Kure City Japan Heritage: A unique space woven by the dreams of men who crossed the rough seas - A port of call for Kitamaebune ships and a shipowners' village
Posted on: March 18, 2024
Kure City was recognized as a Japan Heritage site by the Agency for Cultural Affairs on May 24, 2018, along with 27 other municipalities across the country, as a new constituent municipality of the "Kitamaebune Ports and Shipowners' Villages" group, which was recognized as a Japan Heritage site in April 2017 by the Agency for Cultural Affairs.
Japan Heritage stories of Kitamaebune ports and shipowner villages
Kure City Toyomachi Mitarai Traditional Buildings Preservation District
Mitarai's townscape is characterized by the fact that the town's form and structure, which was formed from the mid-Edo period to the end of the Edo period, has been well preserved. Along with traditional buildings from the early modern period to modern times, historical port-related remains such as tall lanterns and gangways have also been preserved, and the town's historical scenery as a port town where ships waited for the tides and winds of the Seto Inland Sea as the Western Route developed in the early modern period has been well preserved.
On July 4, 1994, it was designated as an Important Preservation District for Groups of Traditional Buildings by the national government.
Wakagoshiya Site (Hiroshima Prefectural Historic Site)
The Wakagoshiya site received a license to operate as a teahouse from the Hiroshima Domain in 1724, and it is believed that the building was constructed around that time.
The separate inner parlor retains much of its original appearance and is luxuriously constructed, with Yakusugi cedar used for the ceiling, shoji wainscoting, and rain shutters.
In addition to Wakagoshiya, there are records of other tea houses in Mitarai, including Sakaiya, Fujiya, and Ebiya, but Wakagoshiya is the only one that still exists today.
Sumiyoshi Shrine (Hiroshima Prefecture Important Cultural Property)
Sumiyoshi Shrine was built in 1830 following the construction of Chisakohato Pier.
Regarding the background of the founding of Sumiyoshi Shrine, there is an anecdote that goes like this: Tsutsui Kikuto, the Magistrate of the Hiroshima Domain, approached Konoike, a wealthy Osaka merchant who was a supplier to the Hiroshima domain, about donating a shrine or temple, and since the head of the family, Zen'emon, was in an unlucky year, Konoike agreed to the idea.
The main shrine is an exact half-scale replica of Sumiyoshi Taisha Shrine in Sakai, and is said to have been built in Osaka and assembled here.
Within the shrine grounds you can also see sacred fences donated by Kitamae shipowners and wholesalers from around the country.
Ebisu Shrine (Hiroshima Prefecture Important Cultural Property)
The current main hall is a small one-bay, Nagare-zukuri style shrine with a cypress bark roof that was built in 1723, while the worship hall with its gabled porch was rebuilt in 1764.
In front of the shrine there is a large gangway, and the surrounding area was the most luxurious location in town, with warehouses for goods landed by the Kitamae ships.
You can also see the torii gates that were built facing the sea to welcome the Kitamae ships, as well as lanterns that were donated by shipping wholesalers.
Chisako Pier and Tall Lantern
Its status as "the unrivaled port in the West" began to fall into disrepair after the 19th century, and further port development was required to attract more merchant ships. The Hiroshima Domain constructed a large wharf, 65m (120m) long, to expand the port of Mitarai.
The "tall lantern" in front of the approach to Sumiyoshi Shrine was donated by the local village headman Kaneko Chuzaemon. It was originally made of wood and stood at the tip of Chisago Wharf, but was damaged in a storm and rebuilt with stone in 1832. It continued to be lit at night as a light to ensure the safe navigation of Kitamae-bune and other ships until around 1879.
Contact Information
Mitarai Rest Area: 0823-67-2278