This is a great opportunity for tourists to discover and visit the Okazaki Castle - the fourth largest castle in Japan. Another exciting thing is that you are able to get to know about Mikawa Samurai Yakata Ieyasu building (Mikawa Bushi and Ieyasu Museum).
Proud, storic, loyal and strong. These are the attributes of the Mikawa Bushi, warriors of the Matsudaira, a clan who held the central Japan region of Mikawa, modern day eastern Aichi Prefecture.
Within the grounds of Okazaki Castle, in what’s known as Okazaki Park is a museum dedicated to Okazaki’s favourite son, Tokugawa Ieyasu, and the famed warriors of central Japan, the Mikawa Bushi. Mikawa Bushi was the collective name of the regions warriors, and a title worn with great pride. Of the leaders, four appeared in the history books time and again alongside Ieyasu, Honda Tadakatsu, whose statue can be seen just outside the the museum, Ii Naomasa, Sakai Tadatsugu and Sakakibara Yasumasa.
The museum is divided into five sections focusing on the emergence of the Matsudaira clan, later to become the Tokugawa, in the central Japan region, Ieyasu’s early life at Okazaki Castle and his childhood years spent as a hostage of the Oda clan and youth under the Imagawa clan.
Although the museum is small, it contains enough artifacts and information to satisfy even the most fastidious tourists.
For the children there are interesting interactive Tokugawa Ieyasu trivia video games, providing information including Ieyasu’s foot size, (22.5 centimeters) height, (an average for the time,158cm) and other details, such as his married age is 14, and fathering 16 children by a number of wives and concubines. Another bit of trivia for you, the character of Toranaga in the James Clavell novel, Shogun was based on that of Ieyasu!
Visitors can have photographs taken of themselves wearing replica samurai armor, including a set modeled on Ieyasu's famous gold plated suit. Just outside the entrance to the Ieyasu and Mikawa Bushi Museum is a mechanical clock. Every thirty minutes an Ieyasu figure appears and performs a dance accompanied by Noh music. The performance ends with some of Ieyasu's famous precepts including; "Blame yourself, not others," "Moderation is better than excess" and "Don't hurry."
Wise words indeed, and while moderation is better than excess, you could only blame yourself for ever missing a visit to the Ieyasu and Mikawa Bushi Museum and the adjoining Okazaki Castle. But please, do hurry!
Yakata Izuhakan is a historical museum located in Aichi Prefecture opened on November 3, 1982.
There is an exhibition room on the first floor in which displayed the image of Mikawa Samurai. In the special exhibition room and the first floor exhibition room, exhibitions are held according to the season. In addition, there is also a corner where tourists can try on wear armor, sword and helmet.
The museum was restored on March 21, 2006.
Okazaki Castle is a Japanese castle located in Okazaki, Aichi Prefecture, Japan. At the end of the Edo period, Okazaki Castle was home to the Honda clan, daimyō of Okazaki Domain, but the castle is better known for its association with Tokugawa Ieyasu and the Tokugawa clan. The castle was also known as "Tatsu-jō ".
In 2006, it was proclaimed to be one of the 100 beautiful castles in Japan. The structure has three roofs and five interior floors, and contains exhibition rooms of artifacts from the original castle, Japanese swords and armors. The main gate of the castle was reconstructed in 1993.
Okazaki Castle is the fourth largest castle in Japan.
There is no schedule or ticket right now.
日本、〒444-0052 愛知県 岡崎市康生町５６１−１ Map