茂木城跡 Motegi-jyou-ato Motegi Castle Ruins
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Motegi Castle was built in 1197 by Hatta Tomoie, a younger brother of Utsunomiya Munetsuna, the second generation head of the Utsunomiya clan. Tomoie, setting his base at this castle, announced himself as the founder of the Motegi clan. The Motegi clan served for Ashikaga Takauji and later for Kamakura Kubo (the governor-general of Kamakura, which was handed to the direct descendant of Takauji). In the Battle of Yuuki in 1440, the castle was attacked by Haruoumaru and Anoumaru, the bereaved sons of ex-Kamakura Kubo, who had been driven to death by the Ashikaga Shogunate. The castle was attacked by the Satake clan, the governor of Hitachi province (present-day Ibaraki Pref.) in 1556, and this time the Motegi clan was defeated and acknowledged fealty to the Satake clan. In 1585, the castle was surrendered again by the attack of the Hojo clan, but Motegi Haruyoshi, the 18th generation head of the clan, regained the castle. However, he moved his bases to Ogawa Castle in Hitachi province, and the castle was resided by the Suda clan, a retainer of the Satake clan. Now the castle ruin is arranged into a park, where citizens visit for recreation and relaxation, and enjoy cherry blossoms and azalea in spring, tender green in summer, lycoric flowers and crimson foliage in fall.
- address
- Motegi-machi, Haga-gun, Tochigi Prefecture
- name
- Motegi Castle Ruins