Ohhira Saikatsu Castle
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History
Ôhira-Saikatsujō was the fortified residence of Shibata Katsumasa constructed in the 14th century. The Shibata clan, descended of Fujiwara Hidesato, a tenth century samurai lord, became the Hocchi clan under their leader Fujisaburō who served Matsudaira Kiyoyasu in the early 16th century. However, there is a folk tradition that the name 'Hocchi' derives from a member of the clan who served Tokugawa Ieyasu as an expert archer (the sound apparently invokes an arrow hitting a target). I figured this expert archer clansmen would've been active later than Fujisaburō, since Ieyasu was born a decade after the death of Kiyoyasu, but maybe Fujisaburō was just old by the time he served Ieyasu and got the cool name. Either way, I'm under the impression that a significant portion of Japanese folklore is based around someone coming up with clever wordplay.
The Hocchi / Shibata clan would later revert to farming, but continue to live at the residence. Ruins of fortifications, in the form of dorui (earthen ramparts), lasted until the early Shōwa period, but were developed over as the city of Okazaki expanded into the Ôhira area. Even the large stone stele marking the castle site was relocated. The castle is also known under the names Hiyakuchijō, Ôhiramurakojō, and simply Ôhirajō.
Visit Notes
Ôhira-Saikatsujō is a fortified residence site in the Ôhira neighbourhood of Okazaki city. No ruins remain, as they were developed over in the early Shōwa period. There is a stele commemorating the castle site, but it has been relocated, so that in fact it is a little to the southwest of the original castle site. This is definitely one of those sites where I'm more inclined to talk about what is at the site of the fortification today, as it is now home to a Thai restaurant I like called Namuchai (น้ําใจ). The food is fine, but the interesting thing is that it is a complex of buildings all built in Thai-style architecture. It's like a little island of Thailand in periurban Okazaki, and it makes me nostalgic for my carefree time in Thailand as a student. This is a better fate than most minor fortified residence sites get!
| Castle Profile | |
|---|---|
| English Name | Ohhira Saikatsu Castle |
| Japanese Name | 大平才勝城 |
| Alternate Names | 大平城・百雉城・發知城 |
| Founder | Shibata Katsumasa |
| Year Founded | 14th century |
| Castle Type | Fortified Manor |
| Castle Condition | Ruins only |
| Historical Period | Pre Edo Period |
| Features | |
| Visitor Information | |
| Access | Otogawa Station on the Meitetsu-Nagoya Line; 10 minute walk to stele |
| Visitor Information | Access Limited |
| Time Required | 10 minutes |
| Website | https://yachou-kojou.seesaa.net/article/202208article 11.html |
| Location | Okazaki, Aichi Prefecture |
| Coordinates | 34° 56' 27.89" N, 137° 11' 28.36" E |
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| Admin | |
| Added to Jcastle | 2023 |
| Contributor | ART |
| Admin Year Visited | Viewer Contributed |
| Friends of JCastle | |
| Jōkaku Shashin Kiroku | |
| Jōkaku Hōrōki | |
| Yogo | |
| Shiseki Tanbōki | |
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