Kunimi TowerForestry Agency
Mt. Takatori is located in Nara Prefecture’s Takaichi County in the town of Takatori. Although it is only of modest height at 583.6 meters above sea level, the mountain’s summit is home to Takatori Castle, once one of the most prominent mountaintop castles in Japan.
Stone monument at the site of Takatori CastleForestry Agency
Meanwhile, the agricultural area at the foot of the mountain is one where medicinal plants have long been cultivated, and in the castle town of Takatori, the culture surrounding these plants, one originating in the Asuka Period (538–710) has been handed down to this day; efforts are now being made to carry the medicinal plant traditions of the town into the future. Let’s now embark on a walking tour of the castle ruins and the town, looking back on a history that stretches back to the so-called Manyo Period (early 7th century–mid 8th century) and consider what the future may hold for this ancient place.
Remains of the Fifteen Multiple GatesForestry Agency
Stone Walls that Stretch 3.5km Around the MountaintopTakatori Castle was built in 1332 during what is known as the Northern and Southern Courts Period by Kunizumi Ochi, from the powerful regional Ochi clan, to guard Imogatoge, an important pass connecting Nara and Yoshino. The height difference between the summit and the foot of a mountain is known as the relative height; in terms of this measurement, and Takatori Castle boasts the largest relative height among all the mountain castles in Japan.
The castle tower and an old cedar treeForestry Agency
The relative height of the summit from the ruins of Kuromon, the first gate of Takatori Castle, is as high as 370 meters. This is the reason why it is known as one of "Japan's Three Great Mountain Castles".
History of Takatori CastleForestry Agency
When the castle was initially built, it was a simple mountain castle. However, in the 16th century, Masatoshi Honda of the powerful Honda Clan took over the castle on the orders of Hidenaga Toyotomi and rebuilt it. As a result of his hiring of a first-class military strategist to adopt the latest construction methods, a modern and aesthetically pleasing castle emerged, with stone walls that total 3.5 kilometers in length, a large keep tower with a smaller accompanying tower, and 27 turrets. After the decline of the Honda clan, a feudal lord, Iemasa Uemura, took over the castle, and the Uemura clan ruled the area for 14 generations until 1869. The castle was abandoned in 1873 and the towers and other structures were gradually lost, but the stone mounds and walls still retain their original appearance.
Fallen maple leavesForestry Agency
Walking the Steep Paths Around the Old Inner Keep
Currently, 1.13 hectares of Mt. Takatori is designated as the "Takatori Castle Ruins", a nationally designated historic site. It lies among a warm-temperate laurel forest of cedar, cypress, fir, and zelkova trees, which together with the mossy stone walls create an atmospheric landscape.
“The area around Takatoriyama is in fact thought to be the oldest protected forest in Japan and there is a description in the Nihon Shoki (Chronicles of Japan) that prohibits deforestation here," says Hiroshi Yoshida, president of the Takatori Town Tourism Association, referring to the second-oldest extant historical record of Japan.
The Seven WellsForestry Agency
“The forest is not the only attraction, of course. One of the characteristics of this mountain is its abundance of water. For example, there is a well called Nanatsu Ido (Seventh Well) at the castle site. This is something unique about Takatori Castle; it was rare to have a mountaintop castle to have its own well. The waters from here actually are the source of the Takatori River, which flows into the Yamato River and into Osaka Bay.”
Hiking Course MapForestry Agency
Yoshida leads the way up the incline to the remnants of Takatori Castle. There are several routes from the old castle town to the main gate; today, we take the main road (Takatori Castle town side) from the remains of the Kuromon Gate, which used to be the castle’s first gate.“In the old days, the main road was wider than it is now, and was a busy thoroughfare with horses and kago (a sort of basket, carried by up to four bearers, in which a person can sit in) coming and going, and a row of samurai residences on either side of it.”
Issho SlopeForestry Agency
Beyond the remains of the Kuromon Gate, a winding path along a ridge comes into view. This is the Nanamaguri, or the “Path of Seven Turns,” a switchback route that was designed to help repel invading enemies. Ahead of this is the steep slope known as Isshozaka. Due to its relative height, all paths up to the main keep were all steep; this one, however, is said to be the most difficult to climb. Isshozaka got its name after the fact that workers were rewarded with an extra issho, the old Japanese liquid measurement (that equals around 150 grams), of rice for their efforts hauling rocks up this especially arduous incline.
Monkey StoneForestry Agency
Discovering Rocks Repurposed from Asuka Period TombsThe highlight of the area as you traverse Isshozaka and through the Ninomon Gate is a curious stone carving called Saru-ishi (Monkey Stone). It stands at the junction of two paths—the main one that leads down to the old castle town and another that goes to Asuka, the ancient capital of Japan. It is believed that the Saru-ishi was made from stone carved in the Asuka Period and brought to this place during the construction of the castle walls. The pedestal on which it stands is also very likely to be the same stone used in an Asuka Period tomb.
Water moat in front of the Second GateForestry Agency
After taking a look at the well by the Ninomon Gate, it is then onto the innermost part of the castle. A little beyond the gate is the Kunimiyagura, the site of a turret that afford superb views of the Three Mountains of Yamato and beyond; on a clear day, you can spot Mt. Rokko (Hyogo Prefecture) and Mt. Hiei (Kyoto Prefecture).
Stone WallForestry Agency
Then, appearing just past here is the Otemon—the Main Gate. We are now about to enter the old main keep.
“The highlight of the Honmaru (inner keep) is the elaborate masugata (oblong shape) design that was built to prevent the enemy from entering, and the high stone walls that were made from stones from the chambers of ancient tombs. Some of these repurposed rocks have been found to have a lime plaster still affixed to them, leading historians to posit they came from kiriishi (“cut stone”) that were used in kofun burial mounds.
