Difference between revisions of "Ako Castle"

Revision as of 00:04, 10 November 2019

History

Ukita Hideie built a branch or subordinate castle of Okayama Castle here in 1573. When Asano Naganao came in 1648 he was instructed by the Tokugawa government to build a new castle. If you look at a map of the castle you'll see that the outline looks very unique. It employs a lot of corners and these arrowhead point looking structures. This was a very modern idea to improve firing range near the castle and increase its defensive ability. You also see such structures very clearly in Goryokaku at Hakodate. There is a main keep foundation at Ako Castle but the main keep wasn't built because the Tokugawa government never granted permission to do so. Ako Castle was dismantled in 1873 under the Castle Abolishment Law.

Visit Notes

This looks like a great, but not well visited castle. I really want to go here soon.

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Gallery

Otemon Gate
Otemon Gate
Sannomaru Bailey stone walls
Shioya Gate
Sannomaru Bailey stone walls
Sannomaru Bailey stone walls
Kita Yokoyamasugata foundation
Sannomaru moat and stone walls
Ote Corner Yagura
Otemon Gate
Guardhouse looking rest area
Otemon Stone Walls
Otemon stone walls, Ako Oishi Shrine in the background
Kondo Genpachi Residence Nagayamon Gate
Oishi Kuranosuke Residence Nagayamon Gate
Oishi Yoshitaka Residence Nagayamon Gate
Bukeyashiki Park Gate. The gate is only a mock entrance to an area that housed samurai homes
Bukeyashiki Park. An area that housed samurai homes
Moat and walls near the Shimizu Gate
Ninomaru moat and stone walls, Ako City Museum on the left
East Corner Yagura Foundation
Shimizumon Gate
Ninomaru stone walls
East Yagura Foundation
Ninomaru stone walls
Shiomi Yagura Foundation
Mizunotemon Gate
Ninomaru moat and stone walls
Ninomaru Rest House, mock rice warehouse
Ninomaru moat and stone walls
Sannomaru Stone Walls (left); Ninomaru stone walls (right)
Seinan Yagura Foundation
Sannomaru Stone walls
Nishi Yagura Foundation
Nishi Yagura Foundation
Sites of samurai residences since the road to the Shioya Gate
Gate to the Ninomaru Gardens and site of Oishi Tanomosuke's residence
Ninomaru Teien
Ninomaru Gardens stone walls and embankment
Honmaru Gate
Honmaru Gate
Honmaru Gate
Honmaru Gate
Honmaru Gate
Honmaru Gate
Honmaru Gate
Honmaru compound
Honmaru embankment and stone walls
Honmaru embankment and stone walls
Honmaru Garden
Honmaru compound
Honmaru compound
Honmaru embankment and walls
Main Keep Foundation
Umayaguchimon Gate
Umayaguchimon Gate
Higashi Yokoyamasugata Foundation
Hanebashimon Gate
Honmaru moat and stone walls
Ninomaru Garden West Shikirimon Gate
Ninomaru walls and moat
Ninomaru walls and moat
Ninomaru walls and moat
Ninomaru walls and moat
Sannomaru moat and stone walls
Sannomaru moat and stone walls
Map
Map
Ako Oishi Shrine
Ako Oishi Shrine

Castle Profile
English Name	Ako Castle
Japanese Name	赤穂城
Alternate Names	Kariya-jo
Founder	Asano Naganao
Year Founded	1648
Castle Type	Flatland
Castle Condition	No main keep but other buildings
Designations	Top 100 Castles, National Historic Site
Historical Period	Edo Period
Features	gates, turrets, bridges, samurai homes, water moats, stone walls, walls
Visitor Information
Access	Banshuako Sta. (Ako Line)
Visitor Information	gardens open 9;00-16:30; closed Dec. 28 - Jan. 4
Time Required	180 mins
Website	http://www.ako-hyg.ed.jp/bunkazai/akojo/
Location	Ako, Hyogo Prefecture
Coordinates	34° 44' 46.07" N, 134° 23' 19.28" E
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Admin
Added to Jcastle	2009
Contributor	Eric
Admin Year Visited	2018
Admin Visits	December 21, 2018

3.57

(21 votes)

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Matthew WardGunshi

20 days ago

Score 0

I visited Ako Castle for the first time the other day, and quite enjoyed it!

One thing that struck me: although the original castle wasn't huge, if maps and models are to be believed, it now covers pretty much its entire original grounds. With the Honmaru being in good shape and containing some great yaguradai and so on, they could have just restored the Honmaru and said 'This is the castle,' but instead they chose to also work on the Ninomaru and Sannnomaru. So it's quite large for a castle ruin.

