Yamato Koriyama Castle - Restored Tenshudai

This set shows the tenshudai (donjon platform), which was restored from 2017 following archaeological excavations. The public can now ascend the donjon platform, enjoying the displays, views, and fine masonry. It was great to finally get a good look at the ishigaki (stone-piled ramparts) of the tens

Yamato Koriyama Castle - Restored Tenshudai

大和郡山城天守台

This set shows the tenshudai (donjon platform), which was restored from 2017 following archaeological excavations. The public can now ascend the donjon platform, enjoying the displays, views, and fine masonry. It was great to finally get a good look at the ishigaki (stone-piled ramparts) of the tenshudai. If one looks closely one can see that many stone blocks have been recycled from elsewhere, mostly temples, and temple statuary is evident in the ishigaki.

Perhaps most interesting is the Sakasa-Jizō (Upside-down Jizō); Jizō is a bodhisattva or Buddhist saint. An inverted statue of Jizō can be found in the base of the donjon, as part of its retaining wall. Jizō is particularly known for helping the souls of departed children who pile up stones on the banks of the Sanzu River. The demons in this stygian hellscape constantly knock down the piled stones which the children are using to accrue sufficient merit by which to cross the Sanzu River into the afterlife. Beneath his billowing robes, Jizō protects the children of limbo from the demons.

Kôriyamajō is said to have had a five-tier six-storey tenshu (main keep) constructed by Toyotomi Hidenaga in 1585. It is further said that this huge tower was removed and rebuilt at Nijōjō in 1602. The veracity of this is disputed. Archaeological investigations carried out during the restoration of the tenshudai revealed foundation stones for a tower. Some of these stones are still on display as if to proudly say 'See!' to the nay-sayers. However, it is not known whether the building constructed on the tenshudai was the same tower of legend, or a smaller construct. It is debatable whether the tenshudai at Kôriyamajō could host a large scale tenshu.

Gallery by ART.