岡崎公園シリーズ＃04「本多忠勝と旧本多忠次邸」
Do you know about Japanese parks? Okazaki Park has a stature of Tadakatsu Honda. And East Park has the Former Residence of Tadatsugu Honda. At 4T-AMKY, Teachers and Students write about Japanese culture, food, history, many spots to visit, and other stuff. Enjoy reading and knowing about deeper Japanese culture!
Okazaki Park＃04 – Tadakatsu Honda and Former Residence of Tadatsugu Honda
History
This residence was built in 1932 by Tadatsugu Honda on a large plot of land in Setagaya Ward in Tokyo. Now it has been relocated to East Park in Okazaki city, a place associated with the Honda family, in Aichi Prefecture. It was restored in 2010-2012.
Tadatsugu Honda is a descendant of the Honda family, former lords of the Okazaki domain, whose ancestor was Tadakatsu Honda, commonly known as Heihachiro (1548-1610).
Tadakatsu Honda was a genuine Mikawa samurai born in 1548 in the present-day Okazaki City. He served Tokugawa Ieyasu as one of the Tokugawa-shitennos (four generals of the Tokugawa clan). At the Battle of Mikatagahara, he was praised by the enemy Takeda forces for his bravery, saying, “There are two things that are too much for Ieyasu. One is a Kabuto made in Kara (Samurai helmet made in China) and another is Honda Heihachi”.
The photo shows the statue of Tadakatsu Honda in Okazaki Park. He wears a Samurai helmet and armor, and carries a long spear. This spear possessed by Tadakatsu is called “Tombokiri”. The name comes from an anecdote about a dragonfly that perched on the tip of the spear blade and was cut in half. (Japanese “Tombo” means dragonfly and “kiri” means cut.) He went to 57 battles, large and small, from his first battle to the remainder of his life he remained unharmed.
After the Battle of Sekigahara (1600), the descendants of Tadakatsu were repeatedly transferred as a Fudai daimyo (hereditary vassals to the Tokugawa family). In 1769, the 11th Tadatoshi was transferred to Okazaki in Mikawa and ruled the area for about 100 years until the Meiji Restoration. The 16th Tadanao, the last lord of the Okazaki domain, became governor of the Okazaki domain due to the Hanseki-hokan (the return of lands and people to the emperor) in 1869. In 1871, he was relieved of his post as governor of the domain according to the policy of haihan-chiken (abolition of domains and establishment of prefectures), and moved his home to Tokyo (present-day Hongo, Bunkyo Ward, where the Honda family’s mansion was located). Though the 17th Tadaatsu left Okazaki for his home in Tokyo, he is an honorary citizen of Okazaki City, having contributed to the city’s educational programs, donated the entire area of the former Okazaki Castle to Okazaki City, and cooperated in the development of Okazaki Park. The descendants of the Honda family still live in Tokyo today.
Tadatsugu was born in 1896, the second son of the 17th Tadaatsu. He was a new generation living in a new era, having studied at Gakushuin and then at the department of philosophy of Tokyo Imperial University. After careful research and preparation, he selected the site and did the basic architectural design by himself, and completed the residence in about a year at the age of 36. It was never damaged by air raids. After the war, it was confiscated by the GHQ (General Headquarters, the Supreme Commander for the Allied Powers), but after it was returned, Tadatsugu spent his life in this residence, which he was very fond of, until his death in 1999 at the age of 103.
The building is based on the Spanish style, reflecting the rural taste that was booming at the time. In the front yard, there is a large pool with a wall fountain, which is said to be essential to the Spanish architectural style. It became a registered tangible cultural property (building) of Japan in 2014.
Okazaki City relocated and preserved the former residence of Tadatsugu Honda and opened it to the public in 2012 with the aim of deepening citizens’ understanding of the protection of cultural properties through its use. In addition to furniture from the period, stained glass and other furnishings are on permanent display in the residence.
The last photo and part of the text are excerpts from the brochure.
岡崎公園シリーズ＃04「本多忠勝と旧本多忠次邸」
歴史
この邸宅は1932年（昭和7）に、本多忠次（ただつぐ）が東京世田谷区の広大な敷地内に建てた住宅です。現在は、本多家ゆかりの地である岡崎市の東公園内に移築されています。2010年～2012年に復原されました。
本多忠次は、本多忠勝、通称、平八郎（1548-1610）を祖とする旧岡崎藩主本多家の末裔です。
本多忠勝は1548年（天文17）に現在の岡崎市に生まれた生粋の三河武士です。徳川四天王の一人として徳川家康に仕えました。三方ケ原（みかたがはら）の戦いで、敵の武田勢から「家康に過ぎたるものが二つあり、唐（から）の頭（かしら）（ヤク(チベット地方にいるウシ科の動物)の尾の毛の飾りがついた兜）に本多平八」とその勇壮ぶりを讃えられた武将でした。
写真は、岡崎公園内の本多忠勝像です。鹿角脇立兜（かづのわきたてかぶと）と甲冑（かっちゅう）を身にまとい、長い槍を携えています。忠勝が所持するこの槍は蜻蛉切（とんぼきり）と呼ばれています。穂先に止まったトンボが真っ二つに切れてしまったという逸話がその名の由来です。初陣から大小57回の戦に出向きながら、生涯無傷であったそうです。
関ケ原の合戦（1600年）後、本多家は譜代大名として転封（てんぽう）を重ね、1769年（明和6）に11代忠粛（ただとし）が三河岡崎に転封となり、以後明治維新まで約100年に渡りこの地を治めました。1869年（明治2）に最後の岡崎藩主となった16代忠直（ただなお）は版籍奉還により岡崎藩知事になり、1871年（明治4）廃藩置県により藩知事の任を解かれ東京（本多家の下屋敷があった現在の文京区本郷）へと住まいを移しました。17代忠敬（ただあつ）は、住まいは岡崎を離れましたが、岡崎市の育英事業に貢献し、旧岡崎城跡一円を岡崎市に寄付し岡崎公園整備に協力するなど岡崎市の名誉市民になっています。現在も本多家の子孫は東京に住まわれているそうです。
その17代忠敬の次男として生まれた（1896年）のが忠次です。忠次は、学習院を経て東京帝国大学文科大学哲学科で学ぶなど、新しい時代を生きた新世代でした。周到な調査や準備期間を経て、敷地選定から建築基本設計を自分自身で行い、36歳の時におよそ1年かけて邸宅を完成させました。このお屋敷が空襲などの被害に遭うことはありませんでした。終戦後にGHQ（連合国軍総司令部）に接収されることにもなりましたが、返却された後は忠次が思い入れのあるこのお屋敷で1999年（平成11）に103歳で亡くなるまで過ごしたそうです。
建物は当時ブームとなっていた田園趣味を反映させたスパニッシュ様式を基調としています。前庭にはスパニッシュ建築様式には欠かせないといわれる壁泉のある大きなプールが設置されています。2014年（平成26）に国の登録有形文化財（建造物）になりました。
岡崎市では旧本多忠次邸を移築、保存し、その活用を通じて市民に文化財保護への理解を深めてもらうことを目的として2012年（平成24）より一般公開しています。邸内では当時の家具に加え、ステンドグラスなどの調度品も常設展示されています。
最後の写真と文章の一部はパンフレットより抜粋し掲載しました。
Ikuyo.K.
