week8 a castle town

Many houses in a castle town are build a zigzag course. It looks a saw. So it is called “a sow alley”. Why it stand in a zigzag course?

 

Himeji Castle encloses a castle town with a moat to protect Himeji Castle against enemies when a war broke out.  Many people who are a workman, a merchant, live in a castle town. It is townspeople town.  A moat covered this town completely.  It is large scale.  It is called “sokuruwa(総曲輪)”. If Himeji Castle is besieged, they can live every day.

The whole a castle town is thought to protect Himeji Castle. There are many devices of defense. The street is a complicated winding path, and a junction of three roads. As a result, the enemy can’t get an unobstructed view. So if Himeji Castle is attacked the enemy, it wasn’t attacked at one go.

There are many temples. Soldiers gather at a temple when a war broke out. A temple plays an important part like the Castle. It is one of the devices at the crucial moment.

“A sow alley” is useless at the war. Soldiers hide behind a projection of the house like a sow alley. Soldiers ambush without attracting the enemy’s attention, and soldiers shot his gun and shoot an arrow. It is like a Western film.

By the way, a castle town is incline. A zigzag course is the best way to build houses in leaning land.

 

A castle town has many sightseeing spots. I will explain the spots from the station to th Himeji Castle.

①Mikishi-honjin-ato(三木氏本陣跡): an officially appointed inn for the use of daimyo in the Edo period.

②Mori-ju(森重): a restaurant of an oyster.
③Kin-o-no-chi(勤王の地)：there were the lodgings.
④Funaba-honntoku-ji(船場本徳寺)：there were tombstones.
⑤Nakano-mon(中の門)：it was a gate of castle.
⑥Takasu-yashiki(高須屋敷)： it was a residence of a higher bushi.

It takes 45 minute. We feel thinking of bushi.

 

Many historic building left in the outskirts of the Himeji Castle. But, year by year, a tasteful of a Castle town lost.　It is high cost to repair real buildings. So we devise to repair in low cost. First, they decide on a precise plan. In the first plan, they repair over the town. Second, they make guidelines. They decide the way of repair and expense. Third, they inspect an effect. They research the opinion about changing town among people.   

 

“Matizukuri-juku(まちづくり塾)” is the program about thinking a view and activation in Himeji. In this program, Many students play a key role in the work. Students discuss the doubt they feel usually and the impression of Himeji.

 

We must think about Himeji Castle to keep beautiful. The destiny of Himeji Castle falls on our shoulders.

 

Thank you for your reading.

 

See you next week.