Utsunomiya Castle

Japanese: 宇都宮城 - うつのみやじょう

Hirajiro Castle was located in Utsunomiya City, Tochigi Prefecture. It was once the residence of the Utsunomiya clan. During the Edo period, it served as the headquarters of the Utsunomiya Domain. It is one of the Seven Great Castles of Kanto. It is said to have originated when Fujiwara Hidesato or Fujiwara Soen built a residence south of Futarayama during the Heian period. Fujiwara Soen is the person who later became the ancestor of the Utsunomiya clan. The Utsunomiya clan was a central military commander in northern Kanto, ranking as kokushi, shugo, and Kanto yayagata from the Kamakura period to the Azuchi-Momoyama period. The Utsunomiya clan also had a good relationship with Toyotomi Hideyoshi, and was granted the surname Hashiba in addition to being assured of his territory, but was suddenly abolished in 1597 (Keicho 2) and was destroyed. After that, Gamo Hideyuki entered Utsunomiya Castle with 180,000 koku, and after the Battle of Sekigahara, Okudaira Iemasa entered the castle with 100,000 koku, and then Honda Masazumi entered the castle with 155,000 koku in 1619 (Genwa 5). The castle and the surrounding area were developed during the reigns of the Gamo, Okudaira, and Honda clans. Masazumi, in accordance with the wishes of the shogunate, built a two-story, two-storey Seimeidai yagura tower in place of a castle tower, but rumors of a rebellion spread over the renovation of the castle, and in 1622 (Genwa 8), Masazumi was stripped of his title ( the "Utsunomiya Castle Suspended Ceiling Incident"). After Masazumi, the castle was successively lorded by the Okudaira clan, Honda clan, Okudaira clan, Abe clan, Toda clan, and Fukamizo Matsudaira clan, but in the late Edo period, the Toda clan entered the castle until the end of the Edo period. In the Boshin War of 1868 (Meiji 1), the castle became one of the battlefields (Utsunomiya War), and many of the castle buildings and the streets around the castle were burned down. In 1890 (Meiji 23), the castle was sold to the private sector, and further remains were lost due to urban development after World War II, and remain to this day. Currently, the castle ruins are maintained as Utsunomiya Castle Park, and some of the earthworks of the main citadel are preserved. The exterior of the main citadel's earthworks and moat have been restored, and the Seimeidai, Fujimi turret, and earthen walls have been restored in wood. There are plans to restore the Honmaru Onarigoten, Honmaru Shimizumon, and Honmaru Igamon in the future. Take a bus from Utsunomiya Station on the JR Tohoku Main Line or Tohoku Shinkansen, or from Tobu Utsunomiya Station on the Tobu Railway Utsunomiya Line, get off at Utsunomiya City Hall, and walk for 3 minutes. ◇It is also called Kamegaoka Castle.

Source: Kodansha Encyclopedia of Japanese Castles Information

Japanese:

栃木県宇都宮市にあった平城(ひらじろ)。かつての宇都宮氏の居城。江戸時代は宇都宮藩の藩庁となった城である。関東七名城の一つ。平安時代に藤原秀郷あるいは藤原宗円が二荒山の南に居館を構えたのがその起源といわれている。藤原宗円はのちの宇都宮氏の祖となった人物である。宇都宮氏は鎌倉時代から安土桃山時代にかけて国司、守護、関東八屋形に列せられた北関東の中心的な武将であった。宇都宮氏は豊臣秀吉との関係も良好で、その所領を安堵されたほか羽柴姓を授かるほどだったが、1597年（慶長2）に突如改易され滅亡した。その後、宇都宮城には蒲生秀行が18万石で、関ヶ原の戦いの後には奥平家昌が10万石で入城、さらに1619年（元和5）には本多正純が15万5000石で入城し、蒲生氏、奥平氏、本多氏の時代にわたって城と城下の整備が進んだ。正純は幕府の意向に従い、天守代わりに2層2階の清明台櫓(せいめいだいやぐら)を設けたが、この城の改修にまつわり謀反の噂が流れ、1622年（元和8）、正純は改易となった（「宇都宮城釣天井事件」）。正純後の城主は奥平氏をはじめ、本多氏、奥平氏、阿部氏、戸田氏、深溝松平氏など次々と入れ替わったが、江戸時代後期に戸田氏が入城して幕末を迎えた。1868年（明治1）の戊辰戦争では戦地の一つ（宇都宮戦争）となり、城の建物や城下の街並みが数多く焼失した。また、1890年（明治23）には城郭が民間に払い下げられ、さらに第二次世界大戦後の都市開発の進行などにより遺構はさらに失われ、今日に至った。現在城跡は宇都宮城址公園として整備され、本丸の一部の土塁が保存されているほか、本丸の土塁、堀の外観が復元され、清明台、富士見櫓、土塀が木造で復元されている。将来、本丸御成御殿、本丸清水門、本丸伊賀門を復元する計画もある。JR東北本線・東北新幹線宇都宮駅から、あるいは東武鉄道宇都宮線東武宇都宮駅からバスで宇都宮市役所下車、徒歩3分。◇亀ヶ岡城とも呼ばれる。

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