* Image is for illustrative purposes only.Jurakudai
聚楽第
Jurakudai is a historic castle in the Kansai region (Begun 1586, completed 1587 (Tensho 14-15)). Its lord was Toyotomi Hideyoshi.
Overview
Overview
Jurakudai was a government office and residence built by Toyotomi Hideyoshi on the Uchino site of the former Heian Palace precinct, in present-day Kamigyo Ward, Kyoto. Because its appearance resembled a castle it is sometimes treated as one, but it was not a fortress built for fighting. The name "Juraku" is thought to be Hideyoshi's coinage, and during construction it was also called "Uchino Okamae". Maeno Nagayasu served as construction magistrate.
From construction to demolition
Work began in the second month of 1586 (Tensho 14) and was completed in the ninth month of 1587. In the fourth month of 1588, Emperor Go-Yozei made a visit to the residence. In the twelfth month of 1591 Hideyoshi passed the post of kampaku and other titles to his nephew Toyotomi Hidetsugu, and Jurakudai became Hidetsugu's residence. After Hidetsugu was forced to commit suicide in the seventh month of 1595, it was thoroughly demolished on Hideyoshi's orders from the following month, so it stood for just under eight years.
Structure
Centred on the main enclosure (honmaru), it had three further enclosures: the Nishi-no-maru, the Minami-ninomaru, and the Kita-no-maru added by Hidetsugu, all surrounded by moats and stone walls. Gold-leaf roof tiles were used. Ground surveys have confirmed a keep base at the north-west corner of the main enclosure, and old plans mark a "tenshu" there.
Remains and present state
No buildings survive. Excavations of the main enclosure's east moat and other sites in the early 1990s unearthed large numbers of gold-leaf roof tiles, which were designated an Important Cultural Property in 2002 as the "Excavated Gold-leaf Tiles from the Jurakudai Site, Kyoto". Parts of the stone walls have been reburied. Two "Jurakudai-ato" stone markers now stand around Nakadachiuri-dori and Omiya-dori in Kamigyo Ward. Many buildings are said to have been relocated from Jurakudai, but no surviving remains can be confirmed, and some structures once thought to be remnants have proved to be of later date.
Connection to Swords
Jurakudai was a residence that displayed Hideyoshi's power, and the excavated gold-leaf roof tiles convey its splendour.
Highlights
- Jurakudai-ato markers — two stone monuments around Nakadachiuri-dori and Omiya-dori
- Excavated gold-leaf tiles — found at the east moat of the main enclosure and other sites; Important Cultural Property since 2002
* Opening hours and admission fees are subject to change. Please check the official website before visiting.