Okazaki's rather humble castle holds an important place in the history of Japan as the birthplace of Tokugawa Ieyasu, the founder of the shogunate. Despite this illustrious association, Okazaki-jō was demolished in 1873 after the Meiji Restoration. A small, modern reconstruction (1959) of the structure now dominates a park in the middle of town - a spot well-celebrated for its many sakura (cherry blossoms) in springtime.