azuchi umadashi　的山馬出

KEY WORD :　architecture / castles

Also written 安土馬出. A type of defensive gateway barrier *umadashi 馬出, consisting of a straight-line earthen embankment *doi 土居 or straight wall built in front of a castle entrance *koguchi 虎口. Usually 20m to 30m long and high enough to conceal human beings, the barrier serves to protect the gate from enemy attack and to enhance the safety of forces entering and departing from the castle. Sometimes it is surrounded by a moat *hori 堀. The azuchi umadashi is the simplest type of defensive structure found in front of castle gates and was frequently a provisional structure. The rounded barrier *maru-umadashi 丸馬出, and the square barrier *kaku-umadashi 角馬出, were both developed from this model.

REFERENCES:

*umadashi koguchi 馬出虎口

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