Nirengi Castle
Encyclopedia
was a Japanese castle
in what is now the city of Toyohashi
, Aichi Prefecture
, during the Sengoku Period
. There are no extant structures left; however, a park was built on the site where the castle once stood, and a stone monument and some explanatory signboards were erected by the city.
The name of the castle and the surrounding area, Nirengi, means "Two Elm Trees" in Japanese, after the which once grew abundantly in the region.
was ordered to advance from Kyoto
into Mikawa province
, to hunt down members of the Maruyama and Ōhira families and to subdue the area. Munemitsu started with the Chita peninsula
, and proceeded southeast around Mikawa Bay
and into the Atsumi peninusula
, where he constructed Ōtsu Castle in 1479 and Tahara Castle in 1480 as bases for the prosecution of his campaign. With the Atsumi area subdued, he left Tahara Castle in the care of his eldest son, Norimitsu, and turned his attention to the east.
Munemitsu built Nirengi Castle in 1493 as a forward base against the eastern forces of Tame Matasaburo, who had built the mountaintop Funagatayama Castle in 1492. From Nirengi, Munemitsu devoted himself to the task of crushing his enemies. In 1505, Makino Kohaku built Imabashi Castle. Although only two kilometers separated Nirengi and Imabashi Castles, numerous battles occurred over the next few years on the fields between them. Finally, Munemitsu was able to compel the head of the Makino family to become a Buddhist priest, and then forced an alliance with the Makino. Although the Toda clan was able to persevere, Munemitsu died in 1508.
Leadership of the clan passed to Norimitsu who had, sometime in the 1490s, secured the alliance of the Saigo clan by marrying the daughter of Saigo Masasada. Norimitsu moved his residence into Nirengi Castle, and oversaw the highpoint of the Mikawa-Toda house, in about 1508. In 1529, 19-year-old Matsudaira Kiyoyasu
attacked Imabashi Castle, and after a fierce battle, was able to take it. The day after his triumphal entry, Kiyoyasu turned his attention to other fortifications in the area, including Ina Castle
and Nirengi Castle. Through successive intermarriages, the Toda eventually became a branch house of the Matsudaira.
In 1571, Takeda Shingen
launched a general invasion of the provinces held by Tokugawa Ieyasu
with an army of 25,000 troops. As the Takeda entered Tōtōmi province
, Ieyasu sent for help from Oda Nobunaga
and then began to march west from Hamamatsu Castle
toward Yoshida Castle. Defense of Yoshida Castle and the east Mikawa region was commanded by Sakai Tadatsugu
, whom Shingen knew to be a formidable tactician. Once in Mikawa, Shingen recognized that the confluence of the Toyogawa and the Asakura river, just above Mikawa Bay, as an important strategic point that had to be taken. Yoshida Castle sat on the banks overlooking the confluence, while Nirengi castle, as a branch castle in the area, was about two kilometers to the east, situated on the bank of the Asakura. At Nirengi Castle, Ieyasu personally led his heavily outnumbered rear guard against the Takeda forces in a delaying action. After a fierce battle, Tokugawa retreated from Nirengi Castle toward Yoshida Castle. With reinforcements from the Oda clan
, Ieyasu was able to rally his troops, fight off the Takeda, and recover Nirengi and other castles that had fallen to the enemy.
Following the Siege of Odawara (1590)
, proprietary rights to the area were transferred to Toyotomi Hideyoshi
, while Tokugawa Ieyasu
and his loyal forces moved east and took possession of the Kantō Region
. Toda Yasunaga, the last castle lord, relinquished possession of Nirengi Castle in 1590 when he followed Ieyasu to the east. Custody of east Mikawa was assigned to Ikeda Terumasa
, who took up residence in Yoshida Castle. As Mikawa province was then surrounded by lands under the control of Hideyoshi or his vassals, many of the castles in the region became redundant. Nirengi Castle was thereafter abandoned.
During the Edo Period
, lower class and impoverished samurai
in the area used the wood of the elm trees around the castle site to craft wooden pestles
, a traditional kitchen utensil in Japan
. These pestles, or surikogi
, were (and continue to be) used to crush and grind sesame seeds, spices, or other dry ingredients. The samurai craftsmen sold these pestles to merchants, just as samurai across Japan did with specific items made of locally available materials, in order to supplement the meagre stipend they received from their daimyo
.
, all feudal domains were turned over to the state, including the long-abandoned ruins of Nirengi Castle. In 1911, the first mayor of Toyohashi, Ōguchi Yoshimutsu, acquired the land and raised orchards on it. After the end of World War II
, the Ōguchi Family lived for a while on the land, in a small house (6 x 3 tatami
mats) called , which can be translated as "Wind-Among-the-Trees Hermitage". In 1961, the city acquired the property and established it as Ōguchi Park. In 1977, it was renovated, so that the park could be enjoyed in the spring for its plum trees, and in the autumn for its fragrant herbs.
