noun
outermost castle enclosure; outer fortifications including the castle town
Historical term referring to the large-scale defensive perimeter of a Japanese castle that enclosed not only the castle itself but also the surrounding town (jōkamachi). Used in descriptions of castle architecture and history.
小田原城の総構えは、城下町全体を囲む大規模なものでした。
The sōgamae of Odawara Castle was a large-scale structure that enclosed the entire castle town.
戦国時代の城には、総構えと呼ばれる外郭が設けられることがあった。
Castles of the Warring States period sometimes had an outer enclosure called sōgamae.
Compound of 総 (sō, 'overall, general') and 構え (gamae, 'structure, posture, enclosure'). The term is historically associated with Japanese castle architecture from the Sengoku period onward.