Combine! Four Mountain Castles!! Shibushi Castle - The Road to Castle Mania No. 175

Hello!

When history and food connect, travel becomes even more interesting.
I want to share the joy of castle strolling!
I'm Sobako Sarashina, a travel writer in my late 40s.

Last time, I introduced Kagoshima Castle, the main castle of the Shimazu clan.

Continuing with the "Main and Branch Castles of the Shimazu Clan" series, this time we will learn about Shibushi Castle.

While Kagoshima Castle had a two-layer structure of "residence + mountain castle," this one is actually a complex castle consisting of four combined mountain castles🏯

How huge is it!!
Take a look at the cover photo!
You'll need to be prepared to visit this one!

Well then, let's learn about it from the perspective of the Castle Certification Exam + Sobako Sarashina's travel perspective!

Basic Information: Shibushi Castle

• Castle Name: Shibushi Castle

• Classification: Continued Top 100 Japanese Castles

• Location: Cho, Shibushi-cho, Shibushi City, Kagoshima Prefecture

• Builder: Unknown

• Year Built: Unknown

• Castle Structure: Mountain castle (collective name for the four castles of Uchijo, Matsuo-jo, Takajo, and Shinjo)

• Keep: None

• Main Castle Lords: Nirei clan -> Hatakeyama clan -> Niiro clan -> Kimotsuki clan -> Shimazu clan

• Other Names: None

• Access: Approx. 20-minute walk from JR Shibushi Station

• Time required to reach the main enclosure:About 1-2 hours for the inner castle alone (4-5 hours for the whole thing😱)

👉 Points

• Four mountain castles—the Inner Castle, Matsuo Castle, Takajo Castle, and Shinjo Castle—were built and are collectively called Shibushi Castle.

• Thedeep dry moatsexcavated from the Shirasu plateau are its greatest feature.

• A "castle of contention" where the lords changed one after another.

• Excavations have unearthed ceramics from Southeast Asia and China, indicating it was a hub for overseas trade via Shibushi Bay.

History of Shibushi Castle

Shibushi has a long history, having flourished as a port for the "Shimazu-no-sho," a large manor opened by Taira no Suemoto in 1026.
Shibushi Castle is said to have been started around the 12th century by the Kunin-in clan at the tip of the Shirasu plateau facing Shibushi Bay.

With the arrival of the Northern and Southern Courts period, Shibushi Castle became a stage for conflict.
Yurei Yorinaka of the Southern Court held the castle, but was defeated by the Hatakeyama clan of the Northern Court, leading to the downfall of the Yurei clan.
After that, the lords changed one after another, including the Hatakeyama and Niiro clans, making Shibushi Castle truly a "castle of contention."

In 1562, the powerful Southern Kyushu daimyo, the Kimotsuki clan, took possession of this castle.
Shibushi Castle was an important frontline base for the Kimotsuki clan to guard the border between Hyuga and Osumi.

However, in 1577 (Tensho 5), the Kimotsuki clan finally surrendered to the fierce onslaught of the Shimazu clan.
Shibushi Castle became direct territory of the Shimazu clan.

Excavations have revealed jars and ceramics from 15th and 16th century Southeast Asia and China from the main enclosure site, clarifying that trade took place via the sea and other routes.
Once this international trade hub came under the control of the Shimazu clan, it began to serve as the eastern gateway for the Satsuma Domain, with Kagoshima Castle as its main castle.

Later, it was abandoned in 1615 due to the "One Castle per Province" law.
Although the buildings were demolished, the remains such as stone walls and dry moats were not destroyed and still retain their appearance from that time.

Highlights (for the certification exam)

● Breathtaking dry moats that cut through the Shirasu plateau

The greatest highlight of Shibushi Castle is the deep dry moat built by excavating the Shirasu plateau.

It is an impressive scale with a depth of over 10 meters.
When you climb inside the castle, vertical earthen walls block your path.

