Otaki Town is promoting the castle with Tadakatsu Honda.
Later History
After the Meiji Restoration, Otaki Castle was abandoned and all the buildings of the castle were demolished. The land of the castle was turned into fields, with a school and a residential area. The Imitation Main Tower was built in 1975 after the excavation in 1973. Otaki Town has been promoting this castle as being built by the famous general, Tadakatsu Honda.
The Imitation Tower of Otaki CastleThe illustration of Tadakatsu’s helmet, exhibited by Otaki Castle Museum
My Impression
The Main Tower of Otaki Castle is temporarily closed (as of Oct22) as it needs repairs such as earthquake proofing. Otaki Town will operate it following Chiba Prefecture after the repairs. Castles that include Main Towers are indispensable to local cities or towns because they serve as symbol and facilities for tourism. I also recommend seeing the castle town street near Otaki Station, where some old merchant houses remain.
The Imitation Tower of Otaki CastleOld merchant houses of the old castle town
How to get There
I recommend using a car when you visit the castle. It is about a 30-minute drive away from Ichihara-Maizuru IC on the Ken-odo Expressway. You can park at the parking lot located under the Main Enclosure. If you want to use public transportation, it takes about 15 minutes on foot from Otaki Station. To get to Otaki Station from Tokyo: Take the Wakashio limited express and get off at Ohara Station and transfer to the Isumi Railway.
Otaki StationThe parking lot under the Main Enclosure
Today, there are a few remaining items of the original Otaki Castle. However, Chiba Prefecture rebuilt a historical museum that looks like the Main Tower called Otaki Castle on the Main Enclosure.
Otaki Castle MuseumThe entrance of the museum
Going to Main Enclosure along Isumi-gawa River
If you want to visit the current Otaki Castle, there are two main routes you can take to visit from Otaki Station. One is for drivers, which starts from the front of the station to the south through the Imitation Main Gate. The route turns right to the west along the Isumi-gawa River. This part is named Mexico Street from the relationship with the country, which was derived from the episode of Rodrigo de Vivero.
The Imitation Main Gate near the stationThe Mexico Street
You can see the route was built on the mid slope of the steep cliff with the hill on the right and the river on the left, which were a natural hazard for the castle. The parking lot is located under the Main Enclosure.
The steep cliff of the hill where the castle was builtLooking down the Isumi-gawa RiverLooking down the Mexico Street from the Main Enclosure
Going to Main Enclosure through Second Enclosure
The other route is for people on foot, which starts from the back of the station. The ruins of the real Main Gate is nearby. However, there is only one signpost because the area around has become a residential area. After going along the route, you will reach the second enclosure which is now used as a high school. The route goes up on the earthen walls to the enclosure where the Main Hall for the lord was built in the past.
The route going to the Second EnclosureThe Second Enclosure
There are two remaining items of the castle. One of them is the Back Gate of the hall, which was once sold, but later restored at its present location. The other is the Large Well which has a perimeter of 17meters. you can see the Main Tower at the highest point on the Main Enclosure from there.
The former Back Gate of the Main Hall called Yakui-monThe Large WellThe Large Well seen from the Main EnclosureThe Main Tower on the Main Enclosure seen from the Second Enclosure
Old castle traces and New Imitation Main Tower on the Main Enclosure
You can climb up to the Main Enclosure from the front (the Second Enclosure) or the back (the parking lot). On the way to the enclosure, you can see old earthen walls, dry moats, and artificial steep cliffs which probably originated from the first stage of the castle. Indeed, the traces of the castle being called Odaki Castle were discovered during the excavation.
The route to the Main Enclosure from the Second EnclosureThe remaining earthen walls at the Main EnclosureThe route to the Main Enclosure from the parking lotA dry moat can be seen on the wayThe artificial steep cliff of an enclosure in the back of the Main Enclosure
However, those of the original Main Tower or its stone wall base have not been found at all. The present Main Tower and its stone wall base were built in the present time, based on a drawing of the original three-level Main Tower which was found at an old merchant house in the castle town. However, since the only item can not be seen as real evidence. It can only be called the Imitation Main Tower.
