The Tamashima History Study Group was held in Tamashima on Thursday, May 9, 2024.
Tamashima is a town that once thrived as a port of call for Kitamaebune ships.
It is well known for its nostalgic, retro streetscape, and has also served as a filming location for movies such as “ALWAYS: Sunset on Third Street” and “Tonbi.”
Tamashima was once a town that developed through land reclamation from the sea, and I joined because I wanted to learn more about how the town was built.
The information presented is current as of the article’s publication in June 2024. Please note that it may differ from current information.
What is the “Tamashima History Study Group”?
The “Tamashima History Study Group” is a study group hosted by the NPO Tamashima Tourism Guide Association to learn about Tamashima’s history and culture.
Participants learn through lectures by Tamashima tourism guides, as well as by walking around the town, visiting facilities, and listening to explanations.
There were nine participants this time.
We walked around Tamashima, starting from Ryokan Kaikan near Haguro Shrine, and learned about its history and culture.
Haguro Shrine, the birthplace of Tamashima
First, we paid our respects at Haguro Shrine, right in front of Ryokan Kaikan.
The stone monument at the foot of the steps, engraved with “Haguro Shrine,” reads “Birthplace of Tamashima, 1-1 Tamashima.” Mount Amida, where Haguro Shrine stands, is the starting point of land reclamation in Tamashima.
Popular as a power spot, Haguro Shrine was built to pray for the safety and success of land reclamation. From the shrine grounds, you can take in a panoramic view of Tamashima Port and the streets around Haguro Shrine.
It truly is the heart of Tamashima.
Old Yunoki House (Saiso-tei)
Saiso-tei is the former residence of the village headman of Tamashima, the Old Yunoki House (Saiso-tei).
It also served as the lord’s residence for the Bitchu-Matsuyama Domain.
At the end of the Edo period, Kumata Ataka, a retainer of the Bitchu-Matsuyama Domain, committed seppuku in the next room of Saiso-tei to save the lives of his subordinates. As a result, Tamashima was spared the ravages of war with the Bitchu-Okayama Domain, and Kumata Ataka is known as “Tamashima’s benefactor”.
Sitting in a quiet room in the shoin-style residence and gazing at its carefully designed garden made me feel as if I had traveled back to the end of the Edo period.
Shinmachi, a wholesale district bustling with Kitamaebune and Takasebune boats
Shinmachi was apparently a seawall about 400 meters long, extending west from Haguro Shrine to hold back the tide. Warehouses stood on the sea-facing side, while offices and homes were on the north side.
The construction of this seawall apparently enabled development north of Shinmachi.
It is hard to imagine today, but it seems this was once a bustling port town visited by many ships from as far north as Hokkaido to as far south as Kyushu.
I was also surprised to learn that there were many banks, including Oko Bank, the first bank established in Tamashima.
The large volume of goods moving through the town shows just how much its economy had developed.
Nakagaicho, lined with shops synonymous with Tamashima
We passed through Shinmachi, crossed Showa Bridge, and headed to Nakagaicho.
We walked along, enjoying its old-fashioned, retro atmosphere.
Nakagaicho was a town where local industries flourished, including miso and soy sauce makers, sake shops, tatami makers, paper shops, and stone shops. Tamashima once had many sake shops, but today Kikuchi Sake Brewing Co.,Ltd. is the only sake manufacturer in Tamashima.
Nakagaicho is also home to the birthplace of Kondo Banjo, a late-Edo-period scholar of Japanese classics and poet.
Kondo Banjo is also known for writing that, while traveling in Tosa, he met a man who seemed to be Ryokan during his years of training at Entsu-ji Temple in Tamashima.
It is not well known what Ryokan did after leaving Entsu-ji Temple and before returning to Niigata. This account is a valuable clue to tracing his footsteps.
There was something I had been curious about for a while.
It was the “Bridge of Floating Dreams.”
It spans what looks like a ditch and is far too small to be called a bridge. And there is nothing around here that would bring “dreams” to mind.
I had long wondered what it was all about.
According to the guide, a red-light district began beyond the “Bridge of Floating Dreams.” And where the district ended stood “Hell Bridge.”
Does crossing this bridge mean waking from a dream and returning to the empty “reality”?
From the Writer
Tamashima developed through land reclamation and became a port town through which goods from across the country flowed.
As times change, so do a town’s role and industries, but the sea, rivers, and waterways remain closely connected to life in Tamashima.
It is enjoyable to walk through the streets of Tamashima, centered around Haguro Shrine, while imagining how lively and bustling the town must have been back then.
The next Tamashima History Study Group will be held on Thursday, June 13, 2024.
If you are interested, why not take part? Please check the flyer image for details.
Tamashima History Study Group Information
| Name | Tamashima History Study Group |
|---|---|
| Date | May 9, 2024 |
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