Most castles and mansions of the medieval age were gathering weight in manor system since the latter part of the ancient times, at the same time they were dwelling and control bases of the residential lord classes who had been spreading their feudal territories and besides they were also military bases in the time of war. In consequence, the author has in mind that their formation, distribution and existence type reflect the forming process of feudal system into the landscape of the regions.
First of all the paper treats of the forming process, distribution and existence types concerning 140 castles and 154 mansions distributing in and around the Fukui plain, and the territory formation under the Daimyo (a feudal lord) in warlike ages and the regional structure of the feudal territory are investigated in detail. Further, by restoring such medieval settlements as were the nucleus of the control over the feudal territory to the original state, the author is bringing light on the character, especially, the patterns of their plans,
The results obtained are as follows:
1) The original remains of the medieval castles and mansions are generally found out of the new opening-up of a land where are upland and swampy areas in and around the Fukui plain, or on the small river valleys among the mountains. Throughout the domestic conflict in the middle part of the fourteenth century, the number of castles and mansions grows rapidly.
2) In 103 years from 1471 to 1573 the Daimyo kept on controling the feudal territory. During the time, castles and mansions grew most actively in the number and they were scattered at intervals of about 3-5km in the plain. These castles and mansions include the administration bases for the territories of the residential lords.
3) In this medieval age, the fairs were held close by or near previous grand manor houses, in front of the big temples and shrines, and at the meeting places of the traffics. And so local center settlements formed of several tens of merchants' houses and the castle or mansion were distributed at intervals of about 10-12km.
4) The mountain castle of Ichijotani was built in warlike ages at the top of a mountain of 450m and dwelling houses of retainer, temples and shrines flocked to its foot. In and around the crowded parts at the foot of the castle, were there formed business quarters. There had been many-nucleuses on the structure, however, the administration and economic functions had been properly exercised.