Currently, the park is on the site of the Main Courtyard (Hon-maru), and the Senior Citizens’ Welfare Center is on the site of the Secondary Courtyard (Ni-no-maru). Remnants of the earthen ramparts can be seen around the Main Courtyard, and a portion of the original dry moat remains at the base of the slope below the Main Courtyard.
s and moat
s.
Japanese castle
' were fortresses composed primarily of wood and stone. They evolved from the wooden stockades of earlier centuries, and came into their best-known form in the 16th century...
in what is now the city of Toyohashi
Toyohashi, Aichi
is a city located in Aichi Prefecture, Japan.The city was founded on August 1, 1906. As of January 1, 2010, the city has an estimated population of 383,691 and a density of 1,468.62 persons per km². The total area is . By size, Toyohashi was Aichi Prefecture's second-largest city until March 31,...
, Aichi Prefecture
Aichi Prefecture
is a prefecture of Japan located in the Chūbu region. The region of Aichi is also known as the Tōkai region. The capital is Nagoya. It is the focus of the Chūkyō Metropolitan Area.- History :...
, during the Sengoku Period
Sengoku period
The or Warring States period in Japanese history was a time of social upheaval, political intrigue, and nearly constant military conflict that lasted roughly from the middle of the 15th century to the beginning of the 17th century. The name "Sengoku" was adopted by Japanese historians in reference...
. There are no extant structures left; however, a park was built on the site where the castle once stood, and a stone monument and some explanatory signboards were erected by the city.
The name of the castle and the surrounding area, Nirengi, means "Two Elm Trees" in Japanese, after the which once grew abundantly in the region.
History
In 1465, Toda Munemitsu (c. 1439–1508), a retainer of the Ashikaga shogunateAshikaga shogunate
The , also known as the , was a Japanese feudal military regime, ruled by the shoguns of the Ashikaga clan.This period is also known as the Muromachi period and gets its name from Muromachi Street of Kyoto where the third shogun Ashikaga Yoshimitsu established his residence...
was ordered to advance from Kyoto
Kyoto
is a city in the central part of the island of Honshū, Japan. It has a population close to 1.5 million. Formerly the imperial capital of Japan, it is now the capital of Kyoto Prefecture, as well as a major part of the Osaka-Kobe-Kyoto metropolitan area.-History:...
into Mikawa province
Mikawa Province
is an old province in the area that today forms the eastern half of Aichi Prefecture. It was sometimes called . Mikawa bordered on Owari, Mino, Shinano, and Tōtōmi Provinces....
, to hunt down members of the Maruyama and Ōhira families and to subdue the area. Munemitsu started with the Chita peninsula
Chita District, Aichi
is a district located in Aichi, Japan.As of 2003, the district has an estimated population of 160,310 and a density of 968.93 persons per km². The total area is 165.45 km².-Towns and villages:*Agui*Higashiura*Mihama*Minamichita*Taketoyo...
, and proceeded southeast around Mikawa Bay
Mikawa Bay
thumb|right|Mikawa Bay Mikawa Bay is a bay to the south of Aichi Prefecture, Japan, surrounded by Chita Peninsula to the west and Atsumi Peninsula to the east and south. Its area is approximately 604 km2...
and into the Atsumi peninusula
Atsumi District, Aichi
was a rural district located in southern Aichi, Japan, located on the Atsumi Peninsula in Mikawa Bay. As a result of various consolidations and mergers of municipalities, the district was incorporated into the cities of Toyohashi and Tahara in 2005....
, where he constructed Ōtsu Castle in 1479 and Tahara Castle in 1480 as bases for the prosecution of his campaign. With the Atsumi area subdued, he left Tahara Castle in the care of his eldest son, Norimitsu, and turned his attention to the east.
Munemitsu built Nirengi Castle in 1493 as a forward base against the eastern forces of Tame Matasaburo, who had built the mountaintop Funagatayama Castle in 1492. From Nirengi, Munemitsu devoted himself to the task of crushing his enemies. In 1505, Makino Kohaku built Imabashi Castle. Although only two kilometers separated Nirengi and Imabashi Castles, numerous battles occurred over the next few years on the fields between them. Finally, Munemitsu was able to compel the head of the Makino family to become a Buddhist priest, and then forced an alliance with the Makino. Although the Toda clan was able to persevere, Munemitsu died in 1508.
