Yokote's history and current cityscape, which has been the setting for many conflicts [Akita Prefecture]

Yokote Basin, located in Yokote City, is located in the southeastern part of Akita Prefecture, and is adjacent to Iwate Prefecture on the east side.

During the Heian period, it was under the control of the Kiyohara clan, and is known as the place where "three-year war" During the Edo period, it became the territory of the Kubota Domain (Akita Domain), and the castle town flourished as a post town (Yokote-juku) on the Ushu Kaido road that connects Kuwaori-juku Oshu

Tohoku Rokken trivia media: NEFT

The battle for bone flesh unfolded in Yokote Basin: "Three Years of Second Year Battle" [Akita Prefecture]

https://jp.neft.asia/archives/24309

The Yokote Basin, where Yokote City is located, is located in the southeastern part of Akita Prefecture, and borders Iwate Prefecture on the east. During the Heian period, it was under the control of the Kiyohara clan and is known as the site of the ``Go Sannen Battle.'' During the Edo period, Yokote Castle was the territory of the Kubota clan (Akita clan) and was the intersection of roads such as the Ushu highway, which branches off from the Oshu highway and connects Akita and Aomori. It flourished as the political and economic center of the region. Asamai and Masuda, geographically located in the center of the Yokote Basin, also flourished as distribution centers. He defeated the Abe clan, which ruled Okurokugo, and became the general of Mutsu...

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The Kiyohara clan, a powerful clan from Dewa Province, whose home base was Yokote, was Kiyohara Kiyohira, a relative (child of his second wife), who had no direct blood relations with the Kiyohara clan, who was not directly related to the Kiyohara clan.

Kiyohira later changed his father's surname to Fujiwara, and moved his base from Yokote to Hiraizumi (Iwate Prefecture), ruled the Tohoku region, and for about 100 years later he built up the golden culture of Hiraizumi as the Oshu Fujiwara clan

After the fall of the Oshu Fujiwara clan, Yokote continued to be ruled by clans appointed as land leaders by the Kamakura shogunate, such as the Hiraga clan, for a while.

The Onodera clan, a powerful family from Dewa Province, advances to Yokote and builds Yokote Castle.

During the Muromachi period, the Onodera clan, which was based in Ogatsu District, expanded to Hiraka District and made Yokote their base. Yokote Castle is said to have been built by Terumichi Onodera around 1550, and is also known as Asakura Castle, and it is thought that the castle town was established around this time.

It is said that during the Azuchi-Momoyama period, when Oda, Toyotomi and Tokugawa were fighting for supremacy, the Onodera clan was widely territories from southern Akita Prefecture to northern Yamagata Prefecture, and had 470 castles.

However, the faction continued to fight with the side-by-side lords, and the family broke out, causing the force to decline.

Sekigahara, which was the battle between the Toyotomi and Tokugawa sides , the Onodera clan was considered to have been on Toyotomi's side, and not only was Tokugawa Ieyasu confiscated his territory, but the lord was ruled in Iwami Province Tsuwano (Shimane Prefecture), and the ruler of the Onodera clan came to an end.

A castle town developed by the Tomura clan during the Edo period when it became the domain of the Satake clan of the Kubota domain.

In the Edo period, Yokote became the territory of the Satake clan of Kubota Domain (Akita Domain). The Kubota Domain will build a new castle in Kubota (Chiaki Park, Akita City) as its home base.

As a result, Yokote Castle became a branch castle of Kubota Castle. Even after the Edo Shogunate issued the Order of One Country and One Castle in 1615, which stated that only one castle was allowed in one domain, most of the branch castles across the country were demolished, Yokote Castle, along with Odate Castle (Odate City), continued to exist as a branch castle of the Kubota Domain.

This is an unusual measure for the Edo Shogunate, and is one of the few cases in the country.

The Date, Suda, and Tomura clans were appointed to Yokote Castle as the castle lords of the Kubota domain, but after Yoshitsura Tomura became the castle lord in 1672, it was changed into the Meiji era. The Tomura family has passed it down from generation to generation.

Mr. Satake worked hard to develop roads such as the Ushu Highway and the river transportation network along the Omonogawa River, and also actively worked on the influx of goods and Kamigata culture from the Kitamaebune ships that called at Tsuchizaki Port at the mouth of the Omonogawa River. I did.

During the Boshin War at the beginning of the Meiji period, Yokote was burnt to the ground.

A violent shock hits the sides, which had been relatively calm for 200 years during the Edo period.

In 1867, the government was repatriated to the Emperor by the reinstatement of the rule. The domains of the Tohoku region, which were completely out of their mosquito nets, are in chaos. Various orders have been reached by the new government, which has held back west of Kanto due to the victory of the Boshin War, to the domains of Tohoku.

In response, each domain was divided into domains that oppose the new government, domains that followed the new government, and domains that had ambiguous attitudes. the Ouetsu Domain Alliance , with the Sendai Domain, Aizu Domain, and Yonezawa Domain , and the Ouetsu Domain, leading to fighting against the new government forces throughout the Tohoku region.

The Kubota Domain was originally involved in the Ouetsu Domain Alliance, but was not very active in the first place, and partway through the process, he left the new government forces.

As a result, Yokote was attacked by the Sendai and Shonai domains, and Yokote in particular became the center of the battle , and Yokote Castle's defensive soldiers set the castle on fire and left, and most of the town was burned down by the arson of the attackers.

Yokote Castle Ruins and Samurai Residence Street are being developed

Akita Shrine was built at the Yokote Castle ruins in 1879 (Meiji 12) using the remains of Yokote Castle, which had been burned down in the ruins of Honmaru.

It has since been developed as a park since the 1900s. In 1965 (Showa 40), a three-story castle tower-style observation deck (mock castle tower) and Peace Kannon were built on the remains of Ninomaru.

The interior of Yokote Castle is an exhibition room, with items related to Yokote Castle on display. In addition, the observation room on the 4th floor offers views of the Yokote Basin that stretches out in front of you and the majestic Mt. Chokai in the distance.

Yokote Park＜Information＞

• Facility name: Yokote Park
• Location: 29-1 Shiroyamacho, Yokote City
• Phone number: 0182-32-1096
• Opening hours: 9:00-16:30
• Admission fee: 100 yen, free for junior high school students and under
• *Common to all 4 buildings: Yokote Park Observation Deck, Fureai Center Kamakura Hall, Go Sannen Battle Kanazawa Museum, and Yojiro Ishizaka Literature Memorial Museum.
• *Walking around Yokote Park is free.
• Opening period: April 1st to November 30th, during the “Kamakura” period in February
• URL: Yokote Park

Google Map

Haguro-machi samurai residence street maintained and recreated as it was in the past

Yokote's samurai residence was burned down during the Boshin War, but movements to restore the old-fashioned town began in the 1980s.

Since the Heisei era, the area has been actively maintained as a "city-like environment improvement project," and in Haguro Town, where houses of intermediate-class samurai were lined up, the townscape of samurai residences with unified designs, including black walls and plantings, has been recreated.

is also the venue for the famous winter event in Yokote City, "Kamakura."

Haguro-cho Samurai Residence Street <Information>

• Facility name: Haguro-machi Samurai Residence Street
• Location: Haguro-cho, Yokote City, Akita Prefecture
• Phone number: 0182-32-2408 (Yokote City Construction Department Urban Planning Division)

Google Map

Omachi Street was a merchant town during the Edo period

During the Edo period, the castle town of Yokote Castle was a samurai town on the castle side of the Yokote River, and the outer side along the Ushu Kaido road became a town for townspeople.

Omachi along the Yokote River was the center of townspeople, and although buildings before the Edo period turned to ashes during the Boshin War, several buildings from the Meiji and Taisho periods remained.

Kimuraya Honten, a confectionery store founded in the Meiji era (nationally registered tangible cultural property)

Kimuraya is a confectionery store that the founder trained at Kimuraya in Tokyo and other confectionery shops in the late 1890s and returned to Yokote to open. The store name was given to us by Tokyo Kimuraya, and the main store building was built around 1904 (Meiji 37). In 1924 (Taisho 13), it was renovated by the engineering department of Morinaga Western Confectionery Manufacturing Co., Ltd. (Morinaga & Co., Ltd.), with whom we had a close friendship.

Kimuraya Main Store <Information>

• Facility name: Kimuraya main store
• Location: 5-23 Omachi, Yokote City, Akita Prefecture
• Phone number: 0182-32-0700
• Business hours: 9:30-17:30
• URL: Kimuraya main store

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"Heigen Ryokan" currently open as a wedding venue (nationally registered tangible cultural property)

Hiragen Ryokan was founded in 1873 (Meiji 6), with the parent company being Hirataya, a dyeing shop founded in the Edo period. The storehouse built in the Meiji era and the main building built in 1926 (Taisho 15) remain as they are, but in 2012 (Heisei 24) it was renovated as a wedding hall and restaurant "Guest House Heigen" and is now open for business.

Heigen Ryokan＜Information＞

• Facility name: Guest House Heigen (Heigen Ryokan)
• Location: 6-24 Omachi, Yokote City, Akita Prefecture
• Phone number: 0182-33-1100
• Business hours: 10:00-17:30
• Closed: Tuesdays, Wednesdays, Obon holidays, New Year holidays
• URL: Guest House Hiragen

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