Hanamaki castle town, now is prospering as a merchant town
Walking for 10 minutes from Hanamaki station, you will find Toyagasaki Park on the hill behind Hanamaki Elementary School. This is where the Hanamaki-jo Castle once stood. Only the restored Nishi-gomon (West gate) gives some idea of the former splendor of the old days. It originally used to be a residence of the Hienuki family, a powerful clan throughout the Kamakura period (1185 - 1333) until the family was abandoned by Toyotomi Hideyosi after Hienuki refused to support Hideyoshi in the Odawara subjugation. The Nanbu clan took over the territory with Kita Hidechika as the head of the castle. Its name, Toyagasaki-jo Castle, was changed to the present Hanamaki-jo Castle at the same time. Hidechika contributed to the town's growth by developing the surrounding towns along the main route and by gathering markets in the vicinity of the castle. Shosai, the next lord of the castle, followed Hidechika's footsteps by developing three new towns; Yokka-machi, Hito-ichi (the present Hitoichi-machi), and Satokawaguchi (the present Kawaguchi-machi) as bases for further prosperity. Post towns along the Oshu Kaido route were also enriched due to daimyo's traveling back and forth under the alternate-year residence in the Yedo system, leading the town of Hanamaki to becoming one of the most prominent merchant towns in the Tohoku area.
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