Matsudaira Yakata

History

The Matsudaira village is the ancestral home of Tokugawa Ieyasu. The origins of this site are mostly unclear, but the stories say that Sahara (later, Matsudaira) Nobumori built a fortified manor here in the 14th C. It is said that when Ieyasu (Takechiyo) was born the waters for washing and purifying him after birth were carried from the spring at this temple. It is largely believed that this is just a legend and possibly made up by Ieyasu himself.

In 1613, Ieyasu granted Matsudaira Naoyoshi the lands of Matsudaira Village. The stonework seen at the site today likely dates to this time period with a jin'ya or fortified manor.

Visit Notes

The fortified manor site is obviously influenced by castle construction of the time with Edo Period stone walls and a small water filled moat. There is even yokoya built into the walls for flanking fire against attackers. The site now houses the Matsudaira Toshogu Shrine. The village is in a really neat location. The mouth of the valley is narrow making entrance difficult if it were defended. At the entrance is a convenient hill with Matsudaira Castle to protect the valley and highway below. In the back of the valley is Kogetsuin, the funerary temple and grave site of Matsudaira Chikauji, the founder of the village and patriarch of the Matsudaira clan. I've included some photos of these sites as well even though they are not strictly castle related. This is a fascinating place to visit for any Tokugawa fan or history fan. The area is filled with other mountaintop castles and several hiking trails around the nearby mountains and hills so it may be a good visit along with a day of hiking too.

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Gallery

yokoya structure for flanking fire
Well for the birth waters

Castle Profile
English Name	Matsudaira Yakata
Japanese Name	松平氏館
Founder	Matsudaira Nobumori
Year Founded	14th C.
Castle Type	Fortified Manor
Castle Condition	Ruins only
Designations	National Historic Site
Historical Period	Edo Period
Features	water moats, stone walls
Visitor Information
Access	Toyotashi Sta (Meitetsu); 30 mins bus to Matsudairago bus stop
Visitor Information	temple, open 24/7
Time Required	15 mins (more for the whole village)
Website	http://www.matsudairagou.jp
Location	Toyota, Aichi Prefecture
Coordinates	35° 3' 2.27" N, 137° 15' 38.84" E
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Admin
Added to Jcastle	2020
Contributor	Eric
Admin Year Visited	2020
Admin Visits	January 14, 2020
Friends of JCastle
Shirobito - Matsudairashi Yakata
Jokaku Horoki - Matsudairashi Yakata

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