* Image is for illustrative purposes only.Ōtaki Castle
大多喜城
Ōtaki Castle is a historic castle in the Kantō region (Built in Daiei 1 (1521) by Mariyatsu Nobukiyo as Odaki Castle; developed by Honda Tadakatsu in Tenshō 18 (1590)). Its lord was Honda Tadakatsu / Abe family / Matsudaira (Okōchi) family.
Overview
Ōtaki Castle is a hirayama castle located in Ōtaki Town, Isumi District, Chiba Prefecture. It left its mark on history as an important castle of Kazusa Province from the Sengoku period through the Edo period. The castle's origins are said to date to around Daiei 1 (1521), when Mariyatsu Nobukiyo (of the Mariyatsu clan) built it as Odaki Castle. It was Honda Tadakatsu, one of Tokugawa Ieyasu's Four Heavenly Kings, who carried out major improvements to the castle.
Honda Tadakatsu is known as the most martially accomplished of the warriors who served Tokugawa Ieyasu, and he was praised as a 'master of the spear' and 'a fierce warrior without a single scar.' In Tenshō 18 (1590), as Ieyasu was relocated to the Kantō region, Tadakatsu was granted 100,000 koku in Ōtaki, Kazusa, and made Ōtaki Castle his residence. The castle layout that Tadakatsu developed at Ōtaki Castle was solid and reflected his practical tactical judgment.
Ōtaki Castle is also known for the history of Don Rodrigo, former acting governor-general of the Philippines. In 1609 he drifted ashore at Iwawada in present-day Onjuku, and Honda Tadatomo (the second son of Honda Tadakatsu), who was the local lord, entertained him there. In 1610, the following year, Don Rodrigo returned to Nueva España (New Spain, Mexico) on a ship provided by Ieyasu. In his account 'Don Rodrigo Nihon Kenbunroku', he recorded matters such as his visit to Ōtaki Castle. The role Ōtaki played in early Japanese-Spanish diplomacy is drawing attention from an international perspective as well.
Connection to Swords
The connection between Ōtaki Castle and swords originates in the legendary martial prowess of Honda Tadakatsu and the culture of spears and swords he loved. Honda Tadakatsu is counted among 'Japan's strongest warriors,' and his symbol is the famous spear he favored, called Tonbokiri. Tonbokiri is known as one of the Three Famous Spears of the Realm, and it takes its name from the legend that a dragonfly flying into its blade was cut clean in two. This famous spear is now in private hands and is on deposit at the Sano Art Museum in Shizuoka Prefecture.
Tadakatsu's second son, Tadatomo, became the second lord of the Ōtaki domain. In 1609 he sheltered and warmly received the party of Don Rodrigo, who had drifted ashore. The rebuilt tenshu housed the Ōtaki Castle Branch of the Chiba Prefectural Central Museum, but it has been closed for an extended period since December 2021, and the facility is scheduled to be transferred to Ōtaki Town.
Highlights
- Ōtaki Castle Tenshu (1975 reconstruction) — a three-story, four-level tenshu rebuilt based on Tenpō-era illustrated maps (the museum inside has been closed for an extended period since December 2021)
- Historic sites connected to the Honda family — including Ryōgen-ji, where a portion of the remains of Honda Tadatomo, who died in the Summer Siege of Osaka, were interred
- Ōtaki Station on the Isumi Railway — a stroll from this charming local-line station into the castle town
- Yakui Gate (remains of the Ninomaru palace) — a surviving structure at Ōtaki High School, designated as an appurtenance of a prefecturally designated historic site
- Site connected to Don Rodrigo — the castle that Don Rodrigo's party, shipwrecked at Onjuku in 1609, visited to see Honda Tadatomo
- Nature of Ōtaki — castle town scenery surrounded by rich nature, including the Yōrō Valley
* Opening hours and admission fees are subject to change. Please check the official website before visiting.