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Historical Spots in Ako(4)

-The traces of Ninomaru-

Shiomi Turret about Meiji 10 Kakomon Gate

 There is an inner citadel where the castle master lived at the
center of the castle. This outside is circular Ninomal and streng-
thend defenses.
 It was divided from the inner citadel by a moat and a stone fence.
A moat was only in the northwestern part of Sannomaru side and
was built well so as to pour water of the Kumami river from the
east and water of the sea from the southwest. According to records,
the whole length of the stone fence was about 1,226m and the height
was about 6.6m. As Sannomaru there is a fence of white mud wall
on the stone fence and Hazama(the hole) for bows, guns and cannons
was 1,085. At the time of battles it seems to have housed three
soldiers for each Hazama.

Ninomarumon Gate about Meiji 10

 Sumiyagura that was built at Ninomaru had been built at five points;
the eastnorth ro of the south of the Shimizu gate and the Shiomi ro
of the southeast etc.
 The castle gate that enters Ninomaru was also built at five points;
the Ninomaru gate in the front, the Mizute gate in the south of the
sea side for emergency use and the Nishichu gate in the west side.
 In the north of Ninomaru, there are samurai's premises and Nagaya
(ranged houses) in the east and west of the road from the inner
citadel gateto the Ninomaru gate. There was Soko Yamaga's house
at the same point his bronze statue is standing now. So you can
image the old appearance.

remains of Ninomarumon Gate

 In the south, there are rice warehouses, powder magazines, Baba
and gardens of vegetables and fruits etc.
 In the back of Yamaga's house a big pond was made and a shrine
that was dedicated to Asana was also built there.
 Today, the stone fence does not remain from the Shimizu gate
to the reins of the Ninomaru gate because they were destroyed
nd used for big construction that changed the flow of the Chikusa
river to prevent disaster and restoration of disaster when big flood
struck Ako in 1892. A partition stone fence in Ninomaru was also
used for it.

Soko Yamaga

Yamaga-Soko

 Soko Yamaga was jugaku and Heigaku person during the Edo
period and employed one thousand goku by Ako Hanshu: Nagatada
Asano (1652-1660). During this period, he wrote "Syukyo-yoroku".
After six months in Ako, he revised a part of a draft of Ninomaru of
Ako castle.
 He was banished to Ako by accused by Bakufu and had been left
with Nagatada Asano for nine years (1666-1675) because he critici-
zed Syushigaku in "Seikyo-yoroku". At that time he wrote many
books, including "Chutyo-zizitu" and his autobiography "Haisyo-
zanhitu".
 This Yamaga's teaching may have greatly influenced the life-style
and way of thinking of the gishi samurai especially Yoshio Oishi.

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