[Nagai City, Yamagata Prefecture] Nagai, a former Yonezawa domain boating town that prospered through boating on the Mogami River

Nagai City located in the southern part of Yamagata Prefecturewas established in 1954 (Showa 29) by the merger of five villages, Nagai Village, Nishine Village, Hirano Village, Isazawa Village, and Toyota Village, centered on the former Nagai Town, which developed during the Edo period through shipping on the Mogami River. I was born.

Nagai, where Date Masamune became the lord for a time

The name ``Nagai'' means ``a place where water gathers,'' and three rivers, including the Mogami River, flow around the town and water the land.

The Nagai Basin, where the Mogami River flows, has been inhabited by people since the Jomon period. In the Middle Ages, the county of Okitama was established, and in the Kamakura period, the Nagai clan became the feudal lord, and Okitama was renamed Nagai no Sho. During the Nanbokucho period, it became the territory of the Date clan, and Date Masamune also became its lord for a time.After the Date clan was forced to move to Mt. Iwade (Osaki City, Miyagi Prefecture) for disobeying Toyotomi Hideyoshi's orders, it became the domain of the Yonezawa clan during the Edo period, and remained there until the Meiji Restoration.

During the Edo period, the Mogami River, which was full of difficult spots, was maintained and a boat dock was installed.

During the Edo period, a dock on the Mogami River was built in Nagai, and it became the center of Mogami boat transport for the Yonezawa clan.The Mogami River has a gentle flow up to Oishida (Oishida Town) in the middle reaches, and Oishida flourished as the largest dock. Navigating ships was extremely difficult as they had to cross many difficult points to reach the upper reaches of the Yonezawa domain.

Thinking that something could be done about it, Kyuzaemon Nishimura, an official merchant of the Yonezawa clan, obtained permission from the shogunate and the clan, and began putting his own money into the process. Construction began in June 1863 (Genroku 6), and the bedrock was excavated from Sazawa (Sagae City) to Nagai, and construction was completed in September of the following year. A dock has been opened at Miya and Koide (Nagai City). Since then, Nagai has developed as a town of Mogami River boat transportation. This continued even after the Meiji Restoration, and continued until the opening of the former Japanese National Railways Nagai Line (currently Yamagata Railway Flower Nagai Line) in 1914 (Taisho 3).

A landscape created by the connection with water is registered as a cultural landscape.

With the opening of the Nagai Line, the shipping town of Nagai became the center of goods transportation in Nishiokitama, centered on the railway, and special products such as agricultural products and silk fabrics were shipped from Nagai to all over the country.

In the center of Nagai, many buildings and structures from that era remain, giving us a glimpse of the bustle of those days. Nagai is home to many tributaries of the Mogami River, and the connection with water, including boat transportation, has given rise to people's activities, and traces of this can still be seen in both the Miya and Koide areas, where there were docks. Its unique landscape has been selected as a nationally important cultural landscape as ``Nagai townscape in the upper reaches of the Mogami River''.

``Bunkyo no Mori Nagai'', a historic building used as a museum and museum

Marudaiogi-yais a kimono merchant that prospered through boat transport on the Mogami River from the Edo period to the Showa period. Seven historic buildings are preserved within the approximately 700 tsubo grounds, including a miso storehouse built in 1832 (Tenpo 3) and a new parlor built in 1912 (Taisho 1). Of these, six buildings are the main building, store, storehouse, built-in room, zashikigura, and new zashiki. Yamagata Prefecture designated tangible cultural propertyis. On the premises of the former Maru Ougiya, works by Kozo Naganuma, a sculptor who was the head of the family, were exhibited. "Kozo Naganuma Sculpture Museum"is being built.

INFORMATON

• Facility name: Old Maru Ougiya
• Location: 1-11-7 Tokamachi, Nagai City, Yamagata Prefecture
• Phone number: 0238-88-4151
• Opening hours: 10:00-17:00 (Admission until 16:30)
• Closed: Mondays, the last day of the month (the next day if Monday is a holiday), winter (December 29th to March 31st)
• Admission fee: “Old Maru Ougiya” is free to visit

• "Kozo Naganuma Sculpture Museum" exhibits sculptures of the head of the Naganuma family
• Tour fee: Adults 300 yen, High school students 200 yen, Elementary and junior high school students 100 yen

The oldest government building in Yamagata “Former Nishiokitama District Office” (Kozakurakan)

Former Nishiokitama District Office (Tangible Cultural Property designated by Nagai City)was built in 1878 (Meiji 11) as the government office for Nishiokitama District, where Nagai is located, when the county system was established in the Meiji era.It is the oldest county office building in Yamagata Prefecture (second in Japan).Currently, it is used as Kozakurakan, a place for cultural activities by local residents.

INFORMATON

• Facility name: Former Nishiokitama District Office (Kozakurakan)
• Opening hours: 9:00-17:00 (until 21:00 when activities, exhibitions, etc. are held)
• Closed: Mondays (the next day if Monday is a holiday)
• Tour fee: Free (fees apply for facility use)

• Facility name: Bunkyo no Mori Nagai
• Location: 1-11-7 Tokamachi, Nagai City, Yamagata Prefecture
• Phone number: 0238-88-4151
• URL: Bunkyo no Mori Nagai

Yamase Kura (Yamase Kura Museum) was the storehouse of a wealthy merchant who made his fortune with Nagai Tsumugi.

Yamase Kurais a warehouse owned by Mogamiya, which made a profit from shipping business selling used clothing, Tabi, and later Nagai Tsumugi clothing since the Genroku era. The head of the family worked hard to improve Nagai Tsumugi, and it reached its peak in the Meiji period. Five storehouses built during the Meiji period remain,You can see how he is a wealthy merchant.

INFORMATON

• Facility name: Yamase Kura (Yamase Kura Museum)
• Location: 6-61 Aramachi, Nagai City, Yamagata Prefecture
• Phone number: 0238-88-9988
• Opening hours: 10:00-17:00
• Opening days: Friday, Saturday, Sunday
• Closed: Monday to Thursday, winter period (late November to early April)
• Admission fee: General 500 yen, High school and university students 300 yen, Elementary and junior high school students 100 yen

Nabeya Honten is a store built in a Meiji era building.

Nabeya Hontenis a hardware store that was founded in the late Edo period and is still in business today. The building was rebuilt in the 1900s and is still in use, making it an extremely valuable building for learning about the store and life in the Meiji period. It has been designated as a nationally registered tangible cultural property.

INFORMATON

• Facility name: Nabeya Honten
• Location: 1-10-15 Tokamachi, Nagai City, Yamagata Prefecture
• Phone number: 0238-88-5279 (Nagai City Tourism Association)

The building from the Edo period is still in use. Sake brewery “Naganuma partnership company”

Naganuma LLC is a sake brewery founded in 1916 (Taisho 5). Before becoming a sake brewery, it operated a kimono store and a sericulture business, and its buildings include a main building from the late Edo period, a storehouse from the Meiji period, and a brewery built during the Taisho period. Six buildings have been designated as nationally registered tangible cultural properties.The brand of sake isSomurais.

INFORMATON

• Facility name: Naganuma partnership company
• Location: 1-1-39 Tokamachi, Nagai City, Yamagata Prefecture
• Phone number: 0238-88-2007

School building that was in use until a few years ago: Former Nagai Elementary School No. 1 school building

Former Nagai Elementary School First Buildingis a two-story wooden school building built in 1914 (Taisho 3), and was used as an active elementary school until 2015 (Heisei 27). It is a very distinctive building with bright red exterior walls, a grand staircase in the center, and a long hallway with a boat-bottomed ceiling. It has been designated as a nationally registered tangible cultural property.Currently, it has been renovated and is used as a base for "learning" and "exchange" in Nagai City.

INFORMATON

• Facility name: Former Nagai Elementary School No. 1 school building
• Location: 5-3 Mamanoue, Nagai City, Yamagata Prefecture
• Phone number: 0238-87-1802 (Former Nagai Elementary School No. 1 building)
• Business hours: 9:30-21:30
• Closed: Mondays (the next day if Monday is a holiday), December 29th to January 3rd
• *Please contact us for details such as how to use.
• URL: Former Nagai Elementary School First Building

``Yamaichi Soy Sauce Store'', an old building that stretches for 100 meters

Yamaichi soy sauce storeis a soy sauce storehouse and miso storehouse built in 1846 (3rd year of the Koka era), and the current building was rebuilt around 1920 (9th year of the Taisho era). Adjacent to the store are the Wakashu no Ma, a soy sauce storehouse, a preparation area, and a miso storehouse, which are approximately 100 meters long. Miso and soy sauce, which are handmade using traditional methods such as preparation methods, continue to be loved not only by locals but also by many repeat customers from far away. Registered tangible cultural property of the country）。

INFORMATON

• Facility name: Yamaichi Soy Sauce Store
• Location: 6-57 Aramachi, Nagai City, Yamagata Prefecture
• Phone number: 0238-88-2068
• Business hours: 9:00-17:00
• Closed: Sundays and holidays
• Brewery tour: Please inquire
• URL: Yamaichi Soy Sauce Store

Uzen Narita Station, a station building from the Taisho era that is still in use today

Uzen Narita Stationis a station that opened in 1922 (Taisho 11) during the era of the former National Railway Nagai Line, the predecessor of the current Yamagata Railway Flower Nagai Line. The station building is still in use as it was when it first opened. It has been designated as a nationally registered tangible cultural property.

INFORMATON

• Facility name: Uzen Narita Station
• Location: 1882-2 Narita, Nagai City, Yamagata Prefecture
• Phone number: 0238-88-2002 (Yamagata Railway)
• URL: Flower Nagai Line

INFORMATON

• Nagai City
• Location: Nagai City, Yamagata Prefecture
• Phone number: 0238-88-5279 (Nagai City Tourism Association)
• URL: Nagai City Tourism Association

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