Otaki Castle
Cost
Attractions > Other Cities and Areas > Japanese Castles > Chiba
About | Access | Hotels & Lodging | Hours & Fees
Otaki Castle by Σ64 (CC BY 3.0) on SnapJapan.com
About
In the early 1500's the Satomi Clan ruled the Boso Peninsula (today called Chiba) and they built Otaki Castle in the early 1500's to protect and defend invasion attempts from the north. The Boso Peninsula although a small part of japan has quite the rich history with the Satomi Clan and battles for control of the region. A Japanese history called the "Boso Chiran Ki" or "Chronicles of Boso War and Peace" was written in the medivial times documenting the many wars and battles fought in the region between warlords.
In 1590 when Tokugawa Ieyasu moved to Tokyo and after the defeat of the Hojo and Satomi clans, Tokugawa placed a trusted lord in the castle to control the region and become a "center of power" and prevent the Satomi from re-building. The castle remained a strong symbol of power until the Meiji Restoration when it was ordered destroyed by the Meiji government.
The current castle is a "mock up" based on typical Japanese Castle designs, this is not the original castle although the original castle stood on or near where the current stands. The castle was built to draw tourism and as a museum which tells the history of the castle and contains historical artifacts including armor and swords.
Although the castle is a Reconstruction, it is a very nice representation of what the castle might have looked like and the park surrounding the castle is very nice as well. Furthermore, the town surrounding Otaki Castle preserved very well, including a merchant’s residence from 1841 and an old sake brewery. There is one original structure remaining, the Yakuimon gate which dates to 1844 and stands at the foot of the mountain. During Cherry Blossom season the area is quite beautiful and is is surrounded by deep pine forests.
Please visit our Japanese Castles page to find more castles that are close to Tokyo.
Data
Name: Otaki Castle 大多喜城 (Ootaki Jyou)
Original Year Built: Early 1500's
Type: Mountain Top 山城
Class: Small Castle
Condition: Reconstruction
Founder: Takeda Nobukiyo (Daimyo)
Timeline
Early 1500s - Original fortifications built.
1672 - Castle had been abandoned in the early 1600s and was in serious state of dis-repair so was rebuilt/reformed.
1842 - The main Tenshu (keep) burned down.
1844 - Some buildings were rebuilt such as the main gate and another gate but a temple was built in place of the main Tenshu (keep).
1871 - Otaki Castle was abandoned.
1975 - A Reconstruction using modern machinery and materials, modelled after last known sketches from 1832, was built to draw tourism.
Access
Closest Train Station: Otaki
481 Ōtaki-machi, Isumi-gun
Chiba 298-0216 Japan
Tel: 0470-82-3007
15 min. walk from Otaki Sta. (Isumi Tetsudo Line).
Hotels & Lodging
Recommended
View a full list of Hotels and Lodging in or nearby Otaki Castle.
Hours & Fees
Hours: 9:00 a.m. - 4:00 p.m.
Closed: Closed every Monday and most Japanese Holidays
Cost: 200 yen
Information presented is based on the time it was created. There may be changes since publication. Please confirm information by visiting the Official Website before visiting.
Resources
Website: Otaki Castle Homepage
