HOME＞Tourist Information＞Historic Sites・Cultural Heritage

Historic Sites・Cultural Heritage

Ruins of Yanagawa Castle

Yanagawa Castle is a full-scale castle built on the land hills. It is estimated to have been constructed in the mid-13th century (Kamakura Era) by the Date Family. The medieval Japanese garden remains at the castle keep section, which is rare in this country and which was restored from 1978 (53rd year of Showa) to April 1981 (56th year of Showa Period).

(Tomino) Hachiman Jinja (Shrine), Ryuho Tera (Temple)

Yanagawa Hachiman Jinja (Shrine) is known for Masamune Date making a pilgrimage for victory when he was 16 years old, which has been adored as a family guardian spirit continued to this present date. Bettoji is a Ryuho Temple, located on the west side of Shaden (permanent shrine), which preserves precious historical assets of medieval times in the thatched temple-gate bell tower.

Ruins of Takakogaoka-kan

Takakogaoka-kan is said to have been a castle and residence of Tomomune Date, primogenitor of the Date Family. He served in the Oshu Campaign in 1189 (5th year of Bunji Period) leading the sons (Tamemune, Tameshige, Tomotsuna and Tameie) and Date County was rewarded for the success on the battlefield at Ishinazaka and Atsukashiyama. Therefore, his family name was changed to Date and built and moved into the castle in Takakogaoka. During the construction, invoking divine protection of God from Tsurugaoka Hachimangu Shrine in Kamakura, he built Kamegaoka Hachimangu Shrine inside the castle.

Ruins of Chausuyama Castle (Ruins of the Kakeda Castle)

Chausu Castle which is located in Kakeda was the residence of the Kakeda Family during the Nanbokucho (South and North courts) Period and Muromachi Period, also referred to as Kakeda Castle. It is said that the Kakeda Family was a relative of the Date Family and although temporarily subservient to Date, they had maintained an independent authority as a local lord. Kakeda grew into a major Daimyo that governed the area including Natori County in south part of Miyagi Prefecture and Hojyosho in the east part of Yamagata Prefecture during the beginning of Tembun Era (1532-1554). At the same time Kakeda was at odds with Date. In addition, being betrayed by his general Nakajima, Kakeda family was destroyed. The Date Family welcomed Ise Nakajima and he became a lord of Kaneyama Castle. And his children successfully served as Masamune Date’s generals. Kakeda Gozen, wife of the last Kakeda castle lord, Toshimune Kakeda, is a daughter of Tanemune Date. It is said that she was so beautiful that Nakajima loved this wife and abducted her to Kaneyama Castle.

Ruins of Shimotedo-han’s (clan) Jinya　(administration office, residence, or warehouse of the han)

Shimotedo-han (clan) originated in 1806 (3rd year of Bunka era) when Taneyoshi Tachibana transferred from Miike-han in Kyushu as a territorial lord of 10,000 koku (koku: unit of volume of rice, 1 koku = approximately 300 pounds) consisting of 11 villages, which continued for 63 years.
The 2nd han (clan) lord Taneharu endeared himself as the ruler of virtue for his efforts to relieve the people in his han (clan) during the Great Tempo Famine, in which no one starved to death. Taneyuki, the 3rd han (clan) lord, served as a Kaikei Bugyo (magistrate that governs the finance) of the Bakufu, later promoted to Rojyu (elder, one of the highest ranking government posts) and played an important role in Taisei Hokan (transfer of power back to the Emperor from the Shogunate)
Today, there is a mere shadow of Shimotedo-han’s Jinya at the ruins, except for the monument, which was put up by the former Hanshi (samurai who worked for the clan) in 1902 (35th year of Meiji era), representing the good administration of Shimotedo-han (clan) in those days.

HOME＞Tourist Information＞Historic Sites・Cultural Heritage