Nakatsu Castle: a symbolic castle with modest yet well-maintained museum experience

3.5
旅行時期：2025/02（約11ヶ月前）

by Cyberさん（男性）

耶馬溪・中津・玖珠クチコミ：4件

中津市のシンボルであり、中津川の河口の水を堀に引き入れた水城として有名な城の一つである。天守の存在は史料からは確認されず、1964年に模擬天守として再建されたものの、黒塗りの城壁の堂々とした構えは、開けた土地にあるからか遠くからでもよく見え、特に青空の元であれば非常によく映える。
1588年に黒田孝高によって築城が開始されたが、完成したのは大坂の陣直後の1621年で、その時の城主は細川氏であった。1717年に奥平昌成が入封した後、廃城令に伴い破却されるまで、奥平氏が当主を務めた。そのため天守内も多くが奥平氏縁の品が展示されており、天守は『奥平家歴史資料館』とも呼ばれる。
模擬天守とは言え前述の通り中津市のシンボル的存在であるため、天守内は隅々まで綺麗で、清掃もくまなく行き届いている（その代わり、冬は床下が非常に冷たいと感じるかもしれない）。一方で天守を始め城郭の維持目的、民間企業所有の史跡であることの理由からか、大人で入館料1,000円というのは、展示の規模からすると高いように感じる。最上階から中津川の河口や市街地を眺めることが出来るが、大阪城や名古屋城等と比較すると高さがやや低く、特段他にランドマーク等もないことから、やや殺風景に感じるかもしれない。
中津城周辺には様々な史跡が残されているため、中津川河口の散策の過程で訪れてみるといいだろう。

Nakatsu Castle is one of the best-known symbols of Nakatsu City and is famous as a "Water Castle", with its moats fed by water drawn from the mouth of the Nakatsu River. Historical records do not confirm the existence of an original main keep, and the current tenshu was reconstructed in 1964 as a replica. Even so, the castle’s imposing appearance, with its black-lacquered walls, stands out clearly from a distance due to its location on open land, and it looks particularly striking against a clear blue sky.
Construction of the castle began in 1588 under Kuroda Kanbei (Yoshitaka), but it was not completed until 1621, shortly after the Siege of Osaka, when the Hosokawa clan was in control. In 1717, Okudaira Masanari became the lord of the castle, and the Okudaira clan remained in charge until the castle was dismantled following the Meiji-era abolition of castles. As a result, many of the items exhibited inside the keep are closely associated with the Okudaira family, and the tenshu is also known as the "Okudaira Clan Historical Museum".
Although it's a replica keep, Nakatsu Castle remains a symbolic landmark of the city. The interior is well maintained, clean, and carefully preserved throughout (although visitors may find the floors quite cold in winter). On the other hand, possibly due to the costs of maintaining the castle grounds and the fact that it's a privately owned historic site, the adult admission fee of 1,000 yen may feel relatively expensive considering the modest scale of the exhibitions. From the top floor, visitors can enjoy views of the Nakatsu River estuary and the city, but compared with castles such as Osaka Castle or Nagoya Castle, the height is lower, and the scenery may feel somewhat plain due to the lack of prominent landmarks.
As there are various historical sites scattered around the area, Nakatsu Castle is well worth visiting as part of a leisurely walk around the Nakatsu River estuary.