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The Five Winds of Oga, by Edo period travel writer Sugae Masumi (1754-1829) about his journey around the Oga Peninsula , this exhibition compares the Edo period with the present day .
The Cold Winds of Oga which begins on July 18, 1810. "The Cold Winds of Oga" describes in detail the author's feelings when he encountered the historic earthquake and the devastation he experienced around him.
This article will be written with reference to manuscripts from the Akita Prefectural Museum, the National Archives of Japan, the National Diet Library, and a modern translation published in 2000. Unless otherwise noted, dates from the Edo period are those recorded by Masumi (using the old calendar)
Masumi Sugae @Akita Prefectural Museum
reference
Akita Prefectural Museum Masumi Sugae Library (Manuscripts)
Published by Heibonsha Masumi Sugae Travelogue 5 Edited and translated by Takeshi Uchida and Tsuneichi Miyamoto Published on August 9, 2000
Walking from west to east across the southern part of the Oga Peninsula
Following on from "Oga's Island Winds," which ended on July 17, 1810, "Oga's Cold Winds" will begin on July 18th in front of the temple gate at the southwestern tip of the Oga Peninsula (in front of the main temple gate at Funakawa Port, Oga City)
"Camellia White Rock" which Masumi described as shaped like a maitake mushroom
"Camellia White Rock," which was called "Camellia White Rock" during the Edo period, was depicted by Masumi. From a manuscript of "Oga no Akikaze" (Autumn Winds of Oga) held at the National Archives of Japan
On the way from the gate Wakimoto you will pass in front of a white rock about 20 fathoms (approximately 30m) that looks like a rising cloudTsubaki-no-ura Funakawa Port, Oga City).
his guide explained to him as Tsubaki no ShirasakiOga no Akikaze ." It seems that it was raining when he visited, and he wrote, "Soaked with rain and salt, the rock had turned blue and looked strange," but this time the weather was good and the rock was pure white, just as its name suggests.
It is now called "Tsubaki no Shiraiwa" (White Rock of Camellias , it is also known as Maitake Rock
Camellia White Rock is a volcanic lapilli tuff formed from hardened volcanic lapilli that erupted during volcanic activity approximately 21 million years ago, and the rounded shape that resembles a spoon, which Masumi called a maitake mushroom, was created naturally by the weathering of the rock
In addition to white, green rocks (green tuff) can also be seen scattered around the area. This is also a type of volcanic lapilli tuff, like the Camellia White Rock, and the substances contained in it have turned green due to the influence of water heated by magma underground
Masumi arrived in Wakimoto that same day and went to Oibanasaki, where paid her respects at the Sugawara Shrine, dedicated to Sugawara
stay at a friend's house in Ayukawa along the northern coast
On August 17th, the eerie phenomenon continued. Earthquakes. On the 18th, there was another earthquake strong enough to cause the temple tower to collapse
On August 25th (Masumi wrote September 25th, but it was a mistake and should have been August 25th), we headed back to Wakimoto to visit Sugawara Shrine, but the weather was bad so we spent the day in a village called Shimada (Oga Nakatakigawa Shimada, Oga City) on the way
On August 27th, the weather cleared up and just as they were about to leave, a major earthquake struck. Masumi wrote the following about what happened at the time:
"The eaves and roofs tilted, and people fled in panic, crying and yelling as they grabbed the hands of the sick and elderly, some carrying babies upside down, and others ran around. "The beams fell with a terrible crash. Anyone standing would be knocked over, and the mountains of the eaves crumbled. Fearing for their lives, people clung to trees and fled to bamboo groves."
Oga no Kanawazaki (Wakimoto no Ura), where Sugawara Shrine is located, is said to have been the site of the greatest damage caused by the Oga earthquake. Masumi had been painting this before the earthquake. From a manuscript of "Oga no Kanawaze" (Cold Winds of Oga) in the Akita Prefectural Museum
Aftershocks continued for days after the main earthquake, leaving villages on the southern coast in ruins
There were many aftershocks that day, and even two days later on the 29th, the rumbling of the earth and the aftershocks were still continuing. The damage was particularly severe on the southern coast of the Oga Peninsula, including Wakimoto, where I had planned to go, with not a single building remaining in any of the villages, and there were many casualties
As Masumi writes, the great earthquake that occurred at 2:00 p.m. on August 27, 1810 (September 25th in the solar calendar) was preceded by frequent occurrences of phenomena that could be considered precursors
later called the " Great Oga Earthquake or Ugo Earthquake ," had its epicenter off the coast of Wakimoto and a magnitude of 6.6. However, as Masumi wrote, "Kitaura on the northern coast of the Oga Peninsula suffered little damage," it appears that the damage was small.
Even so, records show that there was significant damage, with 1,400 houses collapsing out of the approximately 2,900 houses in the affected area, and 58 people killed. The depth of the epicenter was unknown, but it is believed to have been a shallow earthquake. (Source: "1983 Sea of Japan Central Earthquake - Records of Oga City," Oga City, Akita Prefecture)
This earthquake also brought about major changes to the topography. About 700 meters of Cape Ikuhanazaki, where the ruins of Wakimoto Castle and Sugawara Shrine are located, collapsed, giving it its current shape
Six years before the Oga earthquake, the Kisakata earthquake occurred in Akita Prefecture, causing significant changes in the terrain
Masumi recalls that when he was 30 years old (in 1784), he visited the famous Kisakata Kujukushima inDewa Province (Akita Prefecture), but 20 years later, in 1804, it was hit by a major earthquake and buried.
The scenery of Kisakata Kujukushima has been said to be as beautiful as Matsushima since ancient times, and many people, including Matsuo Basho, visited the area as tourists. In the great earthquake of 1804, the land rose by more than 2 meters, and the shallow seabed of the Kujukushima islands became land overnight
Although Masumi did not leave any drawings of the tragic scenes after the Oga earthquake, he visited Wakimoto, which was close to the epicenter and suffered the most severe damage after the earthquake, and recorded in detail the tragic conditions there, leaving behind a valuable document for future generations as a record of the Oga earthquake
Location: Nanasawa, Wakimoto, Oga City, Akita Prefecture
Phone number: 0185-24-4700 (Oga City Tourism Association)
access:
Public transportation: Approximately 30 minutes on foot from Wakimoto Station on the JR Oga Line, or take a taxi
By car: Approximately 25 minutes from Showa Oga Peninsula IC on the Akita Expressway
GOOGLE MAP
Experience Namahage in a village in the northern part of the Oga Peninsula in January
In October, they spent some time in the village that had been hit by the earthquake, and with the support of the feudal domain, they resumed their journey once things had calmed down
They travel north to the base of the Oga Peninsula and spend about two months exploring the surrounding area near Lake Hachirogata. They celebrate New Year's 1811 in Miyazawa (Noishi, Oga City), a village located halfway between Lake Hachirogata and the Sea of Japan. While they are relaxing and enjoying the New Year's atmosphere, a Namahage suddenly appears on the 15th
Namahage drawn by Masumi. According to the caption, it was held on January 15th during the Edo period. From a manuscript of "The Cold Wind of Oga" in the Akita Prefectural Museum
"Late in the evening, while the fire was lit and everyone was sitting in a circle around the hearth, suddenly a man wearing a vermilion mask with horns, with his jet-black hair disheveled, wearing a bamboo net and holding a small knife, burst in, crying "Wow!"
The children are shocked and say, "It's a namahagi (raw skinned fish)," and they don't make a sound but cling to people and hide in the shadows. When they are given rice cakes, they are threatened with, "Wow, it's scary, don't cry."
"Namahagi" is the origin of the word "Namahage," and when you look at the literal meaning, you might imagine something terrifying like "skinning off flesh!" However, the brown bruises caused by low-temperature burns that occur when you get too close to a fire to keep warm are called "namomi," and it actually refers to peeling them off
Namahage looks like a demon, but they are said to be messengers from the mountains who admonish lazy people who spend all their time sitting around a kotatsu or hearth during the winter farming off-season, and who pray for good health and bountiful harvests
Namahage has been designated as an Important Intangible Folk Cultural Property of Japan as " Oga's NamahageIt been included on the Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity by UNESCO as one of the Visiting Gods: Gods in Masks and Costumes
We spent New Year's in Oga as snow accumulated from the 15th onwards, and finished "Oga's Cold Wind" on February 1st
On the Oga Peninsula where Masumi Sugae walked, there are 90 marker posts and information boards set up to help you take a stroll.
The path that Masumi Sugae walked on the Oga Peninsula has been maintained as the `` Masumi Sugae Path ,'' and there are marker posts at 83 locations that have some connection to the path, and detailed information boards at 8 locations. Please use it as an aid when walking around the Oga Peninsula.
Link: Retracing the Oga Peninsula that Masumi Sugae walked (3 times in total)
My love of travel grew, and I used to write a travel magazine, and now I'm a travel writer for the web. During my research, I visited all 47 prefectures in Japan, mainly in the Tohoku region, but my fun part is soaking in hot springs and experiencing traditional Japanese culture such as old townscapes, lifestyles, and performing arts and crafts.
![f5bf6fe68cc4ca62f3fdb2c19c8f700d](https://jp.neft.asia/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/f5bf6fe68cc4ca62f3fdb2c19c8f700d-150x150.jpg.webp "Gojome Town, home to a morning market that has been around for over 500 years and "zelkova with breasts" (Akita Prefecture)")
