Come and visit Otaki in spring.

Snow fell on the Boso Peninsula last night, and even in the snow the ume (plum) blossoms have started to bloom.

The days have grown noticeably shorter lately, and along the streets of Otaki’s castle town, charming watering cans are lit along the road edges. Also, from Friday, November 21 through Monday, November 24, floral hand-wash displays will be on view.

Yoro Valley, which spans Otaki and Ichihara, is famous for its autumn colors. The best viewing season typically runs from late November to early December.

The 51st Otaki Castle Festival will be held again this year over two days on Saturday, October 11 and Sunday, October 12. On the 11th, an opening night festival will take place on Otaki Jokamachi Street from 4:30 PM to 8:00 PM, and on the 12th the main festival will run at Otaki Castle and the B&G Baseball Field from 10:00 AM to 4:00 PM. The opening night will feature art candles and performances of local hayashi music and traditional dances, while the main festival will include a procession of warriors from Otaki Castle to the B&G Baseball Field and a market. https://www.kankouotaki.com/event.html...

The Former Merchants' Archive has reopened as Koedo Trip-kan, where visitors can experience "making," "tasting," and "learning." Alongside exhibits about Otaki's merchant history and culture from its days as a castle town, the facility offers simple craft workshops and a café corner. Please stop by when you explore the castle town. https://koedotrip.studio.site//

Hydrangeas at Mamawara (photographed on July 10) They are now at their peak bloom. https://www.kankouotaki.com/mamembara.html...

Hydrangeas on the Mamawara Plateau (photographed on July 3) They are coloring up nicely. You can enjoy them until around mid-July. https://www.kankouotaki.com/mamembara.html...

Hydrangeas of Mamawara Plateau Myohosenji Temple on Mamawara Plateau is famed for about 20,000 hydrangeas within its precincts. Their peak season typically runs from early to mid July each year. The photo was taken on June 27, and you can see the flowers beginning to color. Some nearby roads are closed and traffic restrictions apply. The mountain roads are narrow and winding, so please drive with care. Also, leeches inhabit the temple grounds, so pay attention to your clothing. https://www.kankouotaki.com/mamembara.html...

The Merchant Records Museum on Shokamachi Street will be closed for renovations from June 1 through July 26. It is scheduled to reopen on July 27. After the renovation, the museum plans to add hands-on bamboo craft and torn-paper collage (chigiri-e) workshops and a teahouse.

Fresh green leaves are dazzling to the eye this season. The walking paths in Yoro Gorge are open for strolling except for some closed sections, but they may be fully closed after heavy rain. Please check before you go. https://www.kankouotaki.com//

View of Otaki Castle from Mikuchibashi (April 8)

These are the cherry blossoms along the Isumi River promenade (April 5).

Carp streamers will be displayed at Kurohara Fudo Falls. They will be up from March 30, 2025, through May 11, 2025. The falls are a five-minute walk from Sogamoto Station on the Isumi Railway, where canola flowers and cherry blossoms are beautiful. Be sure to visit.

Trains are not running, but the rapeseed flowers have begun to bloom.

Gooden-ji Temple, associated with Honda Tadakatsu, and Isumi Shrine will distribute goshuin (temple and shrine stamps) for one day only. Parts of Gooden-ji’s main hall and Isumi Shrine’s honden, normally closed to the public, will also be opened. Please take this opportunity to visit. Date and time: Sunday, March 30, 2025, from 9:00 AM to 3:00 PM Locations: Gooden-ji (180 Shinchō, Otaki) Isumi Shrine (63-1 Shinchō, Otaki) Main events Gooden-ji: Distribution of goshuin Partial opening of the main hall A lecture on history by parishioners, and more Isumi Shrine: Distribution of goshuin Partial opening of the honden Explanations by the castle town guides, and more

Ryōgenji, founded as the family temple of Honda Tadakatsu, was established in 1595 (Bunroku 4) when Ryōgaku Shōnin from Tōzenji in Kogane, Shimōsa, was invited to open the temple. It was originally called Ryōshinji, but during Masatomo’s time it was renamed Ryōgenji, taking Tadakatsu’s posthumous Buddhist name. The temple also contains the graves of Honda Tadakatsu, his wife, and Tadachō. Tadakatsu and Tadachō had their bones divided and interred here, which led to the establishment of this grave site.

Honda Tadakatsu, one of Tokugawa’s Four Heavenly Kings, was granted Ōtaki Castle in 1590 with a fief of 100,000 koku. The photo shows the statue of Honda Tadakatsu at Gyōtoku Bridge.

The bamboo lining Otaki Station takes on a different look at night, as the Isumi Railway trains and Otaki Castle seem to glow against the dark.

Happy New Year. I look forward to your continued support this year.

【Flower Chozu】 It has been cold every day lately. This morning the flower chozu basin was frozen.

Isumi Shrine Light-Up As part of the Otaki Castle Town illumination, Isumi Shrine is also lit up through December 31, from 5:00 PM to 9:00 PM.

Autumn foliage update for December 3rd Here are the conditions at Awamata Waterfall, Tsutsumori Momiji Valley, and Kegai Sakai on December 3rd.

Otaki Station Front Lighting Begins From December 1 for one month, as part of the Otaki Castle Town illumination, the area in front of Otaki Station and Isumi Shrine will be lit up.

Autumn leaves overlooking Awamata Waterfall (November 25, 2024)

Otaki Gas Lamps Natural gas was discovered in Otaki Town around the Meiji era, and the country’s first natural gas company (Otaki Natural Gas Co., Ltd., now Kanto Natural Gas Development Co., Ltd.) was established, with city gas supply beginning in 1935. Three gas lamps now stand in front of the Natural Gas Memorial Hall, quietly lighting the night.

Manhole Cover of Otaki Castle A manhole cover featuring the design of Otaki Castle, a symbol of Otaki, is located in the Shimomigaoka housing complex. A colored version is on display at the tourist information center in front of Isumi Railway Otaki Station. Unfortunately, a manhole card has not been produced.

Gokinugawa The Isuma River running through Otaki Castle Town was called Gokinugawa (Otomegawa). During the Edo period, villagers presented the purple carp caught here to the shogun, so common people were forbidden from fishing in this river. That is why it was called Gokinugawa.

Mexico Street The road that runs from below Otaki High School to Otaki Castle is called Mexico Street. When Honda Tadakatsu’s son, Tadatomo, was lord of Otaki Castle, a ship carrying Don Rodrigo and his party, bound from the Philippines for Mexico, was wrecked and washed ashore on the Iwada Coast in Onjuku. Don Rodrigo’s visit to meet Tadatomo is recorded in Nihon Kenbunroku. Cute tiles decorate the sidewalk along Mexico Street.

The hollyhocks have bloomed. They stand tall and straight, reaching for the sky. (Seiryu Hiyoshi Shrine)