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tenshudai@“VŽη‘δ
KEY WORD :@architecture / castles
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The independent raised foundation upon which the the principal tower *tenshu “VŽη, was constructed. Usually approximately square shaped. The first tenshudai of the late Medieval period are thought to have been made of earth alone, but all those of the Edo period consisted of stone-faced earth walls, *ishigaki ΞŠ_. The incline of the tenshudai walls was relatively straight where built on solid ground, but concave ramparts were preferred where the soil was weak. This concave type was most common; the line of the curve is called *ougi-no-koubai ξ‚ΜŒω”z. Various methods of stone facing were used on the ramparts: (1) a facing of rough, natural stones, *nozurazumi –μ–ΚΟ‚έ as seen at Matsuyamajou ΌŽRι, Ehime prefecture and Koufujou b•{ι, Yamanashi prefecture;@(2) partially dressed stones *uchikomihagi ‘ōž”Š‚¬ as at Himejijou •P˜Hι, Hyougo prefecture;@(3) well dressed and carefully shaped stone set in a well ordered arrangement *kirikomihagi Ψž”Š‚¬. Edojou ]ŒΛι, Tokyo, is a good example. Gaps between large stones were filled with irregularly shaped smaller stones kai-ishi Ž”Ξ.
The tenshudai was not necessarily solidly packed but sometimes had an excavated interior that might hide one or more basement floors not visible from the outside. Surviving examples demonstrate that some foundations were very large. For instance, the military records SHINCHOU KOUKI M’·Œφ‹L (c1600) record that the stone-faced foundation of Azuchijou ˆΐ“yι, Shiga prefecture, was more than 24m (12 ken) high. In many castles today, the tenshudai is the only surviving part of the principal tower. See, for example, Osakajou ‘εγι, Osaka, or Edojou.
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Kyuu Edojou Tenshudai ‹Œ]ŒΛι“VŽη‘δ (Tokyo)

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