Interview with Director Miyake of Shimotsui Shipping Agent Museum
I spoke with Miyake Takao, the director of Shimotsui Shipping Agent Museum.
Can you tell us about the background of the opening of Shimotsui Shipping Agent Museum?
Miyake
The opening was initiated by local organizations after the Seto-Ohashi Bridge was completed in 1988, with a request to Okayama Prefecture to "promote the good aspects of Shimotsui so that guests can stay."
After the prefecture purchased and restored the building, the facility was transferred to Kurashiki City, and for about the last ten years, we, the NPO Washuzan Landscape Consideration Association, have been managing and operating it.
Why did herring residue start being unloaded at Shimotsui Port?
Miyake
Southern Okayama was once called "Kibi no Anami" and was originally the sea. Attempts were made to reclaim land for agriculture, but the reclaimed land had too much salt for rice to grow.
Therefore, cotton was cultivated, which is said to have the effect of absorbing salt and improving the soil.
At that time, around Otaru in Hokkaido, oil was extracted from the caught herring for lanterns and sold. After the oil was extracted, the herring residue was transported across the Sea of Japan by the Kitamaebune ships and brought here to Shimotsui via Shimonoseki.
The white-walled storehouse was a storage facility for herring residue.
The shipping agent sold the herring residue brought by the Kitamaebune ships in present-day southern Okayama and made a living by selling local specialties such as cotton and salt via the Kitamaebune ships. The herring residue promoted cotton cultivation in Kurashiki.
Shimotsui is a small port town, but it is said that over 20 shops lined a single street, including about a dozen shipping agents.
Can you tell us about the highlights?
Miyake
The building of Shimotsui Shipping Agent Museum is from the late Edo period, about 170 years ago.
In opening this museum, we collected old household items, fishing tools, and goods used in commerce that remained in the town's houses, to let people know about the life in Shimotsui as well as the items from this house. Shimotsui Shipping Agent Museum can be said to represent the entire town of Shimotsui.
Along with the history of the connection between the Kitamaebune ships and Shimotsui, I hope visitors will also reflect on the lives of the people at that time.
Please give a message to the readers.
Miyake
Admission is free, and my guidance is also free, so please feel free to visit.
Also, if you take a little walk up to the hill where Gion Shrine is located, you can enjoy a great view of the Shikoku Mountains and Shikoku, as well as the Seto-Ohashi Bridge.
I hope you enjoy the charm of this port town.
Conclusion
At the foot of the Seto-Ohashi Bridge, the town of Shimotsui spreads out compactly.
Listening to Director Miyake's stories, one can almost revive the bustle and charm of the port town, wondering how many ships rested their sails and how much liveliness there was in this small port town.
Would you like to take a glimpse into the history of how the Kitamaebune ships created the vibrancy of Shimotsui and developed Kurashiki into a textile town?
Articles about Japan Heritage in Kurashiki City
Data of Shimotsui Shipping Agent Museum
| Name | Shimotsui Shipping Agent Museum |
|---|---|
| Location | 1-7-23 Shimotsui, Kurashiki City, Okayama Prefecture |
| Contact | 086-479-7890 |
| Parking | Available |
| Opening Hours | 9:00 AM - 5:00 PM (Entry until 4:30 PM) For the Kurahoru (restaurant and cantina Tomin) after 5:00 PM, please use the parking lot entrance |
| Closed Days | Tuesday If Tuesday is a holiday, it will be open, and the following Wednesday will be closed Closed from December 29 to January 3 for New Year |
| Admission Fee (including tax) | Free |
| Reservation | Available If guidance is needed, please make a reservation by FAX (086-479-7819) |
| Smoking | Non-smoking (smoking allowed only in designated areas) Smoking area available in the parking lot |
| Restrooms | Western-style toilets, Japanese-style toilets, barrier-free toilets Accessible for wheelchair users |
| Childcare | Diaper changing table Multi-purpose space for childcare available in the restroom |
| Barrier-free | Barrier-free toilet |
| Website | Shimotsui Shipping Agent Museum |