I was also curious to see the sort of raised map they have of the Honmaru Palace... not exactly attractive, but quite interesting, and I wonder whether they would ever consider reconstructing the palace. After all, they seem to have a very specific idea of where everything was.

I also didn't realize that they have two bukeyashiki nagayamon in the Sannomaru. As far as I can tell, these are extant structures.

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DiegoDeManilaAshigaru

70 months ago

Score 2

Visited 20 Nov 2016. I actually have a rather negative view of the 47 Rōnin and their (perhaps undeservedly) glorified vendetta, but my long-standing interest and research into the Akō Incident was enough to detour me towards the former domain of their ill-fated lord. My sceptical views regarding the rōnin aside, I was genuinely impressed by the castle that they once called home. The profusion of angled lines of defence and projecting fortifications was interesting to see, as was the carefully laid out elevated platform outlining the footprint of the former goten. As the previous poster observed, it's great that they've incorporated the excavated remains of inner courtyards and gardens into the raised footprint, making it easier for one to imagine the form and function of the compound when it was still intact. The never-used base for the never-built tenshu was also a sight to behold, and offered great views of the honmaru enclosure. I'd really love to return at some point, both to explore the castle more thoroughly and also to prowl about town in pursuit of other Akō Incident-related sites.

https://with...vember-2016/

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EricShogun

52 months ago

Score 1

I think we have a similar view of the 47 ronin and the whole silly story, but it is a fun castle to visit :)

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SuupaahiirooAshigaru

78 months ago

Score 1

This is a very nice and quiet castle site. There are many reconstructed stone walls and gates. From the stone base where the tenshukaku once stood one can enjoy a good view of the honmaru. There is a large stone platform which shows where the palace once stood and which parts served which purpose. I found this a nice addition: it shows the scale and the location of the inner gardens a bit clearer than a simple outline on the ground.

Personal highlight for me was the reconstructed yet excellent ninomaru-teien, a Japanese style garden with ponds and pavilions. I'm wondering if they have any plans of expanding this garden, because one of the maps showed a larger area than there actually was. There were also some construction fences, but these seemed to not have been moved in at least a couple of years.

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FurinkazanDaimyo

146 months ago

Score 0

I visited this site today. It is a very nice place to be during sakura-time. The park is surrounded by a lot of ishigaki and they are still reconstructing some parts of it. It's easy accessible. From the south-exit of Banshu-Ako station it's straight ahead. There aren't alot of buildings, but they made some kind of elevated map in the honmaru, where the palace once stood. The Oishi-jinja, related to the 47 ronin, stands inside the ishigaki.

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A22cricketAshigaru

157 months ago

Score 0

Went here for the 47 Ronin Festival on Dec. 14th every year. Definitely the best time to go! Castle has been filmed numerous times for movies about the 47 Ronin.

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Jcastle.oldHatamoto

158 months ago

Score 0

Yes, this is partially correct. The one castle per country law forced all lords to build and maintain a castle in their domain which ate up funds and resources that they may have put to military uses.

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RaymondWDaimyo

159 months ago

Score 0

I went to this castle in early March. It has been around two years since my last visit. More walls have been reconstructed. The local government is quite serious about restoring this castle with current building work focusing on fully reconstructing the Ninomaru Gardens. With work in progress, a visitor to the Ninomaru (Second Bailey) area can see a clear cross-section of how ishigaki (a Japanese stone wall) is constructed. It wasn’t the best day for taking piccies, but it was nice to walk around this quiet castle ruin. Thank goodness I finished my visit before two busloads of tourists arrived at the site.

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@@ Line 10: / Line 10: @@
 |Designations=Top 100 Castles, National Historic Site
 |Historical Period=Edo Period
-|Features=gates, turrets, bridges, water moats, stone walls, walls
+|Features=gates, turrets, bridges, samurai homes, water moats, stone walls, walls
 |Access=Banshuako Sta. (Ako Line)
+|Visitor Information=gardens open 9;00-16:30; closed Dec. 28 - Jan. 4
+|Time Required=180 mins
+|Website=http://www.ako-hyg.ed.jp/bunkazai/akojo/
 |City=Ako
 |Prefecture=Hyogo Prefecture
@@ Line 20: / Line 23: @@
 |Visits=December 21, 2018
 |GPSLocation=34.74613, 134.38869
+|Contributor=Eric
 |rating_average=3.24
 |castleElev=3