Fuwa no Seki
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History
From when it was first established in 708, Fuwa-seki protected the core of Yamato territory, called Kinai, from rebellions originating in the east, such as the Jinshin War which broke out in 672, in which rebels blockaded the Fuwa route into Ōmi. It also functioned to stop any potential rebels or dissidents from the Yamato heartlands from fleeing into the hinterlands via Ōmi. Fuwa-seki operated alongside Arachi-seki to the north along the Hokuriku route in Echizen Province and Suzaka-seki to the south along the Tōkai route in Ise Province to protect Ōmi Province. Together these barrier-gates were called 'Sangen' or 'Sankan', meaning 'the Three Gates'. To the west of Ōmi, on the border of Kinai itself, was Ōsaka-seki.
Fuwa-seki was surrounded on three sides by ramparts made from earth. The eastern perimeter ran over 430m north-to-south. The northern perimeter was about 460m in length, east-to-west. The southern perimeter was 112m long, and the shortest side. It is not wholly clear whether these ramparts where solely dorui (earthen ramparts) or also included tsuijibei (walls made of pounded earth). The western side of the fort utilised the cliff of a river terrace for its protection. The road ran through gates in the west and east.
In addition to the outer wall and bailey, there was an inner wall and compound. The inner compound held splendidly constructed halls for government offices. The inner compound had four gates, with the main gate being a large gatehouse fronting the highway which passed through the fort. The outer bailey had encampments for soldiers, including barracks, pit-homes and storehouses. The outer bailey was divided between north and south by a fence with gates. This fenced served to prevent travellers upon the highway from wondering into the rest of the fort. The corners of the fort hosted watchtowers.
As pacification of Japan proceeded under the Yamato, Fuwa-seki became redundant, and it was decommissioned in 789.
Visit Notes
Fuwa-seki (Fuwa-sekisho / Fuwa-no-seki) is a barrier-gate and fort site in Sekiǵahara Municipality, Fuwa County. Not much remains of the fortress except for some dorui (earthen ramparts) in the north and south of the site. Due to time constraints I only visited the southern perimeter ruins before visiting the Fuwanoseki Museum, but there are also remains in the north on the other side of the railway tracks; the distance between the two ends is about half a kilometre. The museum includes a model of how the fort looked in the 8th century. It is based on archaeological excavations carried out in the 1970s. Other exhibits include ceramics and replica armour as was worn at the time (notably being different from samurai armour).
It seems that the scale and structure of Fuwa-seki was more akin to Nara period jōsaku (citadel) sites than to the fortified checkpoints of the Edo period.
| Castle Profile | |
|---|---|
| English Name | Fuwa no Seki |
| Japanese Name | 不破関 |
| Alternate Names | Fuwa-seki |
| Founder | The Yamato |
| Year Founded | 708 |
| Castle Type | Flatland |
| Castle Condition | Ruins only |
| Designations | Prefectural Historic Site |
| Historical Period | Pre Edo Period |
| Artifacts | Dorui |
| Features | |
| Visitor Information | |
| Access | Sekigahara Station on the Tōkaidō Line; 20 minute walk |
| Visitor Information | Museum open 9:00-16:30 (9:00-16:00 Nov'-Mar'); 110 yen |
| Time Required | 60 minutes |
| Website | https://www.pref.gifu.lg.jp/page/7091.html |
| Location | Sekigahara, Gifu Prefecture |
| Coordinates | 35° 21' 27.83" N, 136° 27' 36.79" E |
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| Admin | |
| Added to Jcastle | 2024 |
| Contributor | ART |
| Admin Year Visited | Viewer Contributed |
| Friends of JCastle | |
| Kojōshi | |
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