Castles of the Samurai Power and Beauty

by Mitchelhill, Jennifer; Green, David

• ISBN13: 9784770029546
• ISBN10: 4770029543
• Format: Hardcover
• Copyright: 2004-01-09
• Publisher: Kodansha USA

Summary

The castles of Japan are a product of the country's long history of civil warnd samurai rule from the Middle Ages to mid-19th century. They functionedoth as military fortresses as well as symbols of authority. Theyncorporated powerful mechanisms for warding off attackers, yet as symbolshey were possessed of immense beauty and grace.;This study is divided intoour parts: the first examines who built these castles and why, with anncisive look at Japanese history and the internecine fighting betweenamurai clans; the second part discusses the castle as a fortress - themportance of its location, its layout, stone walls and moats, towers, gates,hooting holes, and stone drops; the third part covers the beauty of theastle as a symbol, covering the intricate craftsmanship seen in structuraletail and the aesthetics of the samurai class itself; and the fourth partontains practical information on visiting castles and gleaning the most from first-hand view.

Author Biography

David Green is a graduate in applied science with master's degrees in business administration and military history. The author of numerous articles on World War II and a keen photographer, his interest in Japanese castles began while he was teaching at a Japanese senior high school. He is married to Jennifer Mitchelhill and lives in Melbourne, Australia.
Jennifer Mitchelhill is a marketing graduate who started her own business in design before commencing further studies in architectural history. While teaching English at a Japanese senior high school she undertook a research project on the rebuilding of Kanazawa castle. This book grew out of her research. She lives in Melbourne with her husband, David Green, and their son, Harvey.

Table of Contents

Preface	7	(1)
Introduction	8	(1)
Color Plates	9	(50)
PART ONE: WHO BUILT THE CASTLES AND WHY?	59	(9)
Samurai, Daimyo, and the Shogun	59	(6)
Why Were the Castles Built?	65	(3)
PART TWO: THE CASTLE AS FORTRESS	68	(17)
Location	68	(3)
Layout	71	(2)
Stone Walls and Moats	73	(5)
Castle Buildings	78	(2)
The Main Tower	80	(3)
Towers, Storehouses, Mud Walls, and Gates	83	(2)
PART THREE: THE BEAUTY OF THE CASTLE	85	(7)
The Aesthetic Warrior	85	(3)
The Azuchi-Momoyama Style	88	(4)
PART FOUR: THE FATE OF THE JAPANESE CASTLE	92	(2)
Appendices	94	(8)
Castles, Domains, and Income in the Edo Period, 1848	94	(4)
Forty-five Castles to Visit	98	(4)
Glossary	102	(3)
Ackowledgments	105	(1)
Index	106