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The emergence of a wealthy merchant with even greater financial resources than the feudal lord? The port of Sakata, prosperous due to Kitamae-bune (Kitamaebune) [Yamagata Prefecture]
The emergence of a wealthy merchant with even greater financial resources than the feudal lord? The port of Sakata, prosperous due to Kitamae-bune (Kitamaebune) [Yamagata Prefecture]
Sakata (Sakata City, Yamagata Prefecture)is a city that developed as a port town at the mouth of the Mogami River.
In the Edo period
"Merchant ships from Settsu (Osaka) to Shikoku, Chugoku, and the two islands of Kyushu all dock here, trading products from the eastern and northern regions, creating a bustling marketplace filled with profit-making transactions and the flourishing of the town—a scene too vivid to describe in words."(From "Travelogue of the Eastern Provinces" by Matsui Jugakusai / Honma Museum of Art)
It prospered through trade with Kitamae ships, to the extent that it is written, "The town of Kitamae flourished."
"Saidou Emaku (Daijuwari Grand Festival) - Celebration Banquet for Lord Sakai's Relief - (Part)" depicts the bustle of Sakata during the Edo period. Property of Sakata City Museum
Rice from the Shonai Plain and safflower collected from the Mogami River brought wealth
Sakata functioned as the largest port in Tohoku because it was situated in front of the Shonai Plain, a major grain-producing region, allowing for the shipment of high-quality products such as rice . Furthermore, its location at the mouth of the Mogami River meant it was a collection point for safflower, a specialty of Yamagata Prefecture , which was produced in the upper reaches of the Mogami River
Safflower is a plant used as a dye for silk fabrics, and safflower dye produced in Yamagata Prefecture"Mogami Safflower."In Kyoto and Osaka, the largest consumer markets, it was highly prized as a top-quality product and traded at extremely high prices.
Sakata port with Kitamae ships anchored offshore ("Sakata Sodenoura and Koyanohama" mid-Edo period, 18th century, Homma Museum of Art, Sakata City designated cultural property)
During the Edo period, Kitamae ships sailed along the Sea of Japan coast, passing through Hokkaido, Tohoku, Hokuriku, and San'in, and traveled from Shimonoseki via the Seto Inland Sea to Osaka and, in some cases, Edo
The Kitamae ships that stopped in Sakata carried rice, safflower, seafood, and other goods towards Osaka, and returned from Kansai carrying luxury goods, dolls, and other fashionable items from the capital that were not available in the countryside
Kitamae-bune ships made as much as 100 million yen per round trip
In Sakata, wealthy merchants who made their fortunes through trade on Kitamae ships lined the streets, and large landowners held considerable influence. In the mid-Edo period, there were as many as 97 shipping agents, and it is said that their warehouses were filled with goods worth 2 million ryo (approximately 200 billion yen)
The Kitamae ships, known as "Sengoku-bune" (thousand -koku ships) because they could carry as much as 1,000 koku (approximately 150 tons) of rice at once , are said to have earned as much as 1,000 ryo (approximately 100 million yen) on a single round trip.
There are no Kitamae ships left today, but a half-scale model is on display at Hiyoriyama Park in Sakata City
Hiyoriyama Park is located on a small hill overlooking Sakata Port, and in addition to Kitamae ships, the park displays one of Japan's oldest wooden hexagonal lighthouses and a compass stone
Hiyoriyama Park <Information>
Name: Hiyoriyama Park
Address: 1-127 Minamishinmachi, Sakata City, Yamagata Prefecture
Phone number: 0234-26-5745 (Sakata City Maintenance Division)
Sakata, where the culture of the heyday of Kitamae ships remains strong
With the opening of the railway in the latter half of the Meiji period, the demand for Kitamae-bune ships fell into disuse as the distribution of goods shifted from sea to land. Sakata then became a transportation hub on the Sea of Japan side of the Tohoku region, not relying on Kitamae-bune ships, but succeeded in modernizing the port and attracting factories, leading to further development
Sakata City has undergone rapid modernization, but the city still retains a strong resemblance to the buildings and culture of the time when the city prospered thanks to the Kitamae ships
Yamakyo Soko, a rice storehouse from the Edo period that is still used as an agricultural storehouse
Sankyo Warehouseis a representative building of Sakata, a town that once thrived as a port for shipping rice.
This rice storage facility was built in 1893 (Meiji 26) by the Sakai family, feudal lords of the Shonai domain during the Edo period, and consists of 12 white-walled storehouses. It has a capacity to store 10,800 tons (180,000 bales) of rice, and is a low-temperature storehouse that makes use of the wisdom of our ancestors, with a row of zelkova trees behind it to protect against the high summer temperatures and a double-layered roof to prevent moisture from building up inside
The "Former Honma Residence"was a house built in 1768 by the Honma family for the Sakai family, the feudal lords, as lodging for inspectors (Shogunate inspectors) sent by the Edo shogunate. After the inspectors returned to Edo, it was used as the Honma family's residence until 1945.
The main residence is a rare building that combines the architecture of a samurai residence and a merchant's house, with the Homma family living in the merchant's house. In addition to the residence, the Nagayamon gate, which is only open to special guests, the Yakuimon gate through which the family entered and exited, and the garden remain almost exactly as they were when they were built, and the residence has been designated a cultural property of Yamagata Prefecture
Across the street from the main residence is a shop (otana), which displays accounting, weights and measures, and everyday items
Former Honma Family Residence <Information>
Name: Former main residence of the Honma family
Address: 12-13 Nibancho, Sakata City, Yamagata Prefecture
Phone number: 0234-22-3562 (Homma family former residence)
Homma Museum: A villa built for the feudal lord to relax and its garden
The Honma Museum of Artwas opened in 1947 (Showa 22) as an art museum, utilizing the villa "Seienkaku" and garden "Kakubuen" that were built in 1813 by Kodo, the fourth head of the Honma family.
Seienkaku was built as a resting place for Shonai feudal lord Sakai when he inspected his domain, and from the Meiji period onwards it was used as a lodging for important people such as members of the imperial family, and was known as Sakata's guest house
Kakubuen Garden was built as the garden for Seienkaku, and is a strolling garden with a large pond at its center, with Mt. Chokai as a backdrop, allowing visitors to enjoy the scenery as they walk around it. The stones used in the garden include blue stones from Iyo (Ehime Prefecture) and red jade stones from Sado (Niigata Prefecture), which were brought over by Kitamaebune ships. The name Kakubuen Garden was given by the feudal lord, and Kakubuen Garden, as the Homma Clan Villa Garden, has been designated a national place of scenic beauty
In addition to the Seienkaku and Kakubuen buildings, the Homma Museum of Art also has a new wing (built in 1968), which displays antique Japanese and Oriental art collected by the Homma family, as well as works from a wide range of genres that were acquired after the museum opened
Homma Museum of Art <Information>
Name: Homma Museum of Art
Address: 7-7 Onarimachi, Sakata City, Yamagata Prefecture
Sakata Festival has a deep connection with Kyoto's Gion Festival
The Sakata Festival originated from the annual festivals of Kamihie Shrine and Shimohie Shrine, the guardian deities of Sakata, which began in 1609, and was called the Sanno Festival
In 1769, the head of the wealthy merchant Homma family built a gorgeous float for the Sanno Festival, modeled after the floats of the Gion Festival in Kyoto, adding a touch of elegance to the festival. It is said that this eventually took root and led to the festival where floats are paraded around as they are today
The Sanno Festival, which began in 1609, has never been canceled, even in the face of major disasters that have struck Sakata. Since 1979 (Showa 54), the Sanno Festivalthe "Sakata Festival."(In 2021 and 2022, only the religious ceremonies were held due to the COVID-19 pandemic.)
The Sakata Festival can be said to be a festival that was created by fusing local festivals with the culture of Kyoto that was brought over by the Kitamaebune ships
Sakata Festival <Information>
Name: Sakata Festival
Location: Sakata City
Phone number: 0234-26-5759 (Sakata City Regional Revitalization Department, Exchange and Tourism Division)
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
![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]")
