Has even a wealthy merchant with more wealth than the feudal lord appeared? Sakata's port that was moistened by Kitamae Ship [Yamagata Prefecture]

Sakata (Sakata City, Yamagata Prefecture) is a town that developed as a port town at the mouth of the Mogami River.

During the Edo period

"All merchant ships from Osaka (Setsushu) to the two islands of Kyushu, the western part of Shikoku, Chugoku, and Shigehana, have been docked here, trading products from the East and O-Hokuriku region, and trade profits and money, making it a great deal of work to the town." ("Tournament of the East and Tokugoku Tournament" by Matsui Totsurusai (Matsui Jugakusai) / Honma Museum)

It flourished through Kitamae Ship's trade, which was written about.

The rice from the Shonai Plain and the safflower collected from the Mogami River brought wealth.

Sakata served as the largest port in Tohoku it was a collection of safflowers, a specialty Yamagata

Tohoku Rokken trivia media: NEFT

"Mogami safflower" certified as a Japanese heritage and Japanese agricultural heritage [Yamagata Prefecture]

https://jp.neft.asia/archives/18102

``Safflower'' has been cultivated since ancient times as a raw material for dyeing ``red'' and ``yellow.'' In addition, oils (safflower oil/safflower oil) can be extracted from the seeds. Safflower cultivated in Japan is mainly used as a dye, but worldwide it is overwhelmingly cultivated as a raw material for safflower oil. Most of Japan's safflower oil is also imported from the United States. A field of safflower. Photo location: Tendo City ©Yamagata Prefecture The origin of safflower is unknown, but safflower pigment was found in the clothes worn by Egyptian mummies about 2,500 years before its origin...

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Safflower is a plant that is a dye for silk fabrics, and the safflower dye produced in Yamagata "Mogami Safflower" , and was popular in Kyoto and Osaka, the largest consumer destination, and was traded at an extremely high price.

During the Edo period, Kitamae ships sailed along the Sea of ​​Japan side of Hokkaido, Tohoku, Hokuriku, and Sanin, and traveled from Shimonoseki through the Seto Inland Sea, then traveled back and forth between Osaka and in some cases Edo.

The Kitamae boat, which stopped by Sakata, transported rice, safflower, seafood, and more towards Osaka, and returned from Kansai with popular items from the city that are not found in the countryside, such as luxury items and dolls.

Kitamaebune earned as much as 100 million yen in one round trip.

In Sakata, wealthy merchants who made good money in transactions on Kitamae Ship lined up, and large landowners were leaning towards the gap. In the mid-Edo period, there were 97 shipwrestlers, and it is said that their storehouses were packed with 2 million ryo (approximately 200 billion yen)

a "Senkoku Ship" because it could load 1,000 koku (about 150 tons) of rice at a time , is said to have made 1,000 ryo (about 100 million yen) in one round trip.

Although no Kitamae Ship exists, a 1/2 scale model is on display at Hiyoriyama Park in Sakata City.

Hiyoriyama Park is located on a small hill overlooking the port of Sakata, and in addition to the Kitamaebune, there are exhibits such as Japan's oldest wooden hexagonal lighthouse and square stones.

Hiyoriyama Park <Information>

• Name: Hiyoriyama Park
• Address: Outside 1-127 Minamishinmachi, Sakata City, Yamagata Prefecture
• Phone number: 0234-26-5745 (Sakata City Maintenance Division)
• Official URL: Hiyoriyama Park

Google Map

Sakata, where the culture of the heyday of the Kitamaebune era remains strong.

In the latter half of the Meiji period, with the opening of railways, demand for Kitamae Ship was no longer needed to distribute supplies from shipping to land transportation. After that, Sakata did not rely on Kitamae-fune, but instead became a transportation hub on the Sea of ​​Japan side of the land and sea, and succeeded in modernizing the port and attracting factories, achieving further development.

Although Sakata City has rapidly modernized, the city still retains the buildings and culture of the time when the city flourished with Kitamaebune.

Sankyo Warehouse, a rice warehouse from the Edo period that is still used as an agricultural warehouse

The "Sankyo Soko" is a building that represents Sakata, a bustling rice loading port.

This rice storage was built in 1893 (Meiji 26) by the Sakai family, the lord of the Shonai domain in the Edo period, and contains 12 warehouses made of white-walled earthen warehouses. The rice capacity is 18,000 tons (180,000 bales), and it is a low-temperature warehouse that uses the wisdom of our ancestors, such as lined zelkova trees behind them to prevent high temperatures in the summer and double roofs to prevent moisture inside.