Leadership of the clan passed to Norimitsu who had, sometime in the 1490s, secured the alliance of the Saigo clan by marrying the daughter of Saigo Masasada. Norimitsu moved his residence into Nirengi Castle, and oversaw the highpoint of the Mikawa-Toda house, in about 1508. In 1529, 19-year-old Matsudaira Kiyoyasu
Matsudaira Kiyoyasu
was the 7th lord over the Matsudaira clan during the Sengoku period of Japan. Kiyoyasu was the grandfather of the exceedingly famous unifier of Japan, Tokugawa Ieyasu. Kiyoyasu soon gained control of the whole of the northern region of Mikawa province after the Saigo clan had surrendered after...
attacked Imabashi Castle, and after a fierce battle, was able to take it. The day after his triumphal entry, Kiyoyasu turned his attention to other fortifications in the area, including Ina Castle
Ina Castle
is a castle located in the Kozakai area of Toyokawa city in Aichi Prefecture, Japan.-History:The lord of Ina village, Honda Sadatada, built Ina Castle in approximately 1440. It was well sited, for it was surrounded on three sides by rice paddies and rivers and on the fourth by an inlet, which...
and Nirengi Castle. Through successive intermarriages, the Toda eventually became a branch house of the Matsudaira.
In 1571, Takeda Shingen
Takeda Shingen
, of Kai Province, was a preeminent daimyo in feudal Japan with exceptional military prestige in the late stage of the Sengoku period.-Name:Shingen was called "Tarō" or "Katsuchiyo" during his childhood...
launched a general invasion of the provinces held by Tokugawa Ieyasu
Tokugawa Ieyasu
was the founder and first shogun of the Tokugawa shogunate of Japan , which ruled from the Battle of Sekigahara in 1600 until the Meiji Restoration in 1868. Ieyasu seized power in 1600, received appointment as shogun in 1603, abdicated from office in 1605, but...
with an army of 25,000 troops. As the Takeda entered Tōtōmi province
Totomi Province
was a province of Japan in the area of Japan that is today western Shizuoka Prefecture. Tōtōmi bordered on Mikawa, Suruga and Shinano Provinces. Its abbreviated form name was .-History:...
, Ieyasu sent for help from Oda Nobunaga
Oda Nobunaga
was the initiator of the unification of Japan under the shogunate in the late 16th century, which ruled Japan until the Meiji Restoration in 1868. He was also a major daimyo during the Sengoku period of Japanese history. His opus was continued, completed and finalized by his successors Toyotomi...
and then began to march west from Hamamatsu Castle
Hamamatsu Castle
is a reconstructed hirayama-style Japanese castle. It was the seat of various fudai daimyō who ruled over Hamamatsu Domain, Tōtōmi Province, in what is now central Hamamatsu, Shizuoka Prefecture, Japan...
toward Yoshida Castle. Defense of Yoshida Castle and the east Mikawa region was commanded by Sakai Tadatsugu
Sakai Tadatsugu
was one of the most favored and most and successful military commanders serving Tokugawa Ieyasu in the late-Sengoku period. He is regarded as one of the Four Guardians of the Tokugawa .along with Honda Tadakatsu, Ii Naomasa, and Sakakibara Yasumasa.-Sakai clan genealogy:The Sakai clan originated in...
, whom Shingen knew to be a formidable tactician. Once in Mikawa, Shingen recognized that the confluence of the Toyogawa and the Asakura river, just above Mikawa Bay, as an important strategic point that had to be taken. Yoshida Castle sat on the banks overlooking the confluence, while Nirengi castle, as a branch castle in the area, was about two kilometers to the east, situated on the bank of the Asakura. At Nirengi Castle, Ieyasu personally led his heavily outnumbered rear guard against the Takeda forces in a delaying action. After a fierce battle, Tokugawa retreated from Nirengi Castle toward Yoshida Castle. With reinforcements from the Oda clan
Oda clan
The was a family of Japanese daimyo who were to become an important political force in the unification of Japan in the mid-16th century. Though they had the climax of their fame under Oda Nobunaga and fell from the spotlight soon after, several branches of the family would continue on as daimyo...
, Ieyasu was able to rally his troops, fight off the Takeda, and recover Nirengi and other castles that had fallen to the enemy.
Following the Siege of Odawara (1590)
Siege of Odawara (1590)
The third ' occurred in 1590, and was the primary action in Toyotomi Hideyoshi's campaign to eliminate the Hōjō clan as a threat to his power. The months leading up to it saw hasty but major improvements in the defense of the castle, as Hideyoshi's intentions became clear...
, proprietary rights to the area were transferred to Toyotomi Hideyoshi
Toyotomi Hideyoshi
was a daimyo warrior, general and politician of the Sengoku period. He unified the political factions of Japan. He succeeded his former liege lord, Oda Nobunaga, and brought an end to the Sengoku period. The period of his rule is often called the Momoyama period, named after Hideyoshi's castle...
, while Tokugawa Ieyasu
Tokugawa Ieyasu
was the founder and first shogun of the Tokugawa shogunate of Japan , which ruled from the Battle of Sekigahara in 1600 until the Meiji Restoration in 1868. Ieyasu seized power in 1600, received appointment as shogun in 1603, abdicated from office in 1605, but...
and his loyal forces moved east and took possession of the Kantō Region
Kanto region
The is a geographical area of Honshu, the largest island of Japan. The region includes the Greater Tokyo Area and encompasses seven prefectures: Gunma, Tochigi, Ibaraki, Saitama, Tokyo, Chiba, and Kanagawa. Within its boundaries, slightly more than 40 percent of the land area is the Kantō Plain....
. Toda Yasunaga, the last castle lord, relinquished possession of Nirengi Castle in 1590 when he followed Ieyasu to the east. Custody of east Mikawa was assigned to Ikeda Terumasa
Ikeda Terumasa
was a Japanese daimyo of the early Edo period. His court title was Musashi no Kami.Terumasa fought in many of the battles of the late Azuchi-Momoyama Period, and due to his service at the Battle of Sekigahara, received a fief at Himeji....
, who took up residence in Yoshida Castle. As Mikawa province was then surrounded by lands under the control of Hideyoshi or his vassals, many of the castles in the region became redundant. Nirengi Castle was thereafter abandoned.
During the Edo Period
Edo period
The , or , is a division of Japanese history which was ruled by the shoguns of the Tokugawa family, running from 1603 to 1868. The political entity of this period was the Tokugawa shogunate....
, lower class and impoverished samurai
Samurai
is the term for the military nobility of pre-industrial Japan. According to translator William Scott Wilson: "In Chinese, the character 侍 was originally a verb meaning to wait upon or accompany a person in the upper ranks of society, and this is also true of the original term in Japanese, saburau...
in the area used the wood of the elm trees around the castle site to craft wooden pestles
Mortar and pestle
A mortar and pestle is a tool used to crush, grind, and mix solid substances . The pestle is a heavy bat-shaped object, the end of which is used for crushing and grinding. The mortar is a bowl, typically made of hard wood, ceramic or stone...
, a traditional kitchen utensil in Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
. These pestles, or surikogi
Suribachi
Suribachi and surikogi are a Japanese mortar and pestle. These mortars are used in Japanese cooking to crush different ingredients such as sesame seeds....
, were (and continue to be) used to crush and grind sesame seeds, spices, or other dry ingredients. The samurai craftsmen sold these pestles to merchants, just as samurai across Japan did with specific items made of locally available materials, in order to supplement the meagre stipend they received from their daimyo
Daimyo
is a generic term referring to the powerful territorial lords in pre-modern Japan who ruled most of the country from their vast, hereditary land holdings...
.
Modern Era
After the Meiji RestorationMeiji Restoration
The , also known as the Meiji Ishin, Revolution, Reform or Renewal, was a chain of events that restored imperial rule to Japan in 1868...
, all feudal domains were turned over to the state, including the long-abandoned ruins of Nirengi Castle. In 1911, the first mayor of Toyohashi, Ōguchi Yoshimutsu, acquired the land and raised orchards on it. After the end of World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
, the Ōguchi Family lived for a while on the land, in a small house (6 x 3 tatami
Tatami
A is a type of mat used as a flooring material in traditional Japanese-style rooms. Traditionally made of rice straw to form the core , with a covering of woven soft rush straw, tatami are made in standard sizes, with the length exactly twice the width...
mats) called , which can be translated as "Wind-Among-the-Trees Hermitage". In 1961, the city acquired the property and established it as Ōguchi Park. In 1977, it was renovated, so that the park could be enjoyed in the spring for its plum trees, and in the autumn for its fragrant herbs.
Currently, the park is on the site of the Main Courtyard (Hon-maru), and the Senior Citizens’ Welfare Center is on the site of the Secondary Courtyard (Ni-no-maru). Remnants of the earthen ramparts can be seen around the Main Courtyard, and a portion of the original dry moat remains at the base of the slope below the Main Courtyard.
Castle design
Nirengi Castle was built on a terraced area near the banks of the Asakura River. The main was about 600 square meters. The family's official residence was located in the North Courtyard. The Secondary Courtyard lay to the east of the Main Courtyard, and was bounded by the East and South Enclosures. Each of these sections were separated from the others by earthen rampartDefensive wall
A defensive wall is a fortification used to protect a city or settlement from potential aggressors. In ancient to modern times, they were used to enclose settlements...
s and moat
Moat
A moat is a deep, broad ditch, either dry or filled with water, that surrounds a castle, other building or town, historically to provide it with a preliminary line of defence. In some places moats evolved into more extensive water defences, including natural or artificial lakes, dams and sluices...
s.