Within walking distance of Kojima Station is Nozaki's Historical Residence, famous as the home of the “Salt King.” Local specialties such as salt manju have also given the area an image as a “town of salt.”
The salt fields were discontinued in the 1960s, but traces of the salt fields are said to remain throughout the town.
In the 2024 “Living in Bitchu: Machiya de Class” program, Yamaguchi Shinsaku, an architect who has worked on many buildings in Kojima, shared stories of life in Ajino, Kojima, in a tangible way through its architecture and streetscapes.
The information presented was current when the article was published in December 2024. Please note that it may differ from current information.
What is “Living in Bitchu: Machiya de Class”?
The Bitchu region is home to many historic streetscapes, including nationally designated Important Preservation Districts for Groups of Traditional Buildings. And it is not only the streetscapes that have been preserved. People live their everyday lives in these historic settings, enjoying traditional ways of life, pastimes, and games from the Edo through Showa periods.
“Living in Bitchu: Machiya de Class” offers walking tours and hands-on programs in such places, exploring “clothing, food, housing, learning, and play.” This year (2024) marks its 11th held.
In 2024, 17 walking-tour events were held as part of “Living in Bitchu: Machiya de Class,” and the “Kojima Ajino Walking Tour” I joined was one of them.
I went on the “Kojima Ajino Walking Tour”
The hot weather had continued this year, and cool days were slow to arrive. But on the morning of Wednesday, November 6, the weather was fine and the air chilly enough to need a jacket. Participants gathered at Kojima Civic Exchange Center, the meeting point, wearing their jackets.
Our guide that day was Yamaguchi Shinsaku of Kurashiki Architectural Studio Yamaguchi Shinsaku Design Office, who has worked on many buildings in Kojima.
It was my first time meeting Mr. Yamaguchi, but I had been looking forward to the day after someone from the “Living in Bitchu: Machiya de Class” office told me, “Mr. Yamaguchi looks at the town from an architect’s perspective, so walking with him makes it interesting to see the town from a new angle.”
We were given a brief overview of the route at the meeting point, then set off.
- Kojima Civic Exchange Center
- Former site of Kojima Merchant Marine School, Kojima Seafarers’ Training Institute, Kojima Seafarers’ School, and the Kojima Branch of the Maritime Technical College
- Former Nozakihama Lighthouse
- Kurashiki Municipal Ajino Junior High School
- Former Shimotsui Electric Railway line
- Kojima Seiyaku Christian Church
Traces of a seaside town remain throughout the area
All of Kojima’s salt fields had ceased operating by the 1960s, so none can be seen today. However, as we walked through town, we found many traces of the salt fields.
First, we followed the Oda River, which flows behind Kojima City Hospital.
This projection is a remnant of a structure called an enden himon, which brought seawater into the salt fields. The stone walls around it protected the seawater inlet from being damaged by ocean waves. At high tide, the water level reportedly rises enough to cover the wooden boards.
After walking a little farther, we came upon the monument to Kojima Merchant Marine School.
It suggests that Kojima Port was also a place where sailors for warships and other vessels were trained.
As we walked through town, we also came across buildings designed by Mr. Yamaguchi.
We came across several other buildings he had helped design, and he shared anecdotes about each one. Each building must be comfortable to live in precisely because Mr. Yamaguchi understands Kojima’s climate and history.
Listening to the guide brings the past to life
Walking along the coast, we came into view of the Former Nozakihama Lighthouse, one of Kojima’s most iconic landmarks.
“Do you know why there’s a lighthouse here?” Mr. Yamaguchi asked, prompting each participant to ponder the question. After a brief pause, he continued, “Look across from the lighthouse. You see the Lawson over there?”
“There used to be a shop selling salt where Lawson is now. People who came from far away used this lighthouse to find the port, bought salt here, loaded it onto their ships, and then headed to their next port of call.”
“There’s a major road in front of the lighthouse now.
But this used to be a canal. Salt fields were operated by individual settlements, so canals were built to transport supplies by boat to each one. Some of the places that are now large stores are remnants of old landing places.”
Listening to Mr. Yamaguchi, ordinary scenery began to look like a scene from a drama.
Kojima’s salt industry was not limited to the Nozaki family: the Ogino family
The Nozaki family is famous for Kojima’s salt industry, but salt production was also carried out by other families.
Among the leading salt producers were the Suwaki and Ogino families. The Nozaki family is said to have built a large-scale business by learning from their salt-making operations. They were in a position to observe and learn from businesses operating in the area where they had grown up.
Ajino, where this walking tour took place, was once the site of the Ogino family’s salt fields. The land where Kurashiki Municipal Ajino Junior High School now stands also once belonged to the Ogino family.
Even after the school was built, a legend reportedly persisted that on rainy days, salt water bubbled up from the athletic field, perhaps because of the salt fields.
From Ajino Junior High School, we continued up the slope and arrived at Kojima Seiyaku Christian Church.
This spot, now occupied by the church, was also once part of the Ogino family’s land. The Japanese-style house beside the chapel was a reception room where guests were entertained in Mr. Ogino’s time.
After Kojima Seiyaku Church took over the building, it was used as a chapel. Today, while retaining its eight-tatami-mat reception room, it is used as a place for exchange.
Apparently, Mr. Yamaguchi was also involved in renovating this Japanese-style house.
When Mr. Ogino was in the salt-making business, there were fewer buildings than there are today, and his residence must have offered a panoramic view of the Seto Inland Sea.
After taking a group photo while admiring the lovely Japanese garden reflected through the glass, the walking tour of Kojima Ajino came to a successful end.
The walking tour lasted about two hours, starting from Kojima Civic Exchange Center at 10 a.m.
The Japanese-style house beside Kojima Seiyaku Church is private property. We were specially granted permission to go inside this time.
From the Writer
Having moved from the Kanto region to Kurashiki in December 2023, I went on this walking tour just as I was beginning to get a feel for Kojima. I took part in events at Nozaki's Historical Residence and Kojima Port, and because these were places I had actually visited, I felt I could picture the scenes in my mind each time I was told about something that had happened there years ago.
The “Living in Bitchu: Machiya de Class” program holds various walking-tour events every year.
Although the 2024 “Living in Bitchu: Machiya de Class” program has ended, next year I’d like to join a walking tour of a different spot and reflect on the stories of Bitchu’s towns.
Kojima Ajino Walking Tour Information
| Name | Kojima Ajino Walking Tour |
|---|---|
| Date | November 6 (Wednesday) and 16 (Saturday), 2024 10:00 a.m.–12:00 p.m. |
| Location | Ajino, Kojima, Kurashiki City |
| Participation fee (tax included) | 1,000 yen |
| Website | Living in Bitchu: Machiya de Class |
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