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Jinpukaku Hall
If you enter Tottori Castle through the "Kita-no-Gomon" Gate and walk to the righ, you will find an elegant building. This is "Jinpukaku Hall". 
Tottori Castle was built on Mt. Hisamatsu with 263 meters in height, in the northeastern part of Tottori city. The exact date of its construction is unclear, but one hypothesis suggests that it was built in the first half of the sixteenth century by YAMANA Nobumichi(1543-1611), the governor of Inaba Province (the present-day Tottori Prefecture). In 1600, IKEDA Nagayoshi (1570-1614) became the first lord of the Tottori Domain. In the Edo Age (1603-1868), IKEDA Mitsumasa (1609-1682) was transferred from Himeji Castle in 1617. In 1632, KEDA Mitsunaka (1630-1693) became the lord of Okayama Domain, when he was three years old. Because he was very young, there was an exchange of territories between Okayama Domain and Tottori Domain, and the IKEDA Mitsunaka family line continued until the Meiji Age, as Tottori Castle lord and the feudal domain lord of Tottori.Please refer the pages of "the ruins of Tottori Castle" : http://cf916626.cloudfree.jp/HandE_Japan/TravelDestinations/Chugoku/TottoriCastle_E.html "Jinpukaku Hall" was constructed in 1907 by IKEDA Nakahiro, the sixteenth head of the Tottori IKADA Clan, when Emperor TAISHO, then Crown Prince, visited Tottori Area. 
It's said to be in the French Renaissance style, and the white building is very beautiful. The entrance of "Jinpukaku Hall" is elegant. 
On the opposite side of the entrance to "Jinpukaku Hall", there are balconies on both the first and second floors. 
The interior of "Jinpukaku Hall" reportedly contains the "Imperial Chamber" and "Audience Chamber" used by Emperor TAISHO during his stay. Unfortunately, "Jinpukaku Hall" has been under repairment untill 2029. Untill then, it will not be open to the public. Behind "Jinpukaku Hall", the "Horyuin Garden" stretches out. 
The "Horyuin Garden" garden was built in 1863 by the 12th lord of the Tottori Feudal Domain, IKEDA Yoshinori (1837-1877), to comfort HORYUIN (?-?), the wife of the 11th lord of the Tottori Feudal Domain, IKEDA Yoshitaka (1834-1850), who was spending lonely days after her husband's death.
From the "Horyuin Garden" garden, you will see the summit of Mt. Hisamatsu and the stone walls of the second bailey. After visiting "Jinsenkaku Hall", I went up to the second bailey. On the way to the second bailry and from the second bailry, you will see "Jinpukaku Hall". |
