Shiraoi Sendai-han Jin'ya Ato (Shiraoi Former Jin'ya of the Sendai Domain)
白老仙台藩陣屋跡（白老元陣屋）
Shiraoi Sendai-han Jin'ya Ato (Shiraoi Former Jin'ya of the Sendai Domain) is a historic castle in Hokkaidō dating from the Late Edo period (built in 1856; abandoned in 1868 amid the Boshin War), whose lord was The Sendai domain (Date clan); its first garrison commander Ujiie Atsutoki, followed by Sendai domain retainers such as Miyoshi Kiyofusa serving in rotation.
Overview
Overview
The Shiraoi Sendai-han Jin'ya Ato is the ruins of a late-Edo-period jin'ya (a fortified administrative outpost) in Shiraoi, Shiraoi District, Hokkaido. Built by the Sendai domain to defend Hokkaido's Pacific coast under the shogunate's policy of dividing the guard duty for Ezo among several domains, it is the largest surviving jin'ya site in Hokkaido.
Background and Construction
From 1854, the shogunate, wary of Russian expansion southward, assigned various Tōhoku domains to guard sections of Ezo. The Sendai domain was given responsibility for the long stretch of Pacific coast from Shiraoi to Cape Erimo and on to the islands of Kunashiri and Etorofu. After a survey by the Sendai retainer Miyoshi Kemmotsu and others identified Shiraoi as suitable ground, construction began in the spring of 1856 and was largely complete by that autumn. Ujiie Atsutoki served as the first garrison commander.
Structure
The compound covered roughly 66,000 m² and consisted of an inner and an outer enclosure. Natural rivers served as moats, supplemented by earthen ramparts and six gates; the inner enclosure held the headquarters, accounting office, and armory and provision storehouses, while the outer enclosure contained a training ground and barracks. About 120 domain troops were garrisoned there at any time, and Shiogama and Atago shrines were established on the rise of ground behind the jin'ya.
Abandonment and Aftermath
In 1868, as the Boshin War turned against them, the Sendai retainers withdrew from the jin'ya and returned to Sendai, bringing its service to an end after little more than twelve years. In 1906, local residents' discovery of gravestones belonging to former garrison members sparked a movement to commemorate and preserve the site, which was designated a National Historic Site in 1966.
Present State and Access
The site is now maintained as a historic park, adjoining the Sendai-han Shiraoi Motojin'ya Museum (opened 1984), which displays around 300 artifacts including armor and weaponry. Shiraoi entered a sister-city relationship with the city of Sendai in 1981. About a 10-minute drive from Shiraoi Station on the JR Muroran Main Line.
Connection to Swords
The adjoining Sendai-han Shiraoi Motojin'ya Museum preserves and displays roughly 300 items related to the domain retainers stationed here, including armor and weaponry, offering a record of the arms carried by samurai defending Ezo in the last years of the Edo period.
Highlights
- The largest surviving jin'ya site in Hokkaido, built by the Sendai domain under the shogunate's divided defense of Ezo
- A roughly 66,000 m² double-enclosure compound with earthworks, six gates, and a permanent garrison of 120
- Abandoned in 1868 amid the Boshin War, after little more than twelve years of service
- National Historic Site (1966); adjoining museum displays about 300 armor and weapon artifacts; sister-city ties with Sendai
* Opening hours and admission fees are subject to change. Please check the official website before visiting.