日本100名城　備中松山城　現存天守最難関の山城　岡山県　Bitchu Matsuyama Castle 2025

日本100名城　備中松山城　現存天守最難関の山城　岡山県　Bitchu Matsuyama Castle 2025

Today, I’m heading to Bitchu Matsuyama Castle in Okayama Prefecture. Bitchu Matsuyama Castle is the only mountain castle still standing with a castle tower. I get off the Yakumo Express at Bitchu-Takahashi Station. From the station, it’s about an hour and a half on foot to Bitchu Matsuyama Castle. I walk along the samurai residence street below the castle. This is the former Hanihara family home. I wanted to see it, but decided against it due to the time it would take to get to the castle tower. You can also take a bus, although there aren’t many buses. I arrive at the entrance to the promenade. It’s about a 30-minute walk from the station. From here, I head to Fuigo Pass Parking Lot, a 30-minute drive away. Bitchu Matsuyama Castle is built on the summit of Mount Komatsuyama, 430 meters above sea level. This castle is famous for being shrouded in a sea of ​​clouds in the early mornings of autumn. Along the way, I come across a stone bench where Oishi Kuranosuke, famous for the novel “Chushingura,” is said to have rested. It’s said that Kuranosuke stayed there for a year as the castle’s lord. Finally, I see the Fuigo Pass Parking Lot. I’ll take a short break here. Many visitors arrive here by shuttle bus or taxi. This is the final stretch. It takes about 20 minutes from Fuigo Pass to the castle tower. After a short walk, you’ll see the remains of Naka-Taiko-no-Maru. This bailey also served as a communications relay point between the foot of the mountain and the castle tower. The views are outstanding. We reach the Otemon Gate. The gate is constructed from a combination of large natural rocks and artificial stone walls. It was also used in the opening credits of the historical drama Sanada Maru. We ascend to the remains of the foot soldier box guardhouse. In front of us is the east earthen wall of Sannohira Yagura. This earthen wall is designated an Important Cultural Property. The upper stone wall seen from Sannomaru. It’s made of larger stones than we expected. We pass through the Kuromon Gate. It’s a narrow, decorative passageway. This rough-faced stone wall is thought to be the oldest stone wall within the castle. We arrive at Ninomaru. Summoning our last bit of strength, we head toward the castle tower. The castle lord, Sanjuro, is grooming himself. The castle tower stands out beautifully against the blue sky. We finally enter the castle tower. The attached turret serves as the entrance. We can see the two-story turret. This is the Costume Room. It was the castle lord’s living quarters during siege and the place where he would face his death if the castle fell. There is a hearth built for cooking and heating during siege. There is also a sash room. We go up to the second floor. This is a Shinto altar called Goshadan. A shachihoko (a type of Japanese carving) appears to be shining. We descend from the castle tower and take a stroll around the main keep. On the right is the Honmaru Higashi-gomon Gate. At 11m high, the castle tower is the shortest of all the remaining castle towers. The restored Rokunohira Turret. We are about to leave the main keep . Next, we will go to see the two-story turret. Visible to the front right are the remains of the Karatemon Gate. The stone walls of the two-story turret were also built using the bedrock. This is the rear bailey. We also take a look at the Umeki-gomon Gate, which leads to the main keep. This is the rear gate of the main keep. We will also descend to take a look at the Karatemon Gate. I was able to meet Sanjuro before leaving. The stone walls made from bedrock were really fascinating. Thank you for watching.

2025/10/29　岡山県高梁市　日本100名城No.68
アクセス：備中高梁駅から徒歩約1時間30分　天守が現存する唯一の山城
構造：山城／現存天守・櫓・塀・石垣など
#現存12天守　#高梁市　#最強の城

日本100名城

日本100名城　備中松山城　現存天守が残る唯一の山城　岡山県　Bitchu Matsuyama Castle 2021

【参考書籍】
続！ ざんねんなお城図鑑：https://amzn.to/41uiXk0
日本人なら絶対行きたい日本の名城200：https://amzn.to/3snK0Pz
完全保存版 日本の城1055 都道府県別 城データ&地図：https://amzn.to/3MstRza

【撮影機材】
Osmo Pocket 3：https://amzn.to/4akx1ik