Ōzone Shimoyashiki
Encyclopedia
The Ōzone Shimoyashiki (大曽根下屋敷) is a former residence of the Owari branch of the Tokugawa clan
Tokugawa clan
The was a powerful daimyo family of Japan. They nominally descended from Emperor Seiwa and were a branch of the Minamoto clan by the Nitta clan. However, the early history of this clan remains a mystery.-History:...

, located in Ōzone in Higashi ward in Nagoya, central Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...

.

History

In the early Edo period (1603-1867), Tokugawa Mitsumoto (1625-1700), second lord of the Owari branch of the Tokugawa clan, established a vast residence in the Ōzone neighbourhood, as a retreat from the main residence at Nagoya Castle
Nagoya Castle
is a Japanese castle located in Nagoya, central Japan. During the Edo period, Nagoya Castle was the center of one of the most important castle towns in Japan—Nagoya-juku— and it included the most important stops along the Minoji, which linked the Tōkaidō with the Nakasendō.-History:In...

. During the Edo period, a Shimoyashiki (下屋敷) was a smaller residence or retreat of a lord, as opposed to his "upper" or main residence, called Kamiyashiki (上屋敷). After his death, the property was passed on to the families of his three retainers Naruse, Ishiko and Watanabe, until the Meiji Restoration of 1867, when ownership was returned to the Owari Tokugawa.

In 1931, Tokugawa Yoshichika (1886-1976), 19th head of the Tokugawa family, decided that "the time had come to present the property to the community", and donated the land of 23,000 m2 and buildings to the City of Nagoya. Included in the donation were family treasures and the establishment of the Owari Tokugawa Reimeikai Foundation. The City opened the garden in 1932, and the foundation opened the art museum in 1935. The garden however was destroyed during World War II, leaving only the main Black Gate (Kuro-mon) intact.

The Black Gate is made out of wood with a large gabled roof. Some of the walls and structures surrounding the gate are also originals from before the war. The gardens were restored in 2004. Today, the complex houses the Tokugawa Art Museum, the Hōsa Library
Hōsa Library
The Hōsa Library is a library located on the compound of the Ōzone Shimoyashiki in Nagoya, central Japan.- History :It was established by Tokugawa Yoshinao, the first lord of the Owari Domain, as an official archive. It was transferred from the Tokugawa family to Nagoya City in 1950...

 and the Tokugawa Garden
Tokugawa Garden
The Tokugawa Garden is a Japanese garden in the city of Nagoya, central Japan. It is located next to the Tokugawa Art Museum.- History :...

. Together, they are a showcase of the might and culture of the Owari Tokugawa.

Access by public transport is by Morishita Station by the Seto line or Ōzone Station
Ozone Station
is a train station in Kita-ku, Nagoya, Aichi Prefecture, Japan-Lines:*Nagoya Municipal Subway**Meijō Line *Central Japan Railway Company**Chūō Main Line*Nagoya Railroad**Meitetsu Seto Line*Nagoya Guideway Bus...

by the subway Meijo line.

External links

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