Stone Coffin from Asuka TumulusForestry Agency
The stone walls here are over 12 meters high—their scale overwhelming when you consider they were built at the top of a mountain. At one time, Takatori Castle had 27 turrets, covered in stark white plaster; the view of the castle from the town below was so impressive, it was known as the “Lotus Castle.” It must have been quite an impressive sight; a pure white fortress atop a peak, one that earned its own poem:Tatsumi Takatori
Yuki ka to mireba,
Yuki de gozaranu
Tosa no shiro
(Takatori in the south-east
I thought it was snow,
But it is not snow
The castle of Tosa)
Medicine PackageForestry Agency
Ancient Remedies Dating back to the Asuka PeriodThe Honda Clan was responsible for more than just a remarkable castle; at the foot of the mountain, they established a settlment that soon became a major fortified town. It is now known as the town of Takatori and since the Asuka Period, the area it is situated in has been known for its medicinal plants. In the Nihon Shoki, it is written that Emperor Suiko accompanied Prince Shotoku to Takatori in the 20th year of Suiko (612) to look for medicinal plants.
YagenForestry Agency
In those days, the men would hunt deer for the medicinal properties of their antlers while women would pick mountain plants such as calamus palm or mugwort. Since the area was so rich in plants and animals that could be used for medicinal purposes, the “hunting” of medicinal plants was held as an Imperial court event; Takatori soon became famous as one of Japan’s leading producers of medicines based on the medicinal plants that grow here.
Signboard of medicineForestry Agency
As time went on and research on medicines advanced, a pharmaceutical industry emerged. In the middle of the Edo period (1603–1868), the hawking of medicine under the name of Yamato Baiyaku (patent medicine business) began to flourish. Yamato Baiyaku was a so-called okikusuri business, a unique system whereby household medicines are peddled to customers to be used as needed; the peddler later comes to collect payment for only the used medicines and replenishes any shortage.
Mr. Yoshida of Takatori Town Tourism Association and members of Takatori Town HallForestry Agency
Hand-carved wooden printing blockForestry Agency
The Takatori Medicine Museum is where you can view tools from the days when medicines were made by hand and the medicines that were once manufactured in this town. Exhibits include a wicker trunk, indispensable for the peddling of medicines, and old account books give us a glimpse into the history of the pharmaceutical industry that has long been nurtured in Takatori. The retro-style packaging is quite eye-catching; the printing industry evolved considerably in tandem with an increase in demand for attractive medicine packaging.
Pony Village FarmForestry Agency
Revitalizing a Town Through the Power of Japanese Angelica
Fast-forwarding to the present day, there is a movement underway to connect the high-quality medicinal plants that grow naturally in the area to future generations. Pony-no-sato Farm is an agricultural production corporation that is trying to promote the “sixth Sector industrialization” in agriculture using Yamato toki (Japanese angelica, also known as Japanese Dong Quai), a traditional medicinal plant. A member of the parsley family, Yamato toki is native to Nara Prefecture and highly valued as a herbal remedy, its roots in particular used in the treatment of gynecological conditions. In 2012, Nara Prefecture launched a project to promote Kampo (traditional Chinese medicine), which has led to a renewed interest in herbal treatments.
Yamato ToukiForestry Agency
“We were considering how we could promote Nara’s unique herbal medicines, and in the end, we singled out Yamato toki. In 2013, we set about cultivating it here with the support of the local government,” explains Masahide Hoshina, General Manager of Pony-no-sato Farm.
Mr. Hoshina and Mr. Uda of Pony Village FarmForestry Agency
Hoshina is actually cultivating the herb for its leaves to be used as food. Originally, using Yamato toki for medical treatment was regulated under the Pharmaceutical Affairs Law. However, this changed just at the time Hoshina started experimental cultivation of the plant. As the leaves were now treated as “non-medical,” they could be used as food. They contain a unique aromatic compound, reminiscent of celery, and can be used as a herbal condiment in a variety of dishes. At present, Pony-no-sato Farm is shipping fresh leaves for table use and also processing them into herb salts and herbal teas for sale with the aim of promoting the Yamato toki as a brand.
Medicinal herb bentoForestry Agency
Connecting Medicinal Plant Culture to the Future
"We are also putting our efforts into promoting tourism, combining the Yamato toki and other medicinal plants with hands-on experiences. We are currently working on rural medical tourism, such as holding workshops on medicinal plants and their harvesting, and we are planning to collaborate with Nara Medical University and the Planning Institute of Medicine-Based Town at Waseda University for mental health and stress relief care."
"We would like to spread the concept of rural health tourism not only in Takatori, but in Nara Prefecture as a whole so that people can get a tourist experience of agriculture and at the same time, appreciate the health benefits of coming here.”
Medical Herb TilesForestry Agency
One way in which Pony-no-sato Farm is working to revitalize the region is through the promotion of agriculture and social welfare collaboration. This has taken the form of employing local people with disabilities in the production of processed products that feature Yamato toki. Creating new jobs, new opportunities, new tourism possibilities: Pony-no-sato Farm is taking on these challenges with vigor, testament to the strength of Takatori’s traditional medicinal plant culture, one that has survived for over 1,400 years.
Cooperation:
General Incorporated Association Takatori Town Tourism Association
Takatori Town Kusuri Museum
Pony Village Farm
Text: Ayako Kuraishi
Photo:Manami Takahashi
Edit: Eri Ishida, Saori Hayashida
Production: Skyrocket Corporation
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