The Day Castles Disappeared from Japan
There was an event when castles suddenly disappeared from all over Japan. It was the “Haijōrei” issued in 1873.
From the Sengoku period to the Edo period, there were many castles of various sizes throughout Japan. However, only famous castles remain in modern times.
This article explains why castles of historical value disappeared from all over Japan in modern times, while examining the Haijōrei.
Haijōrei
The Haijōrei(Haijō Edict, Japanese: 廃城令) was a decree issued by the Meiji government in 1873, ordering the disposal of castles nationwide as militarily and politically unnecessary.
全国城郭存廃ノ処分並兵営地等撰定方（ぜんこくじょうかくそんぱいのしょぶんならびにへいえいちとうせんていかた）は、1873年（明治6年）1月14日に明治政府において、太政官から陸軍省に発せられた太政官達「全国ノ城廓陣屋等存廃ヲ定メ存置ノ地所建物木石等陸軍省ニ管轄セシム」の件および、同じく大蔵省に発せられた太政官達「全国ノ城廓陣屋等存廃ヲ定メ廃止ノ地所建物木石等大蔵省ニ処分セシム」の件の総称。陸軍が軍用として使用する城郭陣屋と、大蔵省に引渡し売却用財産として処分する城郭陣屋に区分された。単に「廃城令」、「城郭取壊令」または「存城廃城令」と略されて使用されている場合が多い。
全国城郭存廃ノ処分並兵営地等撰定方 - wikipedia
Purpose and Background of the Haijōrei
The Haijōrei was a decree issued by the Meiji new government in the process of establishing a modern state system. Its purpose was to dispose of the castles that existed throughout the country until the Edo period as militarily and politically unnecessary.
In the background, there was a shift from a samurai society to a modern state promoted by the Meiji Restoration. With the abolition of feudal domains and establishment of prefectures, the domains were dismantled, and the castles lost their military roles. The castles that had become domain offices effectively fulfilled their roles due to this.
And with the introduction of the conscription system to foster a modern army and the adoption of a Western-style military system, castles became unnecessary.
Military System and Castles
Let’s delve a little deeper into why castles became unnecessary with the introduction of the Western-style military system.
In the Sengoku period, the feudal lords were the castle lords, and there were soldiers (including local farmers mobilized during battles) belonging to their castles. In other words, it was “soldiers managed by each castle.”
Until the Edo period, the feudal lords of each domain had their own vassals based in their own castles. They were samurai serving the domain lord, and they could also be called “castle soldiers.”
On the other hand, the Meiji government promoted the formation of a national army through the conscription system. This was an army directly under the nation, not belonging to a specific domain or castle. In other words, it had the character of “soldiers as an army.”
This modern army adopted the Western-style military system and was composed of soldiers gathered from all over the country. They were soldiers who acted according to the orders of the nation, and their ties with specific castles or domains were weakened.
With this change in the military system, castles lost their role as military bases. There was no longer a need for each castle to have its own soldiers, and within the nationwide military system, castles became unnecessary.
Content of the Haijōrei
The Haijōrei was issued as Daijōkan Proclamation No. 16. Its contents were as follows:
- Dispose of castles nationwide as militarily and politically unnecessary.
- However, castles with historical and cultural value will be preserved as historic sites and scenic spots.
- The stone materials of the demolished castle walls can be used for other construction projects.
Impact of the Haijōrei
Due to the Haijōrei, many castles became subject to demolition. While many beautiful castles built until the Edo period were lost, it was also a symbolic event of the formation of the centralized state that the Meiji government aimed for.
Also, with the disposal of many castles, the landscape of castle towns changed significantly. Many samurai residences disappeared, and modern buildings such as government offices and schools were built in the center of towns.
Evaluation of the Haijōrei
While there are critical views of the Haijōrei in terms of the destruction of cultural properties, it is also evaluated to some extent as part of the Meiji government’s modernization policy.
Castles symbolized the feudal social structure until the Edo period, and their disposal was an essential process for the formation of a modern state. Also, the use of stone materials from the demolished castles for the development of modern infrastructure such as roads and rivers can be considered an achievement.
On the other hand, the value of cultural properties lost due to the Haijōrei is an issue that should be re-evaluated even today. From a historical and cultural perspective, preserving and utilizing castles is an important issue in modern society.
However, it is also true that many castles were deteriorating and dangerous to approach due to the financial difficulties of the domains that prevented castle repairs and the absence of castle lords due to the discontinuation of their lineage. It must have been the right timing to dispose of such castles all at once.
Easily Understanding the Historical Background
The following historical background exists behind the process of dismantling castles nationwide:
- In 1871, the abolition of feudal domains and establishment of prefectures effectively ended the role of castles that had become domain offices.
- In 1873, the Haijōrei was promulgated.
The Haijōrei was not about “abolishing castles” but rather “keep the ones the army will use, but abolish the rest and sell off everything from the land to the materials.”
Moreover, even for the castles that were supposed to be kept, the premise was their use for military purposes. Demolish the stone walls, fill in the moats, etc., with a focus on practicality, which is why very few castles completely retain their appearance from that time.
In this way, castles in various regions became abolished due to the abolition of feudal domains and establishment of prefectures and the Haijōrei, but later, the cultural value of castles was re-evaluated, leading to efforts to preserve them for future generations, as is the case today.
