The Development of Castles by the Tsugaru Clan as Seen Through Written Records and Archaeological Relics

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The objective of the current study was to, through the examination of written records and physical relics, elucidate the establishment and development of the castles that were built in the Tsugaru region under the reign of the Tsugaru Clan (originally known as the Ohura Clan) from the waning days of the period of disunity and civil wars that came to an end in the latter half of the 16th century.During different periods, various castles including Tanesato Castle, Ohura Castle, Horikoshi Castle, and Hirosaki Castle, were used as strongholds of the Tsugaru Clan. Rather than looking at each castle as simply an individual entity, We tried to clarify the continuities and discontinuities among them in order to understand their historical stages of development and particular characteristics. We were able to place each castle in its proper historical context through comparative study of written correspondence and records, drawings and paintings, and pottery and other artifacts from archaeologic … More al excavations of castle sites. We have presented our findings in the below-mentioned articles and publications.Specifically, among the Hirosaki feudal government documents and drawings dating from the Edo Period, we especially performed verification through active investigation of actual materials in the cases of the Hirosaki Narabini Kingo no Ongezu [Drawings of Hirosaki and Environs] and Tenna Kakiage-ezu [Tenna Drawings], which contain portrayals of the Tsugaru castles. With full access to these reference materials, we were able to investigate the historical backgrounds and purposes of the drawings, the manner in which they were stored and handed down, and other aspects.In addition, we considered the connections between the Tanesato, Ohura, and Horikoshi castles, as evidenced by artifacts found at those sites, and researched the historical context of Kamegaoka Castle based on archaeological findings and drawings, as well as discuss the relationship with the development of new rice fields in the early days of the Hirosaki Clan reign.For details of our research findings, please see The Development of Castles by the Tsugaru Clan as Seen Through Written Records and Archaeological Relics, published in March. Less