皆さまこんちはスタッフYでございます。

 

新緑が目にも眩しくなってきまして、いよいよ活動の季節がやってきたと思っていたところだったところに、先日からここ名古屋、いえいえ全国的に季節外れの猛暑。

 

こんなはずではなかった、と、私も先日はあわててエアコンのお掃除をいたしました。本当に四季ではなく日本は二季になっていってるのか…。そう思いますと、この過ごしやすい時期は益々短く、本当に大切に活動しなければならないなと、思った次第でございます。

 

と、思っていた矢先にこの時期を大切に活動している（笑）東海圏外の来客が先日みえまして。

「ここに行きたいのだけど、連れて行って。」とリクエストが。私、知らなかったんですよ、岐阜県中津川市にあります「苗木城跡」のことを。まあ、近くに住んでいるとこんなものなのでしょうか。ちょっと、後悔しております。

 

とにかく写真からダイナミックさが伝わればよいのですが…。一緒に苗木城めぐりしていきましょう。

 

苗木城は、国指定史跡でして岐阜県中津川市苗木の市内を東西に貫流する木曽川の右岸にそびえる高森山（432メートル）に築かれております。その最大の特徴は巨岩を取り込んだ石垣。

 

 

山道を少し歩いていきますといきなりこの景色が。すでにここから時代は戦国～江戸時代に引き戻されます。また、ジブリ映画に出てきそうな全景ともいえますね。

 

城は岩山の上にあり、また、敷地の確保が困難なため建物の構築方法に懸造りが使われております。そしてご覧のとおり自然の地形を有効に活かして築かれた山城であり、天然の巨岩を利用して構築された石垣は全国でも珍しいものでして、まずはそのダイナミックさに驚きます。どうなってるのだ？この城の造りは。

 

少し歩いていきますと大矢倉のある少し広い場所へ。

ここ大矢倉などでは岩を包み込むように積まれた石垣を見ることができ、またその石垣は年代によってさまざまな技法で積まれていることもみることができます。

 

 

 

 

一瞬マチュピチュかと思いました。行ったことはありませんが笑。

 

そして、頂上の展望台からの景色は息を飲むほどの絶景でして、360度の大パノラマが広がり、中津川のシンボルである恵那山、眼下には木曽川、そしてまち並みがすべてみることができます。また、寒暖差のある秋から冬の早朝には、タイミングが良ければ雲海が広がる幻想的な景色が見られるようです。

 

 

 

 

ここ最近、日本のマチュピチュと言われ有名な山城ですと竹田城はご存じの方もいそうではありますが、岐阜県にも日本のマチュピチュがあったようでして。こんなに近いにもかかわらず知らずに、しかも他県の方からその存在を教わるという事態に、少々もったいないことをしたな…。と、思いながら先日は城に佇んでおりました。

 

 

 

それでは、ごきげんよう。

 

 

Hello everyone, this is Staff Y.

 

The fresh green leaves are dazzling to the eye, and just when I was thinking that the season for activities had finally arrived, we have been hit with an unseasonably hot summer here in Nagoya, as well as in the rest of the country.

 

It was not supposed to be like this, and I rushed to clean the air conditioner the other day. Is Japan really becoming a country of two seasons instead of four? I was thinking that the comfortable time of the year is getting shorter and shorter, and that we really need to take good care of our activities.

 

Just as I was thinking that, I had a visitor from outside the Tokai area the other day.

I want to go here. I didn’t know about it. I didn’t know about the “Ruins of Naegi Castle” in Nakatsugawa City, Gifu Prefecture. Well, I guess that’s what happens when you live nearby. I regret it a little.

 

Anyway, I hope the photos convey the dynamic nature of the site…. Let’s take a tour of Naegi Castle together.

 

Naegi Castle, a designated national historic site, was built on Mt. Takamori (432 meters) on the right bank of the Kiso River, which runs east to west through the city of Naegi, Nakatsugawa City, Gifu Prefecture. Its greatest feature is the stone wall incorporating huge rocks.

 

A short walk along the mountain road will lead you to this view. The castle is located on top of a rocky hill, and the castle is also located on the right bank of the Takamori River (432 meters).

 

The castle is located on top of a rocky hill, and due to the difficulty of securing a site, the building was constructed in the kakezukuri style. As you can see, it is a mountain castle built by effectively utilizing the natural terrain, and the stone walls constructed by using natural huge rocks are rare in Japan, so you will be surprised at its dynamic nature. What is going on here? How is this castle built?

 

After a short walk, you will come to a slightly larger area where there is an Oyagura.

Here at Oyagura, you can see the stone walls piled up as if encasing rocks, and you can also see that the stone walls were piled up using various techniques depending on the age.

 

For a moment, I thought it was Machu Picchu. I have never been to Machu Picchu.

 

The view from the observatory at the top is breathtaking, with a 360-degree panoramic view of Mt. Also, early in the morning from autumn to winter, when the temperature varies from cold to warm, a sea of clouds can be seen at the right moment, creating a fantastic view.

 

 

Recently, Takeda Castle has been called Japan’s Machu Picchu, and some people may be familiar with the famous mountain castle, Takeda Castle, but it seems that there is also a Machu Picchu in Gifu Prefecture. It was a bit of a waste of time to learn of the existence of Machu Picchu from a person from another prefecture…. I was standing at the castle the other day with this thought in my mind.

 

 

As you can see, the stonewalls are piled up using the huge rocks as they are, and the naturally standing huge rocks and the stonewalls piled up by human hands blend well together.

The stonewalls also differed according to the period, such as field masonry, hottate-jointed, kirikomi-jointed, and tani-masonry, etc. I am sure that stone wall enthusiasts would have checked out this area.

 

Miaokijo Castle is also ranked No. 1 in the “Top 10 Best Mountain Castles” for its spectacular view! It is a well-known mountain castle among castle enthusiasts. For those of you who have never been to Miaoli Castle, you will be proud to know that the Toyama Clan has ruled the area for 270 years since the Warring States period from the observation platform of the castle tower.

 

Have a good day.