Tagajo

Japanese: 多賀城 - たがじょう

This ancient fortress was located in Tagajo City, Miyagi Prefecture, and was the location of the Mutsu Kokufu and Chinjufu. It is a nationally designated special historic site and one of the "100 Great Castles in Japan" selected by the Japan Castle Foundation. Tagajo was the location of the Mutsu Kokufu throughout the Nara and Heian periods, and was the central location of fortresses built throughout the Tohoku region. Located at the tip of a low hill that continues west from Shiogama, the outer wall is about 900m square and has south, east and west gates. Inside were the government offices, workshops for making wood and iron products, and soldiers' quarters. In the 9th century, the main roads were the north-south main street leading to the south gate and the east-west main street perpendicular to the north-south main street, with small streets built every 100m, creating a city with a grid-like road network, where the mansions of high-ranking officials and people of various professions were built to form the city. In recent years, the remains of a "Kyokusui-en" (a festival to celebrate the passing of a dead person) have been unearthed at the Taga Castle ruins, and the area has been attracting attention again. Taga Castle is said to have been built in 724 (Jinki 1) during the Nara period by Ono no Azumabito, who later became the general of the Mutsu chinju ( guardian of Mutsu ), and it is believed that after its completion, the Mutsu provincial government and naval base, which are believed to have been located at the Koriyama ruins in Taihaku Ward, Sendai, were moved to Taga Castle. It was a frontline military base located on the border between the spheres of influence of the Kinai government and the Emishi ( wild people ), but in 802 (Enryaku 21), the border moved northward with the subjugation of the Emishi by Sakanoue no Tamuramaro, and the naval base was moved to Isawa Castle ( Oshu City, Iwate Prefecture). Around the 10th century, it was little used and fell into disrepair, but in the first half of the 14th century ( Nanboku - cho period), Kitabatake Chikafusa and his son Akiie, who served Emperor Go-Daigo's son Prince Yoshiyoshi (Emperor Go-Murakami ) , established the Mutsu Shogunate here as a base for the Southern Court, and it reappeared on the stage of history. However, it was soon recaptured by the Northern Court, and the Shogunate was moved to Ryozen Castle (Soma City to Date City, Fukushima Prefecture). Today, the remains of the government office remain at Taga Castle, as well as castle monuments and restored walls. The Tohoku History Museum in the same city stores and exhibits many artifacts excavated from the Taga Castle ruins. It is about a 10-minute walk from Kokufu Tagajo Station on the JR Tohoku Main Line.

Source: Kodansha Encyclopedia of Japanese Castles Information

Japanese:

宮城県多賀城市にあった古代の城柵で、陸奥国府・鎮守府が置かれた。国指定特別史跡。日本城郭協会選定による「日本100名城」の一つ。多賀城には奈良・平安時代を通じて陸奥国府が置かれ、東北各地に設置された城柵の中心的な存在となった。塩釜付近から西に続く低い丘陵の先端に位置し、外側の大垣は約900m四方で、南・東・西の門があり、その内部には政庁のほか、木製品や鉄製品をつくる工房や兵士の宿舎などがあった。9世紀には南門に至る南北大路と、南北大路に直交する東西大路を主要道路として、100mごとに小路がつくられ、碁盤の目の道路網を持つ都市がつくられ、上級役人の邸宅やさまざまな職業の人々の住居が建設されて都市を形成していた。近年、多賀城跡では、曲水宴の遺構が出土するなど、再び注目を集めている。多賀城は奈良時代の724年（神亀1）に、のちに陸奥鎮守将軍となった大野東人(おおののあずまびと)により築城されたといわれ、その完成後、仙台市太白区の郡山遺跡にあったと推定されている陸奥国府・鎮守府が、多賀城に移されたのではないかといわれている。畿内政権と蝦夷(えみし)の勢力圏の境界に位置する最前線の軍事拠点だったが、802年（延暦21）の坂上田村麻呂(さかのうえのたむらまろ)による蝦夷討伐により境界が北進し、鎮守府が胆沢(いさわ)城（岩手県奥州市）に移されている。10世紀頃にはほとんど使用されなくなり荒廃したが、14世紀前半（南北朝時代）には、後醍醐天皇の皇子義良(のりよし)親王（後村上天皇）を奉じた北畠親房(ちかふさ)・顕家(あきいえ)父子が南朝方の拠点としてここに陸奥将軍府を置き、再び歴史の舞台に登場する。しかし、その後間もなく北朝方に奪還され、将軍府は霊山城(りょうぜんじょう)（福島県相馬市～伊達市）に移転した。多賀城跡には現在、政庁跡が残っているほか、城碑、復元された塀などがある。同市にある東北歴史博物館には、多賀城跡からの出土品が多数保管・展示されている。JR東北本線国府多賀城駅から徒歩約10分。

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