Toyooka in Hyogo Prefecture

Toyooka in Hyogo Prefecture

Toyooka is a small city, but it is the central city in the northern part of Hyogo Prefecture. It has a population of approximately seventy thousand. Due to the merger of municipalities in 2005, Kinosaki Hot Spring and the Izushi area became part of Toyooka City.

Please refer the page of "Castle Town Izushi in Hyogo":
http://cf916626.cloudfree.jp/HandE_Japan/TravelDestinations/Kansai/Izushi_E.html

Please refer the page of "The Ruins of Izushi Castle":
http://cf916626.cloudfree.jp/HandE_Japan/TravelDestinations/Kansai/IzushiCastle_E.html

Toyooka was home to Toyooka Castle, which was built by YAMANA Mochitoyo (1404 - 1473) in the middle of the Muromachi Age (1336 - 1573) . After HASHIBA Hideyoshi (1537 - 1598) destroyed the YAMANA clan at the end of the Warring States period in the sixteenth century, his retainer MIYABE Keijyun (1528? - 1599) entered the castle and developed the castle town.

In 1668, KYOGOKU Takamori was transferred from Tango-Tanabe Feudal Domain (present-day Maizuru) and established the Toyooka Feudal Domain. KYOGOKU Clan ruled Toyooka as its Feudal Lord until the end of the Edo Age (1603 - 1868) .

In 2012, after spending the night at Yuhigaura Onsen, I took a Kyoto Tango Railway train to Toyooka.

Please refer the page of "Yuhigaura Hotspring in Kyoto Prefecture":
http://cf916626.cloudfree.jp/HandE_Japan/TravelDestinations/Kansai/YuhigauraHotspring_E.html

In Toyooka, I first visited Izushi town, located approximately ten kilo-meters southeast from Toyooka. On the way back from Izushi by bus, I headed to "Toyooka-Jinya", which was the fuedal government office and the feudal lord's residence in the Edo Age.

I got off the bus from Izushi at the Toyoda-cho bus stop and headed for "Toyooka Jinya". On the way, I passed by Toyooka High School.

Toyooka High School appears to be one of the oldest and most traditional schools in Hyogo Prefecture. The campus houses the former Toyooka Junior High School main building from the Meiji Age (1868 - 1912) , which has been designated as a Hyogo Prefectural Cultural Property.

There is a small hill to the north of Toyooka High School. This hill is named "Kameyama", where the ruins of Toyooka Castle in the middle age is located.

Continuing north, I saw a magnificent gate beyond the townscape on my left.

This gate is the main gate of the Toyooka Prefectural Office, which was relocated to the site of "Toyooka Jinya" during the Meiji Age.

This imposing and dignified gate looks just like a gate of the former "Toyooka Jinya". A modern library stands on the site of the "Toyooka Jinya", to the west of the former Toyooka Prefectural Office gate.

To the south of the site of "Toyooka Jinya", the mansion of the KYOGOKU Clan, who were the feudal lords of the domain, is located. It is not open to the public, and perhaps descendants still live there.

The white earthen walls provide a sense of history.

Nothing remains at the site of "Toyooka Jinya", but to the east of the former Toyooka Prefectural Office gate, the birthplace of OISHI Riku (1669 - 1736) is located.

OISHI Riku was the legal wife of OISHI Kuranosuke (1659 - 1703) , the mastermind behind the raid by lordless "Samurais" of Ako Domain in 1703.

The lordless "Samurais" of Ako Domain, including OISHI Kuranosuke, were ordered to commit seppuku and they are buried at Sengakuji Temple in Tokyo.

For the detail of the raid by lordless "Samurais" of Ako Domain in 1703, please refer the page of "Sengakuji Temple in Tokyo":
http://cf916626.cloudfree.jp/HandE_Japan/TravelDestinations/Kanto/Sengakuji_E.html

The raid by lordless "Samurais" of Ako Domain began in 1701 when ASANO Naganori (1667 - 1701) , the lord of the Ako domain, slashed KIRA Yoshihisa (1641 - 1703) with a sword inside Edo Castle. On the same day, ASANO Naganori committed seppuku and the Ako domain was abolished. OISHI Riku divorced OISHI Kuranosuke and returned to her hometown of Toyooka. Fifteen years after OISHI Kuranosuke's death, OISHI Riku moved to Hiroshima, and died there in 1736 at the age of 86.

After that, I visited the ruins of Toyooka Castle, which is located on top of a small hill. You will see the city scape of Toyooka Downtown.

The downtown Toyooka doesn't have any particularly famous historical sites, but this place also has a long history. On the way from the ruins of Toyooka Castle to Toyooka Station, I passed Toyooka City Hall, just before Toyooka Station. The main building of Toyooka City Hall, built in 1927, is an elegant Western-style building, but it was under restoration at the time of our visit.

The above photo shows the south building of Toyooka City Hall, built in 1934.

The castle gate of "Toyooka Jinya"has been relocated to Fukuseiji Temple in Izushi.

I believe this gate is the castle gate of "Toyooka Jinya". As expected, it was a prestigious gate.