy , especially with

1440-479: Was accomplished in several stages, resulting in a new centralized government of Meiji Japan and the replacement of the old feudal system with a new oligarchy . After the defeat of forces loyal to the Tokugawa shogunate during the Boshin War in 1868, the new Meiji government confiscated all lands formerly under direct control of the Shogunate ( tenryō ) and lands controlled by daimyos who remained loyal to

1480-543: Was an alcoholic and incompetent, and was dispossessed by the shogunate in 1695. The Honda were replaced by Arima Kiyosumi , a descendant of the Kirishitan daimyō Arima Harunobu . The Arima clan continued to rule Maruoka for eighth generations until the abolition of the han system in July 1871 during the Meiji Restoration . After the Meiji restoration, almost all Japanese castles keeps and many other castle buildings around

1520-412: Was registered as a national treasure on 30 January 1934. The tenshu collapsed due to the destruction of its stone base during the 1948 Fukui earthquake . In 1955 the base was rebuilt using 70% of the original pillars and about 60% of the original beams by installing a reinforced concrete frame and piling the original stones around it before re-erecting the tenshu on top. At that time, the structure of

1560-463: Was the observation that the architectural style of Maruoka's tenshu was considered outdated by the 1620s. This would indicate that if it had been built in 1576 by Shibata Katsutoyo as generally assumed, it would have been heavily reconstructed in the latter half of the 1620s (mostly likely in 1628) by the Honda clan following Honda Narishige being assigned ownership of the castle in 1613. In October 2019

1600-438: Was transformed into government bonds with a face value equivalent to five years' worth of stipends, and paying five percent interest per year. Samurai serving former daimyos also received tradable government bonds of former salary dependent value. The owners of the bonds received interest until the bonds were reimbursed, which was decided by annual lottery. In 30 years, all bonds for samurais were reimbursed. Makino Nobuaki ,

#851148