History
A castle was first built at this site in 1480 by the Toda Clan. Surrounded at that time by inlets of the sea facing the bay, it was strategically located and easy to defend. When Matsudaira Kiyoyasu advanced into Mikawa Province Toda Munemitsu became his vassal, but following his death in 1535 he switched allegiances to the ascendant Imagawa Clan in Suruga and Tōtômi Provinces. In 1547 Matsudaira Hirotada lost Anjōjō to Oda Nobuhide and asked the Imagawa for help. He sent his son, Ieyasu, as collateral to the Imagawa. The Imagawa charged Toda Akimitsu with collecting Ieyasu and delivering him, but instead he delivered him straight to Oda Nobuhide after accepting a bribe. The Imagawa punitively attacked Taharajō in response and occupied the castle. After the Battle of Okehazama the Tokugawa Clan conquered Taharajō and it was used as a satellite castle of Yoshidajō from thereon. In 1590 with the country under Toyotomi Hideyoshi, Tokugawa Ieyasu was transferred to Kantō and Ikeda Terumasa took over Yoshidajō and so Taharajō. After the Toda once again acted as castellans from 1601 to 1664; the Miyake Clan ruled during the most of the Edo period, controlling a fiefdom which at its height was valued at 12,000 koku and extended throughout all of the Irago Peninsula and parts of the Chita Peninsula. The reconstructions of the ôtemon and yagura date to 1990.
Visit Notes
Taharajō is a plainsland castle with a reconstructed ôtemon (main gate) and yagura (sentry tower) in the ninomaru (second bailey). It also has mizubori (water moat), horikiri (trench) and ishigaki (stone rampart) segments ensconcing the ninomaru. There is a museum in the ninomaru containing a few armour sets and mostly written documents. There is a fee and photography is prohibited. However, it is free to go inside the yagura where there is a model of Taharajō as well as more armour and pottery (Tahara was known as a center of ceramics production during the Sengoku period). The honmaru (main bailey) of Taharajō is now the site of Hakō-jinja.
| Castle Profile | |
|---|---|
| English Name | Tahara Castle |
| Japanese Name | 田原城 |
| Alternate Names | Eko-jo |
| Founder | Toda Clan |
| Year Founded | 1480 |
| Castle Type | Flatland |
| Castle Condition | No main keep but other buildings |
| Historical Period | Pre Edo Period |
| Year Reconstructed | 1990 |
| Artifacts | Yagura, Otemon |
| Features | gates, turrets, water moats, stone walls |
| Visitor Information | |
| Access | Mikawa-Tahara Station on the Toyohashi Railroad Atsumi Line; 15 minute walk |
| Visitor Information | 9:00 - 17:00210 yen for museum |
| Time Required | 40 minutes |
| Website | http://www.taharamuseum.gr.jp/ |
| Location | Tahara, Aichi Prefecture |
| Coordinates | 34° 40' 24.53" N, 137° 16' 10.67" E |
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| Admin | |
| Added to Jcastle | 2017 |
| Contributor | ART |
| Admin Year Visited | Viewer Contributed |
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