Yamai Warehouse <Information>

• Name: Yamai Warehouse
• Location: 1-1-20 Yamaicho, Sakata City

[Sakata City Tourism and Product Center “Sakata Dream Club”]

• Phone number: 0234-24-2233 (Sakata Tourism and Products Association)
• Opening hours: 9:00-17:00 (until 14:30 from December to February)
• Closed: January 1st
• Free admission
• Official URL: Sakata City Tourist Products Center "Sakata Dream Club"

[Shonai Rice History Museum]

• Phone number: 0234-23-7470
• Opening hours: 9:00-17:00 (until 16:30 in December)
• Closed: December 29th to the end of February
• Admission fee: 300 yen for adults, 200 yen for junior high and high school students, 150 yen for elementary school students
• Official URL: Shonai American History Museum

*The exterior of the warehouse can be viewed at all times.

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The Honma family gave a mansion to the feudal lord.

The "Former Honma Family Main Residence" was newly built in 1768 for the Sakai family, the feudal lord, as a lodging place for the Sakai family, to be used by patrols from the Edo Shogunate (shogunate envoys). After the envoy returned to Edo, it was used as the residence of the Honma family until 1945 (Showa 20).

The main residence is an unusual building that combines the structure of a samurai residence and a merchant's house, and the Honma family lived in the merchant's house. In addition to the residence, the Nagaya Gate, which was open only to special guests, the Yakuin Gate, where the family came and went, and the garden, remain almost as they were when they were built, and have been designated as cultural assets by Yamagata Prefecture.

There is a ``store'' across the street from the main residence, where ledger counters, weights and measures, daily necessities, and other items are displayed.

Former main residence of the Honma family <Information>

• Name: Former Honma family residence
• Address: 12-13 Nibancho, Sakata City, Yamagata Prefecture
• Phone number: 0234-22-3562 (former main residence of the Honma family)
• Official URL: Former Honma family residence

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Honma Art Museum, a villa built for the feudal lord's rest and its garden           

The Honma Art Museum is a museum that opened its doors, Seienkaku, and the garden, Tsurumaien, built in 1813 by Kodo, the fourth head of the Honma family. It opened in 1947 (Showa 22).

``Seienkaku'' was built as a resting place for the Sakai clan, the lord of the Shonai domain, when they inspected the territory.Since the Meiji period, it has been used as a lodging facility for important people such as the imperial family, and has been called the ``state guest house of Sakata.'' Ta.

``Tsurumaien'' was built as a garden for ``Seienkaku'', and while walking around the large pond called Chisenkaiyu-shiki-style garden with Mt. Chokai as a backdrop, It is a garden where you can enjoy the scenery. The stones used in the garden include blue stones from Iyo (Ehime Prefecture) and red stones from Sado (Niigata Prefecture), which were transported by Kitamaebune. The name ``Tsurumaien'' was given by the feudal lord, and ``Tsurumaien'' has been designated as a national scenic spot as the Honma Clan Villa Garden.

The Honma Museum of Art has a new wing (built in 1968) as well as Seienkaku and Tsurumaien.The new wing exhibits Japanese and Oriental antiques collected by the Honma family, as well as works in a wide range of genres collected after the museum opened. It has been.

Honma Museum <Information>

• Name: Honma Museum
• Address: 7-7 Onaricho, Sakata City, Yamagata Prefecture
• Phone number: 0234-24-4311
• Official URL: Honma Museum

Google Map

"Sakata Festival" has a deep connection with Kyoto Gion Festival

The ``Sakata Festival'' is based on the regular festivals of Kamihie Shrine and Shimohie Shrine, the guardian deities of Sakata that began in 1609. It was called "Sanno Umatsuri".

At the Sanno Festival, the head of the wealthy merchant Honma family created a luxurious float in 1769, using the Yamahoko of the Kyoto Gion Festival, adding a touch of flavour to the festival, and it is said that this became a festival where floats parade like the ones we have today.

Since its launch in 1609, the Sanno Festival has not been cancelled, despite the major disaster that hit Sakata. has been held as the Sakata Festival since 1979 (Showa 54) (Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, only festivals were held as rituals in 2021 and 2022)

The Sakata Festival can be said to be a fusion of local festivals and Kyoto culture transported by Kitamaebune.

Sakata Festival <Information>

• Name: Sakata Festival
• Venue: Sakata City
• Phone number: 0234-26-5759 (Sakata City Regional Revitalization Department Exchange Tourism Division)
• Event period: May 19th to May 21st
• Official URL: Sakata Festival

Sakata City Tourism and Products Association <Information>

Sakata City Tourism and Products Association

• Phone number: 0234-24-2233
• Official URL: Sakata, Minatomachi, which flourished on Kitamaefune