Ohtawara Castle was built in 1545 by Ohtawara Sukekiyo, known as one of the 7 valiant warriors of the Nasu clan. The castle had been resided only by the Ohtawara clan for as long as 326 years till the domain system was abolished in 1871. The Ohtawara clan was once driven out of this area by the Ozeki clan in 1518, but put down the Ozeki clan to regain its territory in 1541. The clan was given an important position by Toyotomi Hideyoshi, but joined in Tokugawa forces in the Battle of Sekigahara, which resulted in its prominence as a great daimyo with the fief of 14,400 koku of rice. The Ohtawara clan is a rare example of the daimyo that had survived the Warring States period and never lost its power till the Meiji Restoration. Ohtawara Castle was a large-scale castle with Honmaru (the main castle), Ninomaru (the second castle), Sannomaru (the third castle), Kita-kuruwa (the north compound), Nishi-kuruwa (the west compound), and the riding ground. At the present time, only Honmaru, Ninomaru and Kita-kuruwa are in a perfect state of preservation.