TsuCity 's oasis "Tsu Castle Ruins" is a power spot full of history and natural charm!
掲載日：2018.10.11
10 minutes walk from Kintetsu Tsushinmachi Station. Located on the east side of TsuCity, is the Tsujoato Ruins, a power spot filled with the charm of TsuCity 's history and nature. It is one of the ``100 most famous castles in Japan'' selected by the Japan Castle Association, a public interest incorporated foundation!
We will introduce the Tsu Castle Ruins sightseeing spots recommended by the Anotsu Guide Association, as well as Todo TakatoraTodo and Hyakugo Bank, both of which are connected to Tsu Castle, as well as TsuCity 's PR character "Shiromochi-kun", stamp rallies, goshuin books, paper crafts, etc. ♪
It is one of the ``100 most famous castles in Japan'' selected by the Japan Castle Association, a public interest incorporated foundation! I will now introduce its charm.
This is Mr. Asakura from the ``Anotsu Guide Group'' who guided us this time.
He is currently 79 years old, but he gave me a lot of trivial knowledge about the Tsu Castle Ruins and information from his ears! The guide's motto is "Energetic and easy to understand"!
* Anotsu Guide Association (Hospitality Mie Tourism Volunteer Guide)
This is the entrance to Nishinomaru.
On this day, a cute pigeon greeted us.
A fountain spreads out in the center! This is the site of the main enclosure.
The surrounding area is lush with greenery, and during lunch breaks, it becomes a relaxing place for nearby office workers.
There are also people playing Pokemon Go, making it a place that is loved by the locals.
A statue TakatoraTodo standing near the fountain!
TakatoraTodo (hereinafter referred to as Takatora) was a daimyo who became the first lord of the Tsu domain during the Edo period.
He rose to become a feudal lord with a wealth of 323,950 koku as the lord of part of Ise Province and Iga Province, and was also famous as a master of castle construction, receiving high praise from Toyotomi Hideyoshi and Tokugawa Ieyasu.
It is said that there are over 20 castles across Japan that Takatora was involved in building, including Tsu Castle.
This is an introduction bulletin board in front of the Takatora statue.
The ``vine leaf'' depicted here is the family crest used by Takatora and is called ``Todo Tsuta.'' This family crest is also used as the school emblem of the nearby Yosei Elementary School.
A stone monument inscribed with Takatora's last lessons.
There are 204 teachings that Takatora left behind to his vassals and family members during his lifetime as the last precepts of Lord Takayama.
One of these is the precept engraved on this stone monument: ``From the moment you leave your bedroom, decide in your heart that today is your turn to die.If you have such determination, you will not be fazed by anything.'' ” It seems to mean that.
This is the site where there was once a castle tower.
Before Takatora, when Oda Nobunaga's younger brother Nobukane built Anotsu Castle, it had a five-story castle tower. When Takatora became the lord of the castle, there was a three-story castle tower that was relocated by the Tomita clan, but he also built a new two-story castle tower. That is why castle towers of various sizes remain.
They also expanded to the north where the Kyoguchi Gate is located, and built the three-story Ushitora-yagura on the northeast corner, and the three-story Inui-yagura on the northwest corner.
As autumn deepens, this place transforms into a spot for ginkgo and maple leaves!
Takayama yagami is located on the south side of the Tsu Castle ruins.
The enshrined deity is TakatoraTodo, and Takayama is Takatora's posthumous name. It was taken from ``Z''.
The magnificent stone wall of the Tsu Castle ruins!
The stone walls built by Takatora are characterized by their structure of being ``stacked high and in a straight line.''
This stone wall withstood air raids during the Pacific War and has remained in existence for over 400 years since its renovation.
When you see it up close, you will be overwhelmed by its scale and strength!
I took a close-up photo of part of the stone wall.
In fact, this central stone has an inscription of an upside-down "A"!
It seems that there are also engravings such as "Φ" and "ki", so please look for them♪
Looking for unique engravings on the stone walls is one of the attractions of touring the Tsu Castle ruins!
This is the only existing building at the Tsu Castle ruins, the "mock turret" built after the war!
According to Mr. Asakura, the inside is empty and has hardly ever been opened to the public, but the stone wall that towers below the turret is not a reconstruction, and has remained intact since that time!
The stone wall on the north side is a hill overlooking the inner moat and TsuCity. There is also a rocky area where you can sit down and enjoy the refreshing breeze.
What you can see from here is the main building of Hyakugo Bank. The bottom part of the building is said to be inspired by a stone wall. During the survey conducted when building the main store building, the remains of the outer moat of Tsu Castle, which once existed, were excavated, and part of it has been restored on the north side of the building. There is also an explanation board about the discovery of Tsu Castle and the outer moat ruins.
There is a history museum in this main building, which introduces the history of the bank! (Advance reservation required)
Here's some trivia!
The first president of Hyakugo Bank, a regional bank with deep roots in Mie, was Takayasu Todo of the Todo clan.
did you know! ?
Near the water surface of the stone wall that juts out in the foreground, there is a narrow foothold surrounded by pine trees. This is an imitation of the dog race that Takatora added to strengthen the stone wall of Mizuki.
Carp and turtles are swimming happily in the inner moat, and in spring, you can enjoy a wonderful view of the cherry blossom trees, moat, and stone walls. I want to come at that timing next time!
The ``Tsu Mannaka Guide Station'' is located in the ``Ojoto Parking Lot'' (charged) northeast of the Tsu Castle Ruins. If you are coming by car, please park here.
This guide station is the stamp location for the ``Next 100 Famous Castles of Japan Stamp Rally''. There are also pamphlets about sightseeing and gourmet food in the Tsu area.
*Reference: "Japan's 100 Famous Castles" stamp rally starts on April 6th (Castle Day)
I tried to stamp Tsushiro.
This time, I stamped it on my notepad, but please note that it will not be certified unless it is stamped on the stamp book of the official guidebook!
This is the end of Asakura's fun sightseeing guide. thank you very much!
Now, here's the extra part.
The Tsu Ekimae Tourist Information Center is located on the 1st floor of Asto Tsu on the east side of Tsu Station. On the right side, TsuCity PR character Shiromochi-kun is waiting for you.
Shiromochi-kun is a character that was introduced in 2008 to commemorate the 400th anniversary of Takatora's entry into Japan. In fact, the mochi and helmet used for the character are both derived from Takatora!
* Profile of Shiromochi-kun, PR character of TsuCity City, Mie Prefecture
When you enter the Tsu Ekimae Tourist Information Center, you will find a stamp location near the reception desk for the ``Castle Tour Stamp Rally,'' which allows you to tour castles in the prefecture.
This is different from the "Next 100 Famous Castles of Japan Stamp Rally", but the stamps are Iga Ueno Castle (IgaCity City), Ise Kameyama Castle Ruins (KameyamaCity), Tsu Castle Ruins (TsuCity), and Matsuzaka Castle Ruins (Matsuzaka MatsusakaCity) is the perfect item to enjoy Toba Castle Ruins (TobaCity)!
If you collect all the stamps, you will be entered into a lottery to win special products from five tourism associations, so please give it a try.
At the Tourist Information Center in front of Tsu Station, we also sell goshuin stamps from the Tsu Castle ruins. Shrine stamps are famous, but castle stamps are rare!
These are popular goshuin stamps that cost 200 yen each, so be sure to purchase them when sightseeing around the Tsu Castle ruins.
The Tsu Station Tourist Information Center also sells Tsu Castle paper crafts (800 yen excluding tax). For those who love castles and crafts, this is an irresistible gem!
This concludes our introduction to the Tsu Castle Ruins, which is full of history and natural charm!
It is recommended not only for castle lovers but also for those who want to enjoy nature in the city of Tsu.
You can enjoy different scenery in each season, so please come and visit us!
Also, Kanko Mie has a special feature on castles in Mie Prefecture, so be sure to check it out as well!
[Added on February 10, 2021]
It's like being guided by a guide!
You can also use the audio guide for the Tsu Castle ruins using the QR code here ♪
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