History of Kishū Yuasa

Yuasa traditionally was an important way station on the Kumano Pilgrimage Route where nobles stayed on their way to their destination - the three sacred shrines （Kumano Sanzan）. In Medieval times, when the Pilgrimage became popular among the bushi（or samurai） and civilians, the Route was often dubbed as the“ants procession” for its popularity. In late Muromachi Period（1336～1573）, Yuasa continued to develop as the section of the Route along the mountain ridges shifted west towards the coast, and experienced further growth during Edo Period.

In the Early Modern Period, Yuasa flourished as an important center for land- and sea-based transport and trade, various commercial activities and industries. The Yuasa ‒ Where the town also prospered from fishing and fishnet manufacturing. The fishing industry expanded as far as Kyushū to the south and Hokkaido to the north. The most distinct industry, however, was the shōyu（soy sauce） brewing, which is said to Fragrance of have been discovered as a by-product of the kinzanji-miso introduced from China during the Kamakura Period（1185-1333）. During the Edo Period（1603～1868）, the market expanded under the protection of the Kishū Feudal Domain（now Tradition Lives On Wakayama Prefecture）, and the soy sauce brewing became Yuasa’s major industry. The record says as many as ninety-two shōyu makers operated in Bunka Period（1804～1818）. After the Meiji Restoration（1868）, as the government subsidy terminated, the industry reduced in scale, but Yuasa still was a major Yuasa Preservation Districts for Groups economic and political center in the province of Arida-gun in the Modern Period. Today, the traditional townscape remains largely intact, without being affected by of Traditional Buildings the surrounding infrastructure development. Historic industrial town（soy sauce） designated December 19 , 2006 Transport Information

ShinOsaka

Kansai International Airport Tennoji Train ShinOsaka Yuasa Preservation District for Groups of ・Tennoji JR Hanwa Line Traditional Buildings Wakayama JR Kinokuni Line limited express N Yuasa’s traditional townscape was Yuasa (about 90min) designated as a Preservation District for Gobō Groups of Traditional Buildings（judenken） Yuasa Tanabe in the category of the Historic Industrial Town（shōyu, or soy sauce making） in Shirahama 2006. The Preservation District（6.3ha, East-West: 400m, South-North: 280m） comprises a number of districts, including Kita-machi, Kajiya-machi, Naka-machi, and Hama-machi located on the coast to the west of the old Kumano Pilgrimage Route. The shōyu industry was most active in these districts towards the end of the 16th For inquiries please call us at century. Today, many shōyu-related shops 0737-63-2525（Yuasa Town Office） and warehouses built in the traditional fashion dating back to the Edo Period 0737-63-3535（Yuasa Society of Commerce and Industry） remain in the area. The older buildings are low, two-story structures, with roofs that resemble the shape of an open book laid Attention face-down, a style known as kirizuma-zukuri, and are tiled with alternating flat and ・Please consider people living in this area. rounded tiles, a style known as hongawara -buki. The area is made up of a network of ・Don’t throw away your trash! small streets（shōji） branching off four Please cooperate for a clean town. main avenues（tōri）, and even today is ・Be careful of the cars when you are walking. suffused with the aroma of shōyu brewed in the traditional manner.

Wakayama Prefecture Yuasa Town Map of the Historical Designs of a Place which has kept Traditions Alive. Visitor’s Parking Area P 6 Tsuura’s House (built in 1878) This is formerly a koji (malted rice) shop. The shopkeeper made N 1 Daisembori his own koji to sell to soy sauce breweries. Inner loading Shinhokueibashi Bridge port for the Going to Route42 ingredients and products where warehouses Dōmachi St and stone walls （the Kumano Pilgrimage Route） remain. Yamadagawa River Kitabashi Bridge 4 Kanō’s House 5 Ippuku（Kitamachi Chaya） 3 Otakyusuke-ginsei （built in 1921） The upstairs Café renovated from the late Late Edo. Former brewery, finish is by black plaster that Edo machiya shop. currently miso maker. was in fashion then with many