Ōta Dōkan
Ōta Dōkan ( Japanese 太 田 道 灌 ; * 1432 ; † 1486 ) was born as Ōta Sukenaga ( 太 田 資 長 ) into a daimyo family that descended from Minamoto no Yorimasa . From 1446 to 1457 he built Edo Castle and in 1458 he shaved his hair (the sign to renounce the world) and took the name Dōkan, by which he is better known. He later got involved in clashes between rival rulers in the area and was killed on the orders of Uesugi Sadamasa . When Tokugawa Ieyasu received the areas around Tokyo Bay in 1590 , he began to rebuild and expand the now ruined castle. In 1603, now a Shogun , he made it his seat of government. Today the Imperial Palace stands on the lower grounds of the castle . Every October 1st, Tokyo celebrates its anniversary in honor of the founder Ōta Dōkan.
Under Dōkan, the Sannō Hie shrine was also built on the edge of Edo Castle. The Sanno festival on June 15 is one of the three great shrine festivals in Tokyo.
He left the following death poem :
Kakaru toki
sa koso inochi no
oshikarame
kanete nakimi to
omoishirazuba
Had I not known
that I was already
dead,
I would have mourned
the loss of my life.
literature
- Papinot, Edmond: Ōta, 太 田 . In: Historical and Geographical Dictionary of Japan. Reprinted by Tuttle, 1972 edition of 1910 edition. ISBN 0-8048-0996-8 .
Web link
- See also: Ōta (clan)
| personal data | |
|---|---|
| SURNAME | Ōta, dōkan |
| ALTERNATIVE NAMES | 太 田 道 灌 (Japanese); Ōta Sukenaga (maiden name); 太 田 資 長 (maiden name, Japanese) |
| BRIEF DESCRIPTION | Member of a Japanese ruling family |
| DATE OF BIRTH | 1432 |
| DATE OF DEATH | 1486 |