Matsuda Yakata
History
Matsuda-yakata was built as the fortified manor house of the Matsuda Clan during the Sengoku period. The head priest of the Hachimangū Takemizubetsu-jinja resided here in the Edo period. The Matsuda family had deep ties to the Imperial Palace in Kyōto. Matsuda Naoyuki, the last clan patriarch before the Meiji Restoration, served the Shinuitai who were a troop in charge of guarding the palace. His diary describes the 1868 attack on British ambassador to Japan, Sir Harry Parkes. Sir Parkes, though seeking a peaceful resolution to the crises of the Bakumatsu period, supported the reformation camp, which earned him the ire of reactionaries who attempted to assassinate him three times, one of which Matsuda's diary alludes to. Other important documents kept by the Matsuda Clan include a 1790 floorplan of the Imperial Palace. In 2017 the Omoya (main building) of the complex burnt down and several other structures were also damaged in the fire. One structure, the Saikan, has since been restored.
Visit Notes
Matsuda-yakata, also called Kannushi-yashiki, is a fortified manor house, rebuilt as a yashiki in the Edo period, not dissimilar to the Shimosaka-yakata. Unfortunately the main hall, which was around four centuries old, burnt down in 2017. Some restoration work has restored one of the damaged structures, but fire damage is still evident. Structures from the Edo Period, such as gates and out-buildings, nonetheless remain. The residential complex is surrounded by dorui (earthen ramparts). There is a large shrine adjacent, also partially surrounded by dorui. We may infer from the name Kannushi-yashiki that the shrine and yashiki have an interwoven history, since Kannushi refers to a Shintō priest in charge of a shrine.
Castle Profile | |
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English Name | Matsuda Yakata |
Japanese Name | 松田館 |
Alternate Names | 八幡宮武水別神社神主屋敷 |
Founder | Matsuda Clan |
Year Founded | Sengoku Period |
Castle Type | Fortified Manor |
Castle Condition | No main keep but other buildings |
Designations | Prefectural Historic Site |
Historical Period | Pre Edo Period |
Artifacts | Dorui, Gates, Mizubori, Residential Structures |
Features | gates, palace, water moats, stone walls |
Visitor Information | |
Access | Obasute Station on the Shinonoi Line; 35 minute walk |
Visitor Information | Access Restricted |
Time Required | 60 minutes |
Location | Chikuma, Nagano Prefecture |
Coordinates | 36° 31' 8.83" N, 138° 6' 6.59" E |
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Admin | |
Added to Jcastle | 2020 |
Contributor | ART |
Admin Year Visited | Viewer Contributed |
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