At first glance, it looks like just a mountain, but it is intricately complex, like a maze.
It is said that you realize you are being made to walk along the bottom of the castle moat before you know it.

This is chilling when you think about it from the perspective of the attackers😱

Some vertical moats are nearly 20 meters deep.
The Shirasu plateau is soft and easy to work with, but it also has the characteristic of being able to form vertical, steep cliffs, and you can see the unique castle construction of Southern Kyushu that skillfully utilizes this.

● A complex castle made of 4 combined castles

Shibushi Castle is a complex castle formed by combining four independent mountain castles: Uchijo, Matsuojo, Takajo, and Shinjo.

The 'Uchijo' area, which is the standard tour route, alone measures about 600 meters north-to-south and 300 meters east-to-west, so you can imagine how massive the entire scale is.

Note that Takajo and Shinjo are currently private property and off-limits.
Uchijo and Matsuojo are the main areas for touring.

If you stop by the Shibushi City Buried Cultural Property Center before your visit, there is a diorama on display that allows you to overlook the entire castle, so you can grasp the overall picture before climbing.

As someone in their late 40s, I'm afraid I might choose the option of not grasping the overall picture before climbing... lol

Castle Town Gourmet (※This won't be on the test!)

And so! Everyone has been waiting for this!
It's time for the fun castle town gourmet information!

Shibushi City is packed with gourmet food, featuring the rich seafood of Shibushi Bay and the local black pork culture.

■ Eel

Kagoshima Prefecture has the highest eel production in Japan, and within that, Shibushi City boasts over 50% of the production volume.

The area around Shibushi City is blessed with high-quality groundwater, and eel farming using clean water is said to be thriving.
Eels raised in clean water have little odor and are said to be truly delicious.

After using up your energy walking around the dry moats, it wouldn't be a sin to recharge with some fluffy Kagoshima eel!

■ Shibushi Black Pork Zanmai Bowl

When it comes to black pork dishes in Shibushi City, the specialty is the 'Shibushi Black Pork Zanmai Bowl' which won the Grand Prix at the National Local Rice Bowl Championship.

This hearty bowl, featuring melt-in-your-mouth braised pork belly, fragrant grilled pork, and rolled omelet with braised pork, all mixed with rice and a special broth, can be enjoyed at Dining Manrai.

■ Shibushi Whitebait

Shibushi Bay is one of the nation's leading whitebait production areas, and because of its beautiful white back, it is branded and called 'Sejiro Chirimen' (White-backed whitebait).

Shibushi whitebait is raised on the blessings of the Kuroshio Current, and is characterized by its low bitterness, subtle saltiness, and elegant umami.

The whitebait bowl at Donya Waka looks super delicious!!
I heard it also comes with fried conger eel and sea urchin 😋

Summary of Sarashina Sobako's thoughts

Shibushi City Hall, Shibushi Branch.
The address is 1-1, 2-chome, Shibushi-cho, Shibushi-shi, Kagoshima Prefecture. Lol

Oh no, my eyes are dizzy. Lol

While researching Shibushi Castle, I couldn't help but laugh at the search prediction mentioned above.
I've never been there, but I wonder why I feel such a sense of familiarity. Lol

Even so, all the gourmet food in Shibushi looks delicious.
Since they are all hearty dishes, I'm already worrying about how I'll manage to eat them all, even though I don't have a visit planned yet.

It's a mountain castle of incredible scale, so while I have time to escape into thoughts of gourmet food, I might try my best to... to... to visit it when I go to Kagoshima Prefecture...?

So, that's it!!
Next time is Chiran Castle!

It is said to be a must-see castle with dry moats and cliffs that skillfully utilize the Shirasu plateau, as well as a castle town where samurai residences remain.
I'm looking forward to it!!

If you would like to enjoy a journey of castles and gourmet food with me, I would be happy if you could support me with a like and a follow ☺️

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#Continued100FineCastles
#KagoshimaPrefecture
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#ShimazuClan
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