山城 Yamashiro by Till Weber
Many people may hold an image of Japanese castles as being huge fortresses built on massive stone walls, surrounded by multiple moats and gracefully adorned by several white-washed towers, housing a princely family and thousands of their samurai and ashigaru (foot soldiers).
In fact, very few Japanese castles were built like this, and almost all of them were built between 1580 and the first decades of the 17th Century – at the end or even after the Sengoku period, the Age of the Country at War (1477-1603).
The classical Japanese castle before the Edo period (which began in 1603) was built from wood and earth, and almost always on a hill or mountaintop, hence its name Yamashiro ("mountain castle"). Such castles could range in size from a small lookout post to major fortifications, such as the main castles of famous lords such as Uesugi Kenshin (d. 1578) or the Satsuma clan in Kagoshima.
The basic concept was to make maximum use of the features of local topography and so save on materials, men and construction time. For this, mountaintops were "shaved" – earth was removed and sculpted to create paths, moats and a series of interlocking flat plateaus for buildings. Trees cut down would be used as wood for construction. Steep slopes, rocks and a series of overlooking peaks provided natural defenses. The downside of this construction method was that it was too risky to build very substantial or tall buildings, and few dared to build even modest stone bases. The castle was exposed to the elements, and torrential rains could wash away too much earth, making buildings tumble.
For the purpose of defense, difficulty of access was more valuable than solid walls, towers, etc. Samurai lords had their extended territories secured by a network of major and minor castles which controlled further networks of even smaller outposts, forts and border fortifications. Most of these "toride" only had a skeleton garrison of a few professional samurai and foot soldiers, but these were supported by local peasants who were also to perform labor to keep the place in a state of good repair. In peaceful times, the garrison controlled local trade, collected taxes, and relayed communications. In the case of an invasion, the yamashiro's two tasks were to report enemy movements to the capital as rapidly as possible, and then try to delay the enemy's advance as much as possible to buy time for the main army to be raised in the capital. It was not expected from the small garrison to withstand a massive assault for long, but it took time for the enemy to climb the mountain in numbers and defeat the defenders who shot missiles and rolled down rocks. Invading armies often preferred to bypass these pesky little mountain castles, but were then exposed to determined attacks from the rear.
The modest size of Yamashiro means that it is not too difficult and space-consuming to build an entire model castle, and the small numbers of troops involved would allow to have an inspiring wargaming experience on the skirmish level.
Things from the Basement have produced what we proudly believe is the first rendition as an MDF building kit of a typical small- to medium-sized Yamashiro, entirely designed after Japanese sources and studies of preserved and recreated sites such as Fort Takane, a former Takeda border Yamashiro protecting the territory's Southern flank. The buildings can be combined in any grouping, and also used as small fortifications or camp structures in less mountainous terrain.
Available as 28mm Laser-Cut Kits Are:
Tate Set (22 Shields, Big & Small) – $9.50 USD
Pavises or tate in Japanese were essential parts of any castle or field camp. They were constructed from solid wood, sometimes painted with emblems of a clan, and even strengthened using thin armor plates. Smaller tate could be carried around to protect troops where needed. Larger, more static tate were used to strengthen certain points of castle defenses. Tate could provide security even before a gate. They protected men on towers and behind bamboo fences.
Palisade Set (8 Pieces) – $8.50 USD
Some baileys or passages inside a Yamashiro were not solid or large enough to support walls, towers, etc. In such cases, palisades built from locally available trees or bamboo were erected. While not much of a protection against missiles, they gave an edge to defenders using their lances from behind the fences to harass attackers exposed and exhausted from a strenuous climb up the slopes towards the Yamashiro.
Wall Set (8 Long, 4 Short, 8 Corners) – $34.50 USD
Major walls securing important areas of a Yamashiro were usually constructed in a wattle-and-daube technique with a roof of wooden shingles. A wooden frame was filled with lattice and packed with clay or soil, mixed with hay or sand. Once dry, such walls protected against arrows but not against all firearms.
Gate – $7.50 USD
The main gate is built from solid wood and has a heavy door.
Watchtower – $34.50 USD
Observing enemies and commercial activities was one of the main tasks of most Yamashiro garrisons. As it was risky to build high buildings exceeding one or two stories on mountaintops, and in order to save weight and materials, lookout towers were built like skeletons with three or more stories connected by ladders, a roof, but without an "outer skin". This exposed soldiers on the tower to missile fire, but a large number of pavises were used to give them flexible protection. The top floor should always be manned by a lookout crew with a conch trumpet, a gong, a drum, or wooden clappers at hand to raise an alarm.
Solid Barracks – $25.50 USD
Sometimes, men manning very modest Yamashiro were unlucky and had not much more than dug-outs with a cover made from tree branches, twigs, and some cloth to live in. Things from the Basement offer two more substantial barracks buildings. The larger one is a house built from wood and soil or clay with a veranda and three compartments each for several soldiers.
Tent Barracks – $20.50 USD
The smaller building has a back wall and maku (cloth curtains) on three sides, which made living here more comfortable in hot weather. This building is a standard barracks building as described in contemporary sources, such as the handbook Gunyo Senkou Zukai, published in 1708. Several of them can be added to each other to create a row of foot-soldier quarters inside a bigger castle. They could also easily be converted into stables for horses.
Guard House – $17.50 USD
Small guard houses were erected close to gates. They offered temporary quarters to the men on guard duty, and provided a dry place for samurai doing bureaucratic chores. Such men could sit on the porch or veranda with a good view on the checks on travelers and goods carried out at the gate, noting down whatever information had to be recorded. Guard houses were also often used to stock weapons and occasionally to keep prisoners.
Guard Tower – $16.50 USD
The commander's house can be built either joined to the guard tower, or the two structures can be separate (but both should be on the same central bailey at the heart of the castle). Both buildings could also serve to house supplies and weapons. The planking makes this tower an ambitious piece of architecture – those on guard must have been hoping the next earthquake would not strike on their watch!
Commander's House – $21.50 USD
The castle commander (often with a title such as jodai) had the most comfortable house, with an entire room to himself which also doubled as his offices. Weather permitting, much business was conducted on the verandas. The commander's house can be built either joined to the guard tower, or the two structures can be separate (but both should be on the same central bailey at the heart of the castle). Both buildings could also serve to house supplies and weapons.
Or get one of each of the kits in our bundle deal for $185 USD (shipping included in the continental U.S.)!
Tate (set of 22, big & small)
Palisade Set (8 pieces)
Wall Set (8 long, 4 short, 8 corners)
Gate
Watchtower
Solid Barracks
Tent Barracks
Guard House
Guard Tower
Commander's House
Well
More info and more images are available here.
