Jcastle.info

Guide to Japanese Castles

Otaki Castle

大多喜城

donjon
←      →
Founder Takeda Nobukiyo
Year earl 1500's
Reconstructed 1975 (concrete)
Type Hilltop
Condition Reconstructed
Rating ★ ★ ☆ ☆ ☆
Location Otaki, Chiba Pref.
Map Google Map
Access Otaki Sta. (Isumi Tetsudo Line); 15 min walk
Website Chiba Prefectural Sonan Museum
Visited June 20, 2009
Notes The donjon is a typical local museum with some historical artifacts including a small collection of armor and swords. The original yakuimon gate is on the school grounds next to the castle. Unfortunately, there was some festival or event going on that day so I couldn't get in to see it.
History The original Otaki Castle was built in the early 1500's near the current castle and may have included part of the current Otaki Castle grounds. In 1590, after Tokugawa Ieyasu resettled in Edo, he stationed his retainer Honda Tadakatsu in Otaki to help control the power of the Satomi in this area. Honda Tadakatsu built the Otaki Castle we see today. Otaki castle was ruled by three Honda lords, and then the Abe, Aoyama, and Inagaki before Marsudaira Masahisa became lord in 1703. His descendents controlled Otaki until the Meiji Restoration. No one knows what the original Otaki Castle donjon looked like. The donjon seen in the picture above is simple is mock donjon based on the designs of typical donjon from the Edo Period.

Viewer Comments

(0) | Post Comment