The Imitation Tower on the Main EnclosureThe stone wall base for the Main Tower, built in the present time
In the past, Chiba Prefecture was divided into three provinces, the Awa (the southern region), the Kazusa (the mid region) and the Shimosa (the northern region) from the south to the north on Boso Peninsula. In the 15th Century during the Sengoku Period, the Satomi Clan and the Hojo Clan battled each other many times to rule over the peninsula. The Satomi Clan was based in the Awa Province in the south, while the Hojo Clan first invaded Shimosa Province in the north. The central Kazusa Province naturally became the battlefield by both clans. There were many local lords such as the Takeda Clan and the Masaki Clan in the province. They were either independent, or supported the Hojo Clan, and or the Satomi Clan, depending on the situation.
The range of kazusa Province and the location of the castle
The former Otaki Castle, called Odaki Castle, was said to have been built by the Takeda Clan in the first 15th Century followed by the Masaki Clan in the middle of the 15th Century. The castle was built on a hill facing Isumi-gawa River in the south and deep valleys in the west. Therefore, the clans built several enclosures with dry moats in the east and branch forts in the north to protect the castle. The castle was made of soil using natural terrain, a typical method for building castles at that time.
The relief map around the castle
Tadakatsu Honda renovates Castle
The Satomi Clan finally managed to capture Kazusa Province including Odaki castle before the unification of Japan by Hideyoshi Toyotomi in 1590. However, Hedeyoshi took the province away the Satomi Clan and gave it to Ieyasu Tokugawa, the new owner of the Kanto Region following the Hojo Clan. One of the Four Generals Serving Ieyasu at that time, was Tadakatsu Honda who was assigned as the lord of Otaki Castle, which was later renamed from Odaki Castle, in 1591. Tadakatsu renovated the castle and developed the castle town in order to protect it against the Satomi Clan which was still located in the Awa Province. However, it is unclear how Tadakatsu renovated. Some historians speculate that the three-level Main Tower was built in the Main Enclosure on the top.
The portrait of Tadakatsu Honda, owned by Ryogenji Temple (licensed under Public Domain via Wikimedia Commons)The miniature model of Otaki Castle, exhibited by Otaki Castle Museum
The only evidence of the early stage of Otaki Castle was a record written by Rodrigo de Vivero, a Spanish politician who accidentally visited the castle when he drifted to Japan on his way to Mexico in 1609. He wrote that the first gate made of iron was on a 15-meter high wall, which was most likely the Main Gate, which also had a draw bridge that had a moat.
The Main Gate part of the miniature model
Furthermore, he wrote that the second gate was surrounded by stone walls or stone mounds and there was a deluxe Main Hall made for the lord of the castle, which was decorated with gold and silver inside (probably in the Second Enclosure). However, he didn’t mention the Main Enclosure and whether or not it included the Main Tower.
The Second Enclosure part of the miniature model
Tadakatsu had been transferred to Kuwana Castle in 1601, so his son, Tadatomo Honda met with Rodrigo de Vivero instead at the hall. Eventually, the Honda Clan was transferred from Otaki Castle in 1617.
Tadatomo Honda, drawn in the Battle of Sekigahara folding screen (licensed under Public Domain via Wikimedia Commons)
Lords of Castle changes many times
After the lords of the castle left, the ruler of the castle constantly changed between the Aoyama and the Abe Clans in short successions. In the case, the Inagaki Clan in 1702 only managed to rule the castle in as little as 21 days. As a result, the castle was neglected and nobody was there to take care or maintain it. Only when the Matsudaira Clan took over the castle in 1703 did the castle become more stable. According to the Matsudaira Clan’s records, the Main Hall existed only in the Second Enclosure. The Matsudaira Clan’s reign continued until the end of the Edo Period. It was said that the Main Tower was burned down in 1844, however, this information is debatable considering more information has recently come out managing this situation. It’s more plausible to assume, that the Matsudaira Clan continued to maintain and govern the castle until its ultimate demise at the end of the Edo Period. On the other hand, it’s also possible to assume that the town around the castle prospered which is where it is today, in the Boso Peninsula.
