Otaki : The Town of A Castle and Hot Springs Nearest to the Narita Airport
Jokamachi, Town In Front Of The Castle

Watanabe Family's Residence




Designated as National Important Cultural Property. It is the house of the purveyor for the Otakijo castle and was built in April, 1848. It is a typical house and store of the large merchant at that time. Its store appearance includes a lattice door, and a raising shoji sliding screen and ground eaves. On the second floor are employee's rooms. In the back of the store, there are a living room, a Buddhist altar room, a kitchen, a drawing room, and an inner room. The inner room is shoinzukuri (the Buddhist abbot's study style) .

Iseko Merchant House



Nationally registered as one of Tangible Cultural Properties. It shows a typical structure of a merchant's house in a castle town. The first floor is for a store with a wide-open entrance. You can see lattice over the entire front surface of the second floor.

It is a wooden second-story house on the street facing to the east. On the front and the north sides are shitayahisashi eaves. There is an entrance on the south side. A one-story house projects in the back.

Kamaya Dozozukuri Building

It was built early Meiji period. Since the fire often broke out in Edo, Meiji and Taisho periods, the houses were built with walls covered in mud (dozozukuri). Its neighboring area is called Kubomachi and was prosperous in front of the castle. This area was so low that it suffered flood damages every year.

Hakubido

Handcrafted armors. Open on irregular dates. Although it is privately owned, visitors can see an exhibition of cardboard armors inside with any luck. The building used be a post office in Meiji era.

Akinai Shiryokan Trading Museum


On display are tools which merchants of Otaki, prospered as a town of Otakijo castle in Edo era, actually used. Please enjoy common people's wisdom and techniques for spending everyday life with rich minds. There are also early Showa period photos, a cashier surrounded by low lattice partitions, sotenjinbakari balance rod scales, masu wooden measure, senryobako money box, old coins, nagahibachi charcoal brazier, other tools of craftsmen, old tools for living, a marked sword, woodblocks and others. Open 9: 00-17: 00. Closed from December 29 through January 3



Toyonotsuru sake brewing


Registered Tangible Cultural Property of Japan. It started its business in Zenigami area of Otaki during Temmyo years(1781 to 1789). The main buildings most of which still remain were built at the present location in 1874 when the prefectural system began. Honjozo-genshu "Otakijo Castle" sake was introduced to the market commemorating the castle's reconstruction in 1979.


Oya Ryokan Japanese style hotel


Registered Tangible Cultural Property of Japan. It has been operating as an inn since the late Edo period. We can stay here even now. We see those old days through traditional things remaining here: old style wooden shoebox and nagahibachi charcoal brazier. We can enjoy the view of the castle from one of the guest rooms with tatami mats on the second floor. Reservation required.

Otakimachiyakuba Town Hall (Nakachosha Center Building)






As a modern architecture, the UNESCO Asia-Pacific Inheritance Prize was awarded in 2013. It is the second architecture with this award in Japan It was designed by Kenji Imai and was constructed in January 1959

Castle Town Walk Route Recommendations

(30 minute Route)

Kanko-honjin Tourist Center → Watanabe Family Residence  → Akinai Shiryoukan Trading Museum →  Otaki Town Hall, UNESCO Asia-Pacific Inheritance prize awarded  → Kanko-honjin Tourist Center


(1-hour Route)

Kanko-honjin  → Watanabe Family Residence  → Akinai Shiryoukan Trading Museum → Toyonotsuru Sake Brewing →  Otaki Town Hall, UNESCO Asia-Pacific Inheritance Prize awarded → Kanko-honjin Tourist Center


(90 minute Route)

Otaki Kanko-honjin Tourist Center → Watanabe Family Residense → Akinai Shiryoukan Trading Museum → Okokuji Temple → Myofukuji Temple → Isumijinja Shrine →　Oya Ryokan Inn →　Toyonotsuru Sake Brewing 　→　Otaki Town Hall, UNESCO Asia-Pacific Inheritance Prize awarded　→　Kanko-honjin Tourist Center


（2-hour Route）

Kanko-honjin Tourist Center　→　Watanabe Family Residense　→ Akinai Shiryoukan Trading Museum → Okokuji Temple　→ Myoushoji and Myoufukuji Temples　→　Daienji　Temple →  Ryogenji Temple　→ Graves of Tadakatsu and Tadatomo Honda →　Isumijinja Shrine　→ Oya Ryokan Inn → Toyonotsuru Sake Brewing → Otaki Town Hall, UNESCO Asia-Pacific Inheritance Prize awarded → Kanko-honjin Tourist Center.