Exciting News from J O L L Y N E W S L E T T E R 9th I s s u e

July 1, 2002 Shiga Prefecture International Affairs Division

Mission to Michigan. In preparation for that, we ① New Faces at the IAD sent a delegation to Michigan to hold related On April 1, 2002, we had our annual personnel meetings. Shiga and Michigan carry out of a transfers, and there are now four new members in the variety of other exchange programs, so the meetings International Affairs Division. We’d like to introduce dealt with those as well. our new members to you, all with messages that they Schedule: May 29-June 6 (9 days) wanted to send out to all you Shiga Supporters. Participants: Shiga Prefecture- Director Koyama, Senior Staff Matsumoto. Michigan- Office of the Governor, Sister State Committee, Board of Education, Michigan State University Meeting Agenda: Goodwill Mission, Visiting Officials Program, Teacher Exchange Program (3 teachers from Shiga, 2 from Michigan), High School Exchange Program (15 participants from each side), Japan Center for Michigan Universities.

Director Akihiko Koyama (second from right) Hello everyone. I was at the Personnel Division of the Board of Education through last fiscal year. I’m still not used to having so many chances to meet overseas guests, but in any case, I look forward to sending out various information from the IAD and spreading the word about Shiga Prefecture. Deputy Director Masao Odani (second from left) Hello to all you Shiga Supporters. When this letter arrives to you, we will just be starting to enjoy water ③ JCMU Graduation Ceremony! sports and summer festivals here. I’ll do my best to On the 20th of this past April, the graduation get some of the light and wind over Lake Biwa into this ceremony for this year’s program at the Japan letter. Can you feel it? Center for Michigan Universities was held. 37 Senior Staff Naoki Matsumoto (right) students were presented certificates of completion We’re enjoying the World Cup here in Japan at the by Director Swanland. These 37 students came in moment. How did all of your country’s teams do? September of last year and January of this year I’m back at the IAD as of this past April. Please come from various colleges around Michigan and the see us again in Shiga. entire US to study Japanese and Japanese culture Staff Member Junko Migita (left) here in Shiga. After the ceremony a farewell party Hello to all you Shiga Supporters. I mainly handle the that also included host families was held. general affairs here at the IAD. I’m the youngest here at the IAD. How old do I look? I’m looking forward to hearing your guesses.

② Exchange Meeting Group Sent to Michigan Shiga Prefecture and the State of Michigan have sister state relations, and every year we alternately send and receive a Goodwill Mission to and from Michigan. This year we will be sending a 100 member

④ Shiga History Highways and Post Towns Geographically, Shiga is located at the point where eastern and western Japan meet. For that reason, Lake Biwa is surrounded by roads, giving Shiga the appearance of a “land of highways.” After one comes through the Suzuka Pass on the Tokaido Highway, one comes upon Shiga’s first post town, Tsuchiyama-shuku (present day Tsuchiyama-cho in Koka-gun). (below) Next, one reaches Ishibe-shuku (present day Ishibe-cho in Koga-gun) (below). As

It is found at this treacherous pass because, as was the case with Mishima-shuku at the Hakone suggested by the old phrase “a night in Ishibe Pass, it was necessary to set up a place for people after leaving the capital,” which refers to to prepare their traveling outfits before crossing traveling east from the old capital of Kyoto, the pass. Also, it is located at a junction on the there were lots of inns in Ishibe. In Umeki Godaisan Highway (a highway which goes from (present day Ritto-shi) between Ishibe-shuku Tsuchiyama by way of Yokkaichi-shi and the and Kusatsu-shuku, there were several shops Nakasendo Highway). That road leads to Taga making and selling an herbal medicine called Shrine, which the people revered as a place to gain Wachusan to treat stomach problems. Zesai, blessings for longevity. the head shop, received the patronage of comic With the Yasugawa River visible to its left side, the Tokaido Highway comes into

Minakuchi-shuku (present day Minakuchi-cho in

Koka-gun). Minakuchi-shuku (below) has a three-layered spindle shape, unlike any other post town. After Kobori Enshu built Minakuchi Castle in 1634, Minakuchi-shuku had the functions of both post town and castle town. Its population grew until it was second only to Otsu-shuku.

Minakuchi-shuku’s famous products were pipes, loach soup and wisteria crafts. (Wachusan Medicine Shop)

poet and play writer Ota Shokusanjin, as well as Dr. Siebart, a German doctor associated with the Holland Trading House. Moving along through Umeki, one then encounters Mekawa (present day Ritto-cho), and then reaches Kusatsu-shuku. The Nakasendo Highway, on the other hand, Continuing along from Minakuchi, one comes enters Shiga from Mino, and the first post town upon the Yokotagawa River, a tributary of the is Kashiwabara-shuku (present day Santo-cho Yasugawa river. This used to be the location of in Sakata-gun) (next page). the “Yokota Ferry,” and a giant nighttime lamp Kashiwabara-shuku’s houses spread out (right above) at the site remains even today. over 13 cho, making it the housese spread out travelers who came up the Nakasendo Highway had their first view of Lake Biwa. This location offers a superb view, and writers and calligraphers have preserved it in their works. After coming down the pass one reaches the junction with the Hokkokukaido Highway, which continues through Nagahama and Kinomoto before reaching Toriimoto. Among the houses of the town is the Arikawa Head Shop of Akadama Shinkyogan, red tablets for treating stomach illness, that was mentioned in Juppensha Ikku’s book Kisokaido Hizakurige. over 13 cho, making it the longest post town inside This town was also famous for producing Shiga on the Nakasendo Highway. raincoats. Kashiwabara’s famous product was Ibuki moxa. The next post town is Samegai-shuku. It has long been known for its spring water, and even today clear streams flow next to the main roads. There is a famous place here called “Three Waters and Four Stones.” “Three Waters” refers to Isame Stream, Juo Stream, Saigyo Stream, and “Four Streams” refers to Yamato Takerunomikoto Koshikake Stone, Yamato Takerunomikoto Kurakake Stone, Kani Stone and Yogo Stone.

(Toriimoto-shuku) (Isame Stream) After passing through the town in the fields between Toriimoto-shuku and Aino-shuku (present day Hikone-shi) and crossing the Oborikawa (Serikawa) River, one reaches Takamiya-shuku. This post town also served as the entryway for visitors to Taga Shrine. (Kani Stone) The highway passes through the towns of Tsuzura (present day Hikone-shi), Tsukumoin, Kamieda, Shimoeda (together present day Toyosato-cho in Inukami-gun), and Kutsukake (present day Echigawa-cho in Echigawa-gun) before coming to Echigawa-shuku. The highway then continues into The Nakasendo Highway then passes from Banba-shuku (below), in a valley. It became the foothills of Kannonjiyama Mountain through the Aiso Forest and on to Musa-shuku. This post town is at the point where the highway splits, with the Happu Pass going in one direction through Yokaichi and Eigenji then over the Happu Pass in the Suzuka Mountain System and on to Ise, and the Azuchi Highway going another direction. In this way, almost all of the post towns of famous as the setting for Hasegawa Shin’s the Nakasendo Highway were located at the contemporary novel Banba-no-Chutaro. After intersection of important roads with byroads. passing through this post town, a long road This was the defining characteristic of Shiga’s ascending into the mountains takes you to the post towns. Surihari Pass. This was the place where After leaving Musa-shuku and coming over sub-headquarter buildings, and 72 inns. Even today the ruins of the Kiya headquarters remain. In 1712, a weigh station like that at Shinagawa was installed at Kusatsu-shuku. There was a fixed limit for the weight of cargo carried on highways, so such stations were set up to inspect the weight of cargo. The Nakasendo Highway ran east-west through Kusatsu-shuku, and the Tokaido Highway (Musa-shuku) crossed the Kusatsugawa River before the slopes of Kagamiyama Mountain, one passes intersecting with the Nakasendo Highway in a through Yukihata and Yasu (together present day T-shape. From the direction of Moriyama, the Yasu-cho in Yasu-gun) and crosses the Yasukawa Nakasendo Highway also crossed the River, the biggest river in Shiga. After crossing Kusatsugawa River into Kusatsu-shuku. This the river, the road reaches Moriyama-shuku made the river the entrance and exit of the post (below), which was the last of the Nakasendo town, and gave it a sort of gateway function. After Kusatsu-shuku, one comes to Otsu-shuku(below),the last of the 53 post towns

Highway’s 67 post towns. This post town was built on the priniciple “three towns make one shuku.” This meant that Yoshimi-mura to the on the Tokaido Highway. In 1602 Otsu came east of the main Moriyama-shuku, and under the direct authority of the Bakufu Imashuku-mura to the west, served as government, and from that point on it supplementary shuku. In other words, they developed both as a post town on the Tokaido would provide lodging when that in the main Highway and as an important port for water shuku did not suffice. traffic on Lake Biwa. In the it Next one encounters Kusatsu-shuku (below) started to be called Otsu Hyaku-cho. In 1843 on the Tokaido Highway. it had 3,650 houses, a population of 14,892, and after Kyoto and Edo, it was the largest city on the Tokaido Highway. Among the important roads in Shiga was the Korean Highway. This road, linking Toriimoto, Hikone, Hachiman and Moriyama, was extended into the castle town at Azuchi Castle after Oda Nobunaga constructed it in 1576. After Tokugawa Ieyasu’s victory at the and his journey to Kyoto via this road, it became customary for all Kusatsu-shuku was located right at the junction of Shoguns to enter Kyoto using this road. Then the Tokaido and Nakasendo Highways. when a delegation from Korea visited and Kusatsu-shuku is the only post town located at a approached Kyoto by this road, it came to be spot where two of the five major highways called the Korean Highway, a name unlike that intersect. Due to its important location in terms of any other road in the whole country. of the flow of traffic, by 1842 Kusatsu-shuku had Lake Biwa has the Hokkokukaido Highway become a prominent post town on the Tokaido on its northeast side and the Hokkokukai Highway with two headquarter buildings, two Highway (Hokkoku Sea Highway) to its southwest. The Hokkoku Highway splits from the Nakasendo Highway at the northern edge of Toriimoto-shuku and enters Maihara. After passing through Maihara, Nagasawa and Tamura, it enters Nagahama-cho. Nagahama was a castle town built by Hashiba Hideyoshi, but in the modern period it gained the roles of post and port town, and it prospered as a collection and distribution point for various goods and materials. As the highway passes north through Nagahama, its name changes to Funamachi Street, Gofukucho Street and then Gujo Street before it passes through Sone (present day Biwa-cho in Higashi (Kaizu) Azai-gun), Karakuni (present day Torahime-cho in Activities of the Omi Merchants Higashi Azai-gun), Motari, Hayami (together During the Edo Period, merchants from present day Kohoku-cho in Higashi Azai-gun), Shiga who got started as peddlers spread across Takatsuki, and on into Kinomoto-shuku. Here it the country, establishing businesses, and soon merges with the Hokkoku Wakiokan, a road that became the backbone of the circulation of goods goes through the foothills of Mount Ibuki. It around the whole country. They went on to set continues along the valley through Yanagase, up large shops in the important areas of where there was a checkpoint to inspect for women Nihonbashi in Edo, Honmachi in Osaka, and entering the Hikone Domain, on to Tsubakizaka Muromachi in Kyoto, making a name for Slope in Aino-shuku (present day Yogo-cho in themselves as successful merchants. These Ika-gun). It continues through the Tsubakizaka “Omi Merchants” were an important part of the Pass, through Nakanokawachi (present day Edo Period economy. The question is why did Yogo-cho in Ika-gun) and up to the Tochinoki Pass such merchants emerge one after the other on the border between Shiga and Echizen (present from Shiga? day Ishikawa Prefecture). There is still not conclusive theory as to the The Hokkokukai Highway (Hokkoku Sea primary factor that led to the emergence of the Highway) extends from the Fudanotsuji crossroads Omi Merchants. However, it is often in Otsu along the west side of the lake to Tsuruga suggested that Shiga’s location adjacent to in Echizen. This road’s name is written with the Kyoto and also to the Kinki District, as well as character kai that means sea. This stems from at the place where eastern and western Japan the custom of using this character found in old Edo meet, was probably a contributing factor. period pictures, and on stone road markers Making use of their advantageous location, they scattered along the highways. This road goes had been actively developing abundant trade from Otsu-shuku through Karasaki, Sakamoto, with other parts of Japan from the Kamakura Kinugawa, Wani, Kido and Komatsu in the Period all the way through the Muromachi foothills of Mt. Hiei and Mt. Hira. The road then Period. During that time merchants with passes in front of Shirahige Shrine, which was special privileges, under the protection of boisterous with worshippers praying for long life, Enryakuji Temple and Rokkaku, eastern Omizo (present day Takashima-cho in guardian of Kyoto, set up regular markets and Takashima-gun), crosses the Kamogawa and guilds. They assembled horse caravans to Adogawa Rivers, then passes through Kawaraichi transport goods, in which they were permitted and Kotsu (together Shinasahi-cho in to include armed guards for protection. Takashima-gun) and into Imazu. Imazu is the After that came the Warring States Period, junction with the Kurihangoe, which connects with ending with the country united under Oda Obama in Wakasa, so it was an important point Nobunaga. This opened up the Omi for the collection and distribution of goods and Merchants trade environment even more. materials in the Hokkoku area. The road passes Nobunaga encouraged the development of through Fukuoka, Shinbo and Sawa, finally commerce and industry by abolishing the entering Kaizu-shuku, the last post town on the exclusivist guild system and setting up a free Hokkokukai Highway (Hokkoku Sea Highway) in market system in its place. He got rid of road Shiga. checkpoints, which had been traffic bottlenecks throughout the middle ages, and arranged for regulations on farmers and merchants leaving better maintenance of roadways. These policies their villages. Those policies were eased were continued by Toyotomi Hideyoshi and beginning in the middle of the Edo Period. In Tokugawa Ieyasu, and transportation routes were 1756, peddling goods in other districts became maintained. This resulted in the Edo Period permitted under a notification system. The being the time when the factors necessary for the activities of the Omi Merchants encouraged the development of trade fell into place. production of small goods in agricultural Another factor that is given much attention in villages and helped develop local industry. considering the emergence of the Omi Merchants Things appear to have reached a point where is that Shiga in the Edo Period was divided into their contributions to the development of feudal more small feudal domains than any other area in economies could not be ignored. Japan, and the detached estates of daimyo from The Omi Merchants did not suddenly other districts were scattered throughout Shiga. spring forth at once from all across Shiga in the In such a situation, it was not possible for the Edo Period. They were heavily concentrated economy to develop within the domain, so in Shiga’s “Naka-gun” (central county), which regulations for going to other domains were comprises Gamo-gun, Kanzaki-gun, and relatively relaxed. It was against this Echi-gun. In particular, many capable background that the Tohoku and northern Kanto merchants came from Hachiman-cho in regions became the focus of the Omi Merchants Gamo-gun (present day Omihachiman-shi), activities. It is thought that the reason that the Hino-cho, and Gokasho-mura (present day Omi Merchants went to those other regions to Gokasho-cho) in Kanzaki-gun. peddle their goods was that some of the feudal lords who had detached estates in Shiga had their A Tumultuous Period of Reform headquarters in those regions. The Omi The number of peasant rebellions that Merchants had a strong sense of hometown loyalty. occurred in Shiga ranks tenth in the whole They employed many people from their own country. In October of 1842, around 12,000 hometowns in their branch stores. Those farmers from Koga-gun, Yasu-gun and servants who worked for merchants who became Kurita-gun revolted. This rebellion, called the successful would soon make their own starts as Tenpo Revolt, was an explosion of the peasants’ independent merchants. Through this sort of uneasiness and discontent with the dishonesty process, the Omi Merchants increased and spread. of Bakufu government land surveyor Ichino Mosaburo, and with the fact that strict land surveys were carried out in smaller domains, while larger domains such as Hikone, Owari, and Sendai were left alone. There is a stone monument memorializing those who died in that revolt at the top of Mt. Denpozan, at Mikumo in Kosei-cho. In Edo, after Commodore Perry’s 1853 visit and demand that Japan open itself up, the political situation fell into confusion over the question of who would next assume the Shogunate. It was hoped that the 1858 appointment of Ii Naosuke (next page) as Bakufu minister would serve as a trump that could be used to resolve the situation. As soon Of course Omi Merchants didn’t come into as Naosuke became minister a trade agreement being only in the separated territories of minor was concluded with the US on June 19, and on feudal lords. Omi Merchants also emerged in June 25 Tokugawa Iemochi was selected as the part of Gokasho in Kanzaki-gun, Echi-gun and next Shogun. With those issues resolved, in Inukami-gun, all belonging to the Great Hikone September the Bakufu began to carry out the Domain, one of the few large domains in Shiga. Ansei no Taigoku, the oppression of zealous The Hikone Domain at first held fast to policies patriots critical of the government. This active that prioritized agriculture, with strong and bold style of governance gave Naosuke the Prefectural Office was moved to Daitsuji Temple in Nagahama, but it was then returned to Hikone. Because there was poor access to Takashima-gun from lake transportation routes, a branch office was also set up in Kaizu. The Nagahama/Inumakami Prefectural Office was placed in Hikone, so even now many people wonder why it wasn’t called Hikone Prefecture. It was because the national government gave prefectures their names, and it deliberately chose not to use the name Hikone, because that name brings to mind the old Hikone Domain. In September of 1872, Shiga Prefecture was established within the boundaries that it image of a dictator, and as a result he was still has today. assassinated at Sakurada-mon in 1860. The Otsu Incident Naosuke’s death changed the course of the Saigo Takamori’s 1877 Southeastern War government. The Bakufu’s plans changed, and a in Kagoshima, on Kyushu, was not without union between the Shogunate and the Imperial connection to Shiga Prefecture. On March 8, family was suggested, resulting in the Marriage of 1875, the 7th Regiment of the Army Infantry Tokugawa Iemochi to Princess Kazunomiya. based at the Osaka Garrison set up camp in From October 20 until October 23, 1861 Princess Otsu, building barracks and training grounds Kazunomiya’s grand caravan made it’s way at what is now the Ojiyama General Athletics towards Edo on the Nakasendo Highway by way of Park. The majority of these soldiers were Kusatsu-shuku. There were 1,901 people in the farmers who had been drafted and later saw Imperial party, and an additional 465 guards and their first real fighting in the Southeastern representatives of the Bakufu, for a total of 2,366 War. 441 of these soldiers died in the war. In people. Due to this large number of people, it 1878, a stone monument was erected in wasn’t possible to pass through each post town in memory of these soldiers on Mt. Miyukiyama, one day. Kusatsu-shuku directly bore a financial behind the Kannonji Hall of Miidera Temple in burden of 608 ryo, and as a result had to petition Otsu. This monument later ended up having a the Zeze Domain for financial assistance. subtle connection to the Otsu Incident, in which a Russian prince was attacked. Towns and Villages Under the Meiji Russia’s Prince Nikolai Alexandrovich Government (standing on the left) arrived in Nagasaki, On March 7, 1868 the government confiscated and took direct control of the land under the jurisdiction of the Otsu magistrate and set up the Otsu Court as an administrative office. This area was shortly reorganized into Otsu Prefecture, and at the time that domains were abandoned in favor of prefectures in July of 1871, 358,000 of land were under the jurisdiction of Otsu Prefecture. Speaking in terms of gun (counties), Otsu Prefecture comprised the six southern gun of Kurita, Shiga, Koka, Yasu, Gamo and Kanzaki. Nagahama Prefecture contained the six gun of Echi, Inukami, Sakata, Azai, Ika and Takashima. The Otsu Prefectural Office was placed at Enmanin Temple near Hamaotsu in 1867, and the

Nagahama Prefectural Office was placed in the visited Kagoshima, Kobe and Kyoto, and former Hikone Domain Office. From February to arrived in Otsu on May 11, 1891. Greeting June of 1879, during which time the name of the this foreign royal as a guest of the state, the prefecture was changed to Inukami, the unusual step of giving him so many as 11 police ⑤ Messages from Supporters inspectors and 153 police officers to protect him during his visit was taken. Nikolai went from Here are selections from messages we have Kyoto through Oiwake to visit Miidera Temple. received from Shiga Supporters. Next he took the Taiko Steamship from Mihogasaki to Karasaki, then returned on the There are lots of places worth visiting in Shiga, Taiko and went to the Prefectural Office for lunch. but most tourists hear a lot more about places like Around 1:00 he boarded a rickshaw to begin his Tokyo, Osaka and Kyoto. We supporters should journey home and entered the Shimoko make an effort to promote Shiga as a destination Karasaki-cho shopping arcade in Otsu-cho’s among our friends. Kyo-machi. At this time, Tsuda Sanzo , a police SD, USA officer in the prince’s security detail, suddenly pulled out his saber and attacked Nikolai. Tsuda I’m presently involved in soil and fertilizer struck Nikolai as he jumped yelling from the research. I’m responsible for developing new rickshaw, but the driver and guards instantly products at the Hunan Province Soil and Fertilizer captured him. Nikolai, with a gash on the back of Research Center. his head, took a handkerchief in his gloved hand LZ, China and held it to the bleeding wound as he was taken to Nagai Chosuke’s kimono shop just a few buildings ahead. The prince had two wounds, one ⑥ Announcements nine centimeters and the other seven centimeters, ■ As always, the IAD is publishing, printing and but other than being shaken up, he was basically sending the Jolly Newsletter to Shiga Supporters. unharmed. In order to gain more readers, beginning next The shockwaves of the incident quickly spread. issue we will be featuring the newsletter on the A meeting of the Imperial Court with the emperor Shiga Prefecture Home Page. The newsletter is was held the same day, and the emperor himself published once every four months, so we will went to Kyoto to pay a visit to the prince. Why notify you again at the time of the next issue. did Tsuda commit this crime? Tsuda was the For that reason, please notify us of your e-mail child of the doctor of Todo Domain at Tsu in Ise, addresses either by mail or by e-mail. and after serving in the Southeastern War, he became a police officer in Moriyama, Shiga. He Address: International Affairs Division believed unfounded rumors written up in the Shiga Prefectural Government newspapers and colored woodblock prints of the Kyomachi 4-1-1 day that Saigo Takamori would be returning with Otsu City, Shiga 520-8577 Nikolai to Russia. If Saigo, who it was thought JAPAN had died in battle, were to return, Tsuda would have lost his most prized possession, the E-mail: [email protected] Kunshichito Medal he had received in recognition of his success in the war. Even when he learned Jolly Newsletter Homepage Address: that this was a baseless rumor, he continued to URL:http://www.biwa.ne.jp/~biwatalk/ikiiki.htm feel opposed to Nikolai’s visit to Kagoshima. When he went on duty at the beginning of the day of the attack, the Russian party, without Nikolai ⑦ Editor’s Notes himself, visited the Southeastern War monument As we put this letter together in June, we’re at Mt. Miyuki on the grounds of Miidera Temple, right in the middle of the World Cup. Japanese but they left without paying respects, which people were more interested in the Olympics, but excited Tsuda’s emotions beyond control. after hosting the World Cup, it seems likely that The government wished to put Tsuda to death soccer fans will increase here. Watching the for treason at the conclusion of a quick trial, but greatest players in the world do their stuff can move his lawyer argued that the charge of treason was even people who don’t know much about soccer. not applicable to the crime committed. Resisting (Tsuji, Chief Editor) pressure from the government, the head of the grand jury decided on a sentence of life imprisonment for attempted murder.