I went to Kochi Castle the other day! I think the last time I went there was when I was in elementary school, but I can't quite remember.
I regret never having been there before, even though there is such a historical building so close by.
This time, I would like to summarize various things about Kochi Castle.
The history of Kochi Castle!
In 1601, the first lord of the Sa domain, Yamauchi Kazutoyo, began construction of the castle.
It was completed in 1610 after about 10 years of construction.
In 1727, a fire in the castle town destroyed almost all the buildings.
In 1729, the castle began to be rebuilt. Where did the residents live during these two years?
The castle tower and other structures were completed in 1749. The current castle tower dates back to that time. It's exciting to think that it was built about 270 years ago.
In 1873, the castle was demolished in accordance with the Meiji government's castle abolition order, leaving only a small part standing. I wish it had been left as it is!
In 1934, it was designated a national treasure.
In 1945, it was bombed, but there was no major damage.
In 1946, the city suffered serious damage from the Nankai earthquake.
In 1948, restoration work began.
Restoration work was completed in 1959.
I have briefly listed the history of Kochi Castle. Looking back at the history, many castles in Japan were destroyed in 1615 with the "One Castle per Province" policy, and Kochi Castle and the buildings in Ninomaru and Sannomaru were also destroyed by the Meiji government. I know it can't be helped, but I would have liked to see it.
If there had been no fire in 1727, the buildings would have been 400 years old, but even so, the current castle tower and Otemae Gate are 272 years old as of 2021!
And it has survived wars and disasters. Just thinking about it makes me excited. 
Just before entering Kochi Castle, there is a bronze statue of Yamauchi Kazutoyo.
Introducing the highlights of Kochi Castle!
Now that we have looked at the history of Kochi Castle, I would like to introduce the highlights of Kochi Castle from my perspective. This may be a very nerdy perspective, but let's take a look at the skills of the craftsmen from about 270 years ago! Let's get started!Otemae Gate!
The first thing you will pass through is the Otemae Gate. Your first impression here is "It's huge!" Everything here is huge! 
The pillars, beams and metalwork of the gate are all really huge! What caught my eye the most was the door. 
I didn't measure it properly so this is just an estimate, but it's 2.5m wide and about 4m high! It's huge! The copper plate decoration is also nice. 
The door is about 20cm thick, and the hinges are huge. I wonder how they were made? This is common in old building materials, but the tenons of this time are passed through the hinges and fixed with wedges from the outside. 
Stone wall!
Go through the Otemon Gate and up the stairs, and you will see the stone walls. Instead of heading straight to the main enclosure, let's walk around the castle!
The impressive stone walls that stand tall around the castle are amazing. It's amazing to think that such a structure was built by hand in an era when there were no machines like cranes! The curves of the corners seen from below are beautiful. 
As you climb, looking at the stone walls, the main castle will come into view.
Buildings around the Honmaru Palace!
When you enter the Honmaru Palace from Ninomaru, you can also see the surrounding buildings.
You can see three tiers of beams inside the building called the corridor gate. There is a door just outside the corridor gate, and the joints there are also interesting. 
I've seen similar joints in books, but I've never made one myself, so I'd like to try it someday. 
Also pay attention to the onigawara (demon tiles) on the roof. They have been placed on roofs since ancient times as a talisman against evil spirits, and even on nearby roofs there are different types of onigawara (demon tiles). 
This type of roof detailing is commonly seen, but I haven't studied it enough to know whether it's simply decorative or has a functional purpose. 
After looking at the surrounding buildings, we finally enter the castle tower.
castle tower!
There is a fee to enter the castle tower. The price is 420 yen! It's cheap! Personally, I think it's too cheap.
These are the shoji screens inside the castle tower. I believe all of the screens are made with the "Jigokugumi" method, where the screens are assembled alternately vertically and horizontally. It takes some time to make, but it's a sturdy method that won't come loose later on. 
The lattice installed on the outside of the shoji screen also has holes dug through the vertical bars to pass through horizontally. 
If you go a little further, you will see the "Ranma" exhibit. All of them are about 250 years old. There were no joints in the carvings, so I think they were probably carved from a single piece of wood. It's amazing. 
All the pillars are rounded so that the beams can be placed over them. This is meticulous work. 
This is a transom on the first floor. The first transom looks difficult to make. I can imagine the structure, so it seems possible to make it. 
This is a peephole in the outer wall of the castle tower. Our guide told us that Kochi Castle is the only castle in Japan with such a long, horizontal hole. 
This is a style of house called "Shoin-zukuri" that has been around since the Muromachi period. It was probably a place where the lord would meet with his guests. 
There is a double diamond-patterned transom, the place where the lord sits is one step higher, and the ceiling is splendidly decorated, known as a coffered ceiling. 
This is a mechanism called "stone dropping" that drops stones from inside the castle towards the enemy outside. Castles have many mechanisms to protect against enemy attacks, but Kochi Castle has never been a battlefield, so none of these mechanisms have been used. One of the reasons why it has survived to this day is probably because it has never been a battlefield. 
It's one of the pillars of the castle tower, and it's big. My hand is about 20cm, so this pillar is probably about 30cm. The beams are even bigger. Anyway, all the pillars and beams are big, so they were cut out, carved, transported here, and assembled. Of course, it was all done by hand, so just imagining that process gives you an idea of how hard it must have been for the craftsmen at the time. 
These are the marks of a "sickle joint" on the floor. 
This is the process that connects the two beams. 
I thought about the nails in the floorboards and traces of the craftsmen at the time that remained everywhere. 
Also pay attention to the "locks" used on the wooden fittings. I was squatting on the floor trying to figure out what kind of structure they had. I'm sure people who didn't know me thought I was strange... 
These "Shachihoko" statues can be seen from the windows on the fourth floor. There are two of them, and they seem to work in perfect harmony. 
This is the fifth floor just below the top of the castle tower. There are no windows and it looks like just a space at first glance, but it is supposed to be a room on the fifth floor. Was it used as a warehouse? 
This is the staircase leading to the top floor. It's narrow and steep. Once you go up, you'll finally reach the top floor. 
It may be hard to see because it's a panoramic photo, but you can see the whole of downtown Kochi. I'm a little scared of heights, so I was a little scared... 
This is Ninomaru and Sannomaru as seen from the top floor. I wonder what the view was like from here hundreds of years ago. I'd like to see it. That's all I've said about Kochi Castle. Castles are interesting. I want to see more castles. If I have time, I'd like to go see them again. Thank you for reading to the end.
