Kakunodate, which was founded by the Tozawa clan during the Sengoku period and built by the Ashina clan during the Edo period [Senboku City's highlights ②]

Kakunodate Prefecture's largest tourist destination, visited by tourists from all over the country, for its Samurai Residence Street the Kakunodate Festival Mountain Event the Fire-flying an intangible folk cultural property designated by Senboku City.

Until the Sengoku period, Kakunodate was a small settlement along the road that crossed the Ou Mountains

The name Kakunodate first appeared in history in 1423 (or 1424), when Iemori (birth and death unknown), the 13th lord of the Tozawa clan, who had a castle (Kadoya Castle) in Kadoya (Kadoya, Nishiki Kadoya, Senboku City), Komatsuyama Castle and changed his castle residence from Komatsuyama Castle Kakunodate Castle

It is not known when or who built Komatsuyama Castle. Furthermore, there are no clues as to why the name was later changed to "Kakunodate." However, originally, this area was a bustling transportation hub, with the Obonai Kaido (later the Kakunodate Kaido) passing through it and crossing the Ou Mountains

The Ihonai Kaido road opened by Sakanoue no Tamuramaro during the Heian period

The Ibonai Kaido is an old road that is said to have been opened up by Sakanoue Tamuramaro and his men during the Heian period when, as Seiitaishogun (Grand Shogun) of the Yamato court, they marched to conquer the Emishi (the people who originally inhabited the Tohoku region, as they were called by the Yamato court)

The Ihonai Kaido Road ends at Omagari-juku (Daisen City) on the Ushu Kaido Road, passing through Kakunodate, then from Ihonai over Kunimi Pass (960m above sea level, near Sengan Pass on present-day National Route 46), passing through Shizukuishi (Shizukuishi Town, Iwate Prefecture) in the Nanbu Domain, and continuing towards Morioka (Morioka City, Iwate Prefecture). As this road is one of the few that cross the Ou Mountains, it saw a lot of traffic of people and goods, and during the Edo period, the Kubota Domain even set up a checkpoint at Ihonai (Ihonai, Tazawako Town, Semboku City) on the border with the Nanbu Domain. It is believed that the Tozawa clan, who came to Semboku from Shizukuishi Tozawa (Shizukuishi, Shizukuishi Town, Iwate Prefecture) in Mutsu Province (Iwate Prefecture and other areas), also walked this road over the pass

Tozawa Iemori, who built the town on the north side of Kakunodate Castle

Tozawa Iemori, who entered Kakunodate in 1423, developed the castle town on the north side of Kakunodate Castle (now Furushiroyama Castle ruins), which was located at the top of a mountain, on the opposite side of the current castle town street. This is said to have been for strategic reasons, but the details are not known

The Tozawa clan ruled the Senboku region for approximately 180 years, with Kakunodate Castle as its base, but in 1602, the 21st head of the clan, Masamori (1585-1648), was appointed by Tokugawa Ieyasu Matsuoka Domain in Hitachi Province (Takahagi City, Ibaraki Prefecture), and left Kakunodate.

Ashina Yoshikatsu, who built the foundations of Kakunodate as the de facto lord of the castle even after it was abandoned

After Tozawa Masamori left for Hitachi Province, the Satake clan, who came to Akita from Hitachi Province, established the Kubota Domain, and the Senboku region also came under their control. The Kubota Domain built its main castle in Kubota (Senshu Park, Akita City) with Kakunodate Castle as a secondary castle. As a result, a castle lord was needed, so Ashina Yoshikatsu, the younger brother of the first lord of the Kubota Domain, Satake Yoshinobu (1570-1633), and adopted son of the Ashina clan of Aizuwakamatsu (Aizuwakamatsu City, Fukushima Prefecture), was sent to Kakunodate

Ashina Yoshikatsu initially lived in the castle built by the Tozawa clan on the summit of Mt. Komatsuyama, and the castle town remained the same. However, in 1615, the Edo Shogunate issued the " One Castle per Province" order, which led to Kakunodate Castle being abandoned. Although it was no longer officially a subsidiary castle, the Ashina clan was in fact the lord of the castle, and the castle town continued to function as it was.

After the great flood, the south side of the castle was forced to become the castle town

In 1619, Kakunodate was hit by a major flood. The castle town was submerged, and many vassals and townspeople were killed, resulting in a devastating disaster. The Ashina clan then drew up a large-scale reconstruction plan to move the castle town, which was located on the north side of the castle, to the south, and in 1620 began construction of the new castle town. At the same time, the castle, which had been on the mountaintop, was ordered destroyed by the shogunate and moved to the foot of the mountain on the south side as a mansion (yakata/residence)

Kakunodate Castle is located at the northernmost point, and the town was built on a long, narrow plain stretching approximately 500m east to west and 2,000m north to south. The Hinokinai River flows the Tama River at the southern end Tonoyama (Hanabayama), where the river served as a natural moat and the hills as earthworks (banks).

On this narrow strip of land, Kakunodate Nijuichi-machi (21 towns day, was created. The northern half contained samurai residences (uchimachi), and the southern half contained commercial areas and town houses (tomachi). It seems that it was around this time that the ruins of Kakunodate Castle, now abandoned, came to be called Furushiroyama

List of 21 towns in Kakunodate

• Higashikatsurakucho
• Tamachikamicho
• Tamachi Shimocho
• Takehara Town
• Kobitomachi
• Pedestrian Town
• Kawaramachi
• Omotemachi Kamicho
• Omotemachi Shimocho
• Yamane Town
• Hosogoe Town
• Backstreets
• Iwase Town
• Shimoiwase Town
• Shimoshinmachi
• Kamishinmachi
• Nishikatsuraku Town
• Nakamachi
• Nanokamachi
• Shimonakamachi
• Yokomachi

*Current place names include "Kakunodate-cho" before the town name

Samurai Residences Street Information

• Facility name: Samurai Residence Street
• Cultural property designation: Kakunodate, Kakunodate Town, designated as an Important Preservation District for Groups of Traditional Buildings
• Location: Omotemachi Shimocho, Omotemachi Kamicho, Higashishorakucho, Uramachi, Kakunodate Town, Senboku City, Akita Prefecture
• Phone number: 0187-42-8280 (Tazawako and Kakunodate Tourism Association)
• URL: Samurai Residence Street
• access:
  • Public transportation: Akita Shinkansen, JR Tazawako Line, Akita Nairiku Jukan Railway, approximately 20 minutes on foot from Kakunodate Station
  • By car: Approximately 39 minutes from Kyowa IC on the Akita Expressway via National Highways 341 and 46

Google Map

Furushiroyama Park (Kakunodate Castle Ruins) Information

• Facility name: Koshiroyama Castle Ruins (Koshiroyama Park)
• Location: Furushiroyama, Kakunodate-cho, Senboku City, Akita Prefecture
• Phone number: 0187-54-2700 Semboku City Tourist Information Center "Kakunodate Station Storehouse"
• Freedom to stroll
• URL: Koshiroyama Park
• access:
  • Public transportation: Akita Shinkansen, JR Tazawako Line, Akita Nairiku Jukan Railway, approximately 40 minutes on foot from Kakunodate Station
  • By car: Approximately 35 minutes from Kyowa IC on the Akita Expressway

Google Map

The Satake Kita family, who succeeded the Ashina clan, inherited the Ashina clan's town division

After Yoshikatsu, the Ashina clan was unable to find a successor, and the family line died out after three generations. As a result, in 1656, Yoshichika Satake (1619-1702), a close relative of the Satake clan, from the Satake Hokke family , entered Kakunodate as tokoroazukari (a position in charge of overseeing the area).

The Satake Northern Family is a clan descended from the Seiwa Genji, who were the leaders of the Yamato Imperial Court during the Heian period, and is said to be of the same bloodline as Minamoto no Yoritomo. The Satake clan was originally a powerful clan in Hitachi Province (Ibaraki Prefecture), and the family entrusted with Kakunodate settled north of Ota Castle (Hitachi Oda City, Ibaraki Prefecture), the seat of the main Satake clan, and so came to be known as the "Northern Family."

Kakunodate was a post town on the Ibonai Kaido (Kakunodate Kaido) road the Ani Copper Mine, which was the source of revenue for the Kubota Domain, it was a collection point for goods. As a result, the town developed greatly under the Satake Kita clan. From Yoshitsugu onwards, the Satake Kita clan ruled Kakunodate for 11 generations, up to Yoshinao (1848-1909).

Tohoku Rokken Trivia Media NEFT

The Ani Mine, which was said to be the number one in Japan during the Edo period and supported the Kubota Domain [Kita Akita City, Akita Prefecture]

https://jp.neft.asia/archives/29180

Ani Mine, located in Kitaakita City in northern Akita Prefecture, bordering Iwate Prefecture, was one of Japan's leading copper mines and operated until 1986 (Showa 61). Along with the Innai Silver Mine, Ani Mine supported the finances of the Kubota Domain. The Tohoku region has long relied on gold, silver, and copper mined in nearby mines, as seen in the creation of the Golden Hall of Chusonji Temple (Hiraizumi Town, Iwate Prefecture) and Nanbu ironware (Iwate Prefecture). Many of these mines are located in the Ou Mountains, which form the watershed between the Tohoku region. Ani Mine is also located within the Ou Mountains, which form the border between Akita and Iwate Prefectures. Nearby are the Osarizawa Mine (Kazuno City) and the Innai Silver Mine...

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The "Satake Kitake Diary" was written daily by successive heads of the Satake family

The Northern Satake clan maintained the custom of each successive head of the family keeping a daily diary, a custom that continued all the way up to 1894 (Meiji 27). These diaries, known as the " Northern Satake Family Diary " or " North Family Diary ," span a period of 220 years, from 1674 when they were started by the second head of the Northern Satake clan in Kakunodate, Tono Yoshiaki (not to be confused with Yoshiharu, the seventh head of the Kubota domain), to 1894 (Meiji 27), when they were finished by the 11th head, Tono Yoshinao, and total 765 volumes. Some of the diaries appear to have been written by retainers, but most are handwritten by the successive heads of the family.

The contents cover everything from the life of the Kita family and their official duties in the domain, their retainers, festivals, annual events, customs, and even the typical diary entry about the day's weather. The Satake Kita Family Diary (Kita Family Diary) is a unique historical document that gives insight into everyday life in the Edo period and has been designated an intangible folk cultural asset by Akita Prefecture

Kakunodate, where many cultures flourished during the time of the Satake clan

During the reign of the Satake clan, events such as the "Kakunodate Festival Mountain Event," which is registered as a nationally designated Important Intangible Folk Cultural Property and a UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage, and the winter seasonal tradition of "Hifuri Kamakura" (a Senboku City designated Intangible Folk Cultural Property), began in Kakunodate, and Akita Ranga, , also flourished. It is said that the "cherry blossom row," one of the best in the country, which paints the entire city pink in spring, also began with three weeping cherry trees brought from Kyoto by the wife of Tono Muneaki, the second head of the Kakunodate Satake clan.

Tohoku Rokken Trivia Media NEFT

Who is Odano Naotake, a genius painter who was a samurai but created Japan's first Western film, Akita Ranga? [Akita Prefecture]

https://jp.neft.asia/archives/41611

The Odano family residence still remains on Kakunodate Samurai Residence Street. Located in a corner of Kakunodate Samurai Residence Street in Kakunodate, Senboku City, Akita Prefecture, is the Odano family, a vassal of the Kubota Domain (Akita Domain). Odano Family (Semboku City Designated Historic Site) © Lake Tazawa Kakunodate Tourism Association The Odano family was a vassal of the Kubota Domain from the time when the Satake clan, lords of Hitachi Province (Ibaraki Prefecture), came to Akita. They followed the Satake clan to Akita. They were later posted to Kakunodate and became vassals of the Satake North family, a branch of the main Satake family (the Satake clan, lords of the Kubota Domain). From this Odano family, a successor named Odano Naotake (1749-1780) emerged in the mid-Edo period...

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We will introduce the events, performing arts, and culture that are said to have originated in Kakunodate during the time of the Satake clan in "Sights of Senboku City ③."

NORIJUN

My love of travel grew, and I used to write a travel magazine, and now I'm a travel writer for the web. During my research, I visited all 47 prefectures in Japan, mainly in the Tohoku region, but my fun part is soaking in hot springs and experiencing traditional Japanese culture such as old townscapes, lifestyles, and performing arts and crafts.