[Nanyo City, Yamagata Prefecture] There is a stone monument related to Suishinko Masahide at Akayu! | Visit Akayu Onsen! [Part 2 (Walk)]

  • ikoke
  • Last updated: 2024.04.12

Let's go to Akayu Onsen! [Part 1] mainly introduced hot springs. This time, I visited the place when I was reporting on Akayu Onsen, and I found a stone monument of Suishinko Masahide, who is also famous for the popular content ``Touken Ranbu,'' which is said to have sparked the sword boom.

Tohoku Rokken trivia media: NEFT
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[Nanyo City, Yamagata Prefecture] There are 3 public baths in a small hot spring town that has been open for over 920 years! ｜Akayu in Yamagata Prefecture...
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Akayu Onsen is located in the southern part of Yamagata Prefecture, which is known as the hot spring kingdom.The hot spring town is located just 5 minutes by car or 30 minutes on foot from the station where the JR Yamagata Shinkansen also stops. It is a small hot spring town with 14 unique inns, including some that allow pets and others that resemble art museums. In this small hot spring town, public baths have been renovated to fit the daily lives of the citizens, and there are day-use baths that are loved by tourists as drop-in baths. Focusing on the renovated public bath, we will also introduce the history and benefits of Akayu Onsen. Please enjoy until the end. Akayu...
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I would like to introduce the highlights of Akayu other than the hot springs, as well as the relationship between Suishinko Masahide and Akayu that I saw during my walk, and the achievements of Akayu.

Please enjoy until the end.

What is Nanyo City Akayu?

photo by ikoke

Speaking of Akayu, Yamagata is home to the main branch of Akayu Ramen Ryushanghai, which is so famous and popular that it gets a super rating. This is a popular ramen restaurant where you can expect long lines even on weekdays, and long lines on holidays.

The dried sardine-based soup is rich and the hand-made curly noodles are chewy and chewy, and the spicy miso mixed well with the soup makes it really delicious! The spicy miso uses locally grown chili peppers

It has been featured on the popular TV program "The Secret ○○ Show" and has received rave reviews from the cast, and is a popular restaurant with many people coming from far outside the prefecture to try it.

The photos above are the most popular spicy miso ramen and soy sauce flavored akayu ramen.

Akayu Ramen Ryu Shanghai <Information>

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Eboshiyama Park, which spreads out on the mountain behind Akayu Onsen , is home to 1000 cherry blossom trees, and has been selected as one of Japan's top 100 cherry blossom viewing spots . The cherry blossom season is an incredible beauty!

photo by ikoke

Japan's largest torii gate is located overlooking the Akayu hot spring town with the Eboshiyama Shrine building in the background . The seamless stone torii gate is amazing in size even when viewed from above.

Eboshiyama Hachimangu Shrine＜Information＞

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First of all, who is Suishinko Masahide? What is the relationship with Akayu?

hpoto by ikoke

Suishinko Masahide's monument was erected at Eboshiyama Hachimangu Shrine Garden in Akayu . Eboshiyama Hachimangu Shrine is located right behind the Akayu hot spring town and is a popular walking course for guests, and it also has a wedding hall, so many people visit it as a god of matchmaking.

A monument was erected on the walking course a little further down the front of the shrine, praising Suishinshi Masahide's achievements. Furthermore , Suishinshi Masahide's wakizashi has been handed down at Eboshiyama Hachimangu Shrine .

photo by ikoke

Who is Suishinko Masahide?

Suishinko Masahide was a swordsmith who was active from 1781 (late Edo period) to 1876 (Meiji 9). He was known as one of the ``Three Edo Masters'' along with ``Daikei Naotane'' and ``Minamoto Kiyomaro .''

Due to the Sword Abolition Order in 1876, emphasis was placed on the artistic element of swords, and Suishinko Masahide, who had doubts about this, decided to revive the strength of old swords by using the traditional high-quality tamahagane. It has been passed down to generation the ``father of new swords.''

It was called "Restoration of Swords," and disciples gathered under Suishinshi Masahide from all over the country. Suishinshi Masahide has also published other works such as ``Sword Practical Theory'' and ``Sword Buyo Theory.''

What is the relationship with Akayu?

Suishinshi Masahide was born in Motonakayama, Nanyo City in 1750, and his real name was Sanjiro Suzuki. He grew up in Akayu, where his mother's family lived because his father passed away at an early age. In order to become a blacksmith, he learned the basics under a blacksmith in the neighboring town (Nagai City).

In his hometown, he worked as a blacksmith for agricultural tools and hoes, but he moved to Tokyo with the intention of becoming a swordsmith and honed his skills under a swordsmith in Hachioji. Afterwards, he returned to Yamagata and was hired by the lord of the Yamagata domain, where he took the name ``Gihachiro Kawabe Masahide'' and changed his swordsmith name to ``Suishinko.''

It is said that he struck 369 swords during his lifetime it is also famous that Kaishu Katsu was his favorite sword

Other famous Akayu products!

Grape cultivation is so popular that Akayu is said to be the birthplace of grapes in Yamagata Prefecture. It is also a wine-making town with six wineries, four with over 70 years of history and two up-and-coming wineries.

Ari Sakai Winery, said to be the oldest winery in the Tohoku region, is a long-established winery that was awarded a 5-star award in 2018 for its grapes grown using natural farming methods.

There are also wineries with their own characteristics, such as wineries with farms where you can pick grapes and wineries that make wine using fruits other than grapes, making it a charming town that is irresistible for wine lovers.

The birthplace of Suishinshi Masahide, who created the famous sword, is full of charm!

I was able to learn that Suishinko Masahide, a swordsmith who has attracted attention from young people due to the extremely popular content ``Touken Ranbu,'' had a deep connection with Akayu Onsen, which has been open for more than 920 years.

As I wandered around further, I found that it was a very attractive town, home to the ramen shop ``Ryushanghai,'' which regularly ranks as the best ramen in Japan, and the oldest winery in Tohoku.

Let's go to Akayu Onsen and enjoy it not only for the night but also for a day trip!

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