Kiyosu Castle - Relocated Gates

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Kiyosu Castle - Relocated Gates

清州城の移築された門

This gallery covers relocated gates said to be from Kiyosu Castle. Kiyosu Castle was abandoned from 1610 in favour of Nagoya Castle. Various parts from the former castle were recycled at the latter, but also redistributed elsewhere. Gallery and profiles by ART.

Kiyosujō: Chōkyūji Sanmon (Higashi, Nagoya, Aichi) 　清州城移築薬医門・長久寺山門［愛知県名古屋市東区］

This fine gate is said to have originally been built at Kiyosu Castle. It is the sanmon (main gate) of the temple Chōkyūji which was relocated from Kiyosu in 1610 when Kiyosu Castle was replaced by Nagoya Castle and abandoned. Presumably this yakuimon-type gate wasn't needed at the castle, so re-used by the temple instead.

Kiyosu Castle: Relocated Gate at Ryōfukuji (Owari-Asahi, Aichi) 　清洲城移築裏門・良福寺山門［愛知県尾張旭市印場元町］

Ryōfukuji is a temple in the Inbamoto neighbourhood of Owari-Asahi Municipality. It is said that the temple's main gate is a relocated structure from Kiyosu Castle. Kiyosujō was abandoned as early as 1610; as such, any gate originally from that castle would be very old. The gate at Ryōfukuji does appear medieval in parts, though sections have clearly been replaced over the years.

This relocated gate was originally part of Kiyosu Castle's northern rear gate (complex), it is said. It now serves as the sanmon (main gate) of Ryōfukuji and is designated as a municipal level important cultural property. Ryōfukuji was patronised by Oda Nobuo, but destroyed during the Komaki-Nagakute campaign in 1584. The temple was rebuilt in 1631. Since Kiyosujō would've already been abandoned by this time, I wonder where the gate came from.

The providence of Kiyosu Castle has not been confirmed, in fact, but there is evidence that the gate was relocated or recycled from elsewhere, which is encouraging; according to Owari-Asahi Digital Museum, the unusual location of the mortice holes is evidence of this. Major restorations to the gate were carried out both in 1976 and 1999.

Kiyosu Castle: Relocated Gate at Mantokuji (Nagano, Inazawa, Aichi) 　清州城移築馬掛門・満徳寺山門［愛知県稲沢市長野］

The sanmon (main gate) of Mantokuji, a temple in the Nagano neighbourhood of Inazawa Municipality, is said to have been relocated from Kiyosu Castle. At Kiyosujō it was the 'umakakemon', which I'm not sure of but the name suggests to me that it was at a place where riders would dismount and tie their horses. The gate is doorless but its supporting pillars do appear to be quite aged. Mantokuji is itself worth visiting because it contains a Muromachi period tahōtō stupa. Tahōtō are type of Buddhist cenotaph with an architectural form unique to Japan.

I thought I was smart to come in the evening after it had cooled down, as it had been a very hot Sunday, but in addition to dwindling light, I also had to contend with the mosquitoes at the temple which swarmed me. I donated a hundred yen to the offertory box in front of the main hall, and prayed that they would erect a signpost for the gate.

Kiyosu Castle: Relocated Gate Formerly at Ganshōji (Nagoya, Aichi) 　清洲城移築門跡・含笑寺［愛知県名古屋市東区東桜］

After visiting the relocated gate from Kiyosu Castle which is now at Ryōfukuji, a temple in Owari-Asahi, I decided to visit Ganshōji, a temple in downtown Nagoya, since it also is said to have had a gate relocated from Kiyosu Castle. However, I had read an article from just the month before saying that the gate was due to be relocated again, along with the rest of the temple, and the article did not say where to. I thought about not bothering, but the Seto Line goes straight to Sakaemachi Station close to Ganshōji so it was a convenient opportunity to check for myself.

Unfortunately, even though the article I read said that the temple would be relocated next year, and said that the gate would be moved, not that it had, it seems the gate has already been removed. Probably the gate has been disassembled and put into storage until the rest of the temple, such as the main hall, can also be moved. Thus these pictures show where the gate stood, and the small temple of Ganshōji. It's nice to have a record of Ganshōji since it will also soon be gone.

The main gate at Ganshōji was said to have been originally built at Kiyosujō. It was not a large gate and there is not much information on it.

Kiyosu-juku Honjin Seimon (Kiyosu, Aichi) 　清須宿本陣正門［愛知県清須市］

This solemn gate is the sole surviving remnant of the Kiyosu-juku, a shukuba (inn town) built over the remains of Kiyosu Castle's surrounding town. Kiyosujō was abandoned from 1610 to be replaced by Nagoyajō, and this also meant that much of the surrounding castle-town upsticks and relocated to Nagoya too. What remained of the jōkamachi was washed away in 1614 in a flood caused by a typhoon.

The shukuba was developed from 1616 around an extant market town to the castle's north, but following a fire in 1668 was relocated to its current position further south, to the west of where the castle park is today. The shukuba was a stop along the Mino route, and the first resting place after leaving Nagoya. Lords and their retinues travelling to Edo on sankin-kōtai duty would stay in the honjin, the main inn reserved for the use of daimyō retinues.

Although the formal position of shukuba was abolished with the end of feudalism in 1871, much architecture remained until the devestating Nobi Earthquake of 1891 struck the area, levelling the honjin, bar its main gate. Thereafter what remained of the shukuba was gradually swallowed up by redevelopment.

Just to the east of the honjin beside the Gojō River is Kiyosu Park where there is a bronze statue of Oda Nobunaga in battle armour.