This site is an online media that delivers all sorts of trivia about the six Tohoku prefectures, from sightseeing and gourmet spots to local customs, history, and more
From the mid-Edo period to the 1890s, Kitamae-bune were ships that traveled between Osaka and Tohoku/Hokkaido via the Sea of Japan, transporting a large amount of goods .
The largest port in the Tohoku region was Sakata (Sakata City, Yamagata Prefecture), but the ships also called at the port of Tsuruoka, where the Shonai domain's castle was located, and transported rice and other produce from the Shonai Plain, as well as silk products (a Japanese Heritage site called "Silk Associated with Samurai"), to Osaka
The most bustling of these placesKamo (Kamo, Tsuruoka City).
During the Taisho era, the railway was opened, and the Kitamae ships ceased to function, and the port of Kamo, which had no connection to the railway, naturally became deserted
Present-day Kamo is a fishing port known for its jellyfish aquarium, "Kamo Aquarium." The town retains the mansions and storehouses of wealthy merchants from the heyday of Kitamae-bune (northern trade ships), and has been designated as part of the Shonai Landscape Corridor
Particularly noteworthy are the "Akino Residence," said to be the second largest landowner in the Shonai region after the Honma family of Sakata (Sakata City, Yamagata Prefecture) , and the "Ishinazaka Residence and Storehouse" (a nationally registered tangible cultural property), which belonged to a Kitamae-bune shipowner . These buildings retain much of the atmosphere of the era when the Kitamae-bune trade was thriving.
Kamo District, Tsuruoka City <Information>
Name: Kamo district, Tsuruoka city
Location: Kamo, Tsuruoka City
Phone number: 0235-33-3023 (Tsuruoka City Kamo District Autonomy Promotion Association)
Ryuoson Zenpoji Temple, where the owners of the Kitamae ships worshipped
"Ryuo Sonzenpoji Temple"is well known among those involved in the maritime industry as a temple that enshrines Ryujin, the god of the sea.
This ancient temple is said to have been founded by the monk Myotatsu Shonin in 951, and is one of the three major prayer centers of the Soto sect, along with Toyokawa Inari (Toyokawa City, Aichi Prefecture) and Saijoji Temple (Minamiashigara City, Kanagawa Prefecture)
Behind the temple grounds, on the banks of Kaibamiike Pond, stands the "Ryujindo" hall, where the dragon god is enshrined
The "Gohyakukurakando" (Hall of Five Hundred Arhat Statues)was built through donations from merchants who made their fortunes on the Kitamae-bune (northern trade ships). The 531 Arhat statues enshrined there were also created through donations.
Six buildings, including the Gohyaku Rakan Hall, main gate, and five-story pagoda, are registered as tangible cultural properties of Japan
Ryuoson Zenpoji Temple＜Information＞
Name: Ryuoson Zenpoji Temple
Address: 100 Sekine, Shimokawa, Tsuruoka City, Yamagata Prefecture
The Chido Museum houses a model of a Kitamae ship donated by the ship's owner, as well as a ship's chest of drawers
The Chido Museum in Tsuruoka City houses and displays ship models, ship votive paintings, four-pronged anchors, departure permits, ship licenses, and ship chests, all donated by Kitamae ship owners.
The Chido Museum houses relocated and exhibited valuable historical heritage, including the gardens of the Sakai family, lords of the Shonai domain who focused on trade with Kitamaebune ships, the former Shonai domain lord's obedience hall, the former silkworm farmhouse in Tamugimata, the former Nishitagawa County Office and the former Tsuruoka Police Station, which were built during the Meiji period when Tsuruoka was prosperous, and important tangible folk cultural properties of the Shonai region
Chido Museum＜Information＞
Name: Chido Museum
Address: 10-18 Ienakashinmachi, Tsuruoka City, Yamagata Prefecture
Phone number: 0235-22-1199 (Chido Museum)
Opening hours:
March to November: 9:00-17:00 (last entry at 16:30)
December to February: 9:00 to 16:30 (entry until 16:00)
Closed: December 28th to January 4th, Wednesdays (December to February)
Admission fee: Adults 800 yen, High school and university students 700 yen, Elementary and junior high school students 300 yen
TsurugaokaCastle Ruins Tsurugaoka Parkis a park developed on the site of Tsurugaoka Castle, which was the residence of the Sakai family, the lords of the Shonai Domain. Although Tsurugaoka Castle was demolished during the Meiji era, Shonai Shrine was built on the castle site. The roof tiles of the main hall of Shonai Shrine are made from tiles from Tsurugaoka Castle.
Within Tsuruoka Park, many remnants of the castle era remain, including moats, stone walls, and cedar trees hundreds of years old.The Taihokan building, was constructed in 1915 (Taisho 4) to commemorate the enthronement of Emperor Taisho, and was used as a municipal library after World War II.
Currently, the museum exhibits materials related to great people born in Tsuruoka, such as the Meiji era literary figure Takayama Chogyu (1871-1902)
"Former Shonai Domain Lord's Retirement Residence"was the retirement home of Sakai Tadaaki (1812-1876), the 11th lord of the Shonai Domain. The building, which was originally his Edo residence, was transported by Kitamae ship and relocated to Tsuruoka. Records indicate that it was built using a large amount of timber from within the Shonai domain. It has now been relocated again and is on permanent display at the Chido Museum.
The former Nishitagawa County Office, a Meiji-era government office that shows the prosperity of Tsuruoka
The "Former Nishitagawa County Office"is the former administrative office of Nishitagawa County, built in 1881 (Meiji 14). The former Nishitagawa County was part of the Shonai Domain during the Edo period, and comprised the area west of Tsuruoka City and west of Sakata City, facing the Sea of Japan.
The "Former Nishitagawa County Office" is basically a Western-style building, but it also incorporates elements of Japanese architecture, making it a pseudo-Western style building. It has now been relocated to the Chido Museum, where archaeological materials excavated from Shonai, as well as materials from the Boshin War at the end of the Edo period through to the Meiji Restoration period, are on display. The "Former Nishitagawa County Office" is a designated Important Cultural Property of Japan
The former Tsuruoka Police Station, which policed the crowded city of Tsuruoka
The "Former Tsuruoka Police Station Building" was built in 1884 (Meiji 17) and is a typical two-story wooden building in a pseudo-Western style. It is said to be a masterpiece designed by Takahashi Kanekichi, an architect from Tsuruoka who also designed the "Former Nishitagawa County Office" and "Shonai Shrine." It has now been moved to the Chido Museum and is used as the Chido Museum office building. The "Former Tsuruoka Police Station" is a designated Important Cultural Property of Japan
Tsuruoka City has been certified as a Japan Heritage site, "Another world woven by the dreams of men who crossed rough seas - Kitamaebune port and shipowners' village."。
My love of travel led me to work for a travel magazine some time ago, and now I work as a travel writer for an online publication. I have visited all 47 prefectures in Japan, focusing on the Tohoku region, and I enjoy soaking in hot springs and experiencing traditional Japanese culture, including old townscapes, lifestyles, and performing arts and crafts
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![Mogami safflower](https://jp.neft.asia/wp-content/uploads/2022/12/30121446_m-1-150x150.jpg.webp ""Mogami Safflower" certified as a Japanese Heritage and Japanese Agricultural Heritage [Yamagata Prefecture]")
