was a

town A town is a type of a human settlement, generally larger than a village but smaller than a city. The criteria for distinguishing a town vary globally, often depending on factors such as population size, economic character, administrative stat ...

located in Ōno District,

Ōita Prefecture is a prefecture of Japan located on the island of Kyūshū. Ōita Prefecture has a population of 1,081,646 (1 February 2025) and has a geographic area of 6,340 km2 (2,448 sq mi). Ōita Prefecture borders Fukuoka Prefecture to the northwest, K ...

Japan Japan is an island country in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean off the northeast coast of the Asia, Asian mainland, it is bordered on the west by the Sea of Japan and extends from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea ...

. As of 2003, the town had an estimated

population Population is a set of humans or other organisms in a given region or area. Governments conduct a census to quantify the resident population size within a given jurisdiction. The term is also applied to non-human animals, microorganisms, and pl ...

of 6,277 and the

density Density (volumetric mass density or specific mass) is the ratio of a substance's mass to its volume. The symbol most often used for density is ''ρ'' (the lower case Greek letter rho), although the Latin letter ''D'' (or ''d'') can also be u ...

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, and the villages of Chitose and Kiyokawa (all from Ōno District), 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. Saburo, feared by many as the "descendent of a giant serpent", also appears in ''

the Tale of the Heike is an 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). It has been translated into English at least five times. ...

'' 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. Ogata no Saburo Koreyoshi's younger brother Ogata Shuma " Jiraiya" 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. Ogata no Saburo Koreyoshi commanded the largest armies in Kyūshū and marched in the name of the future ''

shōgun , officially , was the title of the military rulers 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, except during parts of the Kamak ...

'' that led to the establishment of the

Kamakura period The is a period of History of Japan, Japanese history that marks the governance by the Kamakura shogunate, officially established in 1192 in Kamakura, Kanagawa, Kamakura by the first ''shōgun'' Minamoto no Yoritomo after the conclusion of the G ...

. While establishing the "Ogata" clan-Saburo also built one of the most famous castles in Kyūshū – Oka Castle ( ja) for the new ''shōgun''. Today Oka Castle remains in ruins after many wars. However, the legacy of Ogata no Saburo Koreyoshi and the establishment of the Ogata clan in Japan was historic.

References

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