was a

town A town is a human settlement. Towns are generally larger than villages and smaller than cities, though the criteria to distinguish between them vary considerably in different parts of the world. Origin and use The word "town" shares an ori ...

located in

Ōno District ONO, Ono or Ōno may refer to: Places Fiji * Ono Island (Fiji) Israel * Kiryat Ono * Ono, Benjamin, ancient site Italy * Ono San Pietro Ivory Coast * Ono, Ivory Coast, a village in Comoé District Japan * Ōno Castle, Fukuoka * � ...

Ōita Prefecture is a prefecture of Japan located on the island of Kyūshū. Ōita Prefecture has a population of 1,136,245 (1 June 2019) and has a geographic area of 6,340 km2 (2,448 sq mi). Ōita Prefecture borders Fukuoka Prefecture to the northwest, Kum ...

Japan Japan ( ja, 日本, or , and formally , ''Nihonkoku'') is an island country in East Asia. It is situated in the northwest Pacific Ocean, and is bordered on the west by the Sea of Japan, while extending from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north ...

. As of 2003, the town had an estimated

population Population typically refers to the number of people in a single area, whether it be a city or town, region, country, continent, or the world. Governments typically quantify the size of the resident population within their jurisdiction using a ...

of 6,277 and the

density Density (volumetric mass density or specific mass) is the substance's mass per unit of volume. The symbol most often used for density is ''ρ'' (the lower case Greek letter rho), although the Latin letter ''D'' can also be used. Mathematical ...

of 42.42 persons per km². The total area was 147.96 km². On March 31, 2005, Ogata, along with the towns of Asaji, Inukai, Mie and

Ōno ONO, Ono or Ōno may refer to: Places Fiji * Ono Island (Fiji) Israel * Kiryat Ono * Ono, Benjamin, ancient site Italy * Ono San Pietro Ivory Coast * Ono, Ivory Coast, a village in Comoé District Japan * Ōno Castle, Fukuoka * ...

, and the villages of Chitose and Kiyokawa (all from

), was merged to create the city of Bungo-ōno.

History

The history of Ogata town is based on ancient Japanese history that includes the legendary hero

Ogata no Saburo Koreyoshi , (around 1100 to 1200 AD) was a Japanese nobleman, warrior who played a major role in the establishment of the Kamakura shogunate. The ''Tale of the Heike'' establish that Ogata commanded the largest armies on Kyūshū. According to the Okuninu ...

. Saburo, feared by many as the "descendent of a giant serpent", also appears in ''

the Tale of the Heike is an epic poetry, epic account compiled prior to 1330 of the struggle between the Taira clan and Minamoto clan for control of Japan at the end of the 12th century in the Genpei War (1180–1185). Heike () refers to the Taira (), ''hei'' being ...

'' and is said to have contributed greatly to Minamoto no Yoshitsune's success in the battle of Dan-no-ura. Ogata town is home to three shrines built by Saburo, called "Ogata Sansha". Saburo himself is enshrined in one of these, called the "Ninomiya Hachiman Shrine", where his name is still transmitted to today's generation.

's younger brother Ogata Shuma "

Jiraiya Jiraiya (自来也 or 児雷也, literally "Young Thunder"), originally known as Ogata Shuma Hiroyuki (尾形周馬寛行), is the toad-riding protagonist of the Japanese folk tale Katakiuchi Kidan Jiraiya Monogatari (報仇奇談自来也説話, " ...

" is believed to be the first "Ninjia" in Japanese folklore. The legend in the "Heike Tales" refers to Yoshitune's decision to lead his armies in Kyūshū. According to Helen Craig McCullough, she references the unique disposition of Minamoto choosing his chief warrior.

commanded the largest armies in Kyūshū and marched in the name of the future ''

shōgun , officially , was the title of the military dictators of Japan during most of the period spanning from 1185 to 1868. Nominally appointed by the Emperor, shoguns were usually the de facto rulers of the country, though during part of the Kamakur ...

'' that led to the establishment of the

Kamakura period The is a period of Japanese history that marks the governance by the Kamakura shogunate, officially established in 1192 in Kamakura by the first ''shōgun'' Minamoto no Yoritomo after the conclusion of the Genpei War, which saw the struggle bet ...

. While establishing the "Ogata" clan-Saburo also built one of the most famous castles in Kyūshū –

Oka Castle The Oka Castle, now in ruins, is in Taketa, Ōita Prefecture, Japan. History Oka Castle has an extensive history. Sited on a mountaintop, it was originally built in 1185, for Minamoto no Yoshitsune. Shiga Sadatomo took control in 1332 and ma ...

( ja) for the new ''shōgun''. Today

remains in ruins after many wars. However, the legacy of

and the establishment of the Ogata clan in Japan was historic.

External links

We Love Oita — Ogata
* Additional information on "Ogata No Saburo Koreyoshi and Ogata Shuma and Oka Castle" by Ogata, Terumi Masters Arts History,Public Historian-Source of information comes from Helen Craig McCullough's book ''The Tale of the Heike'' By Helen Craig McCullough: Helen Craig McCullough, author and translator of the ''Heike Tales'', McCullough is the scholar and historian who should be credited with the translations.
http://www.kuniyoshiproject.com/
– the Kunishiyoushiproject is responsible for the actual history and of the Town of Ogata Town. {{DEFAULTSORT:Ogata, Oita Dissolved municipalities of Ōita Prefecture Bungo-ōno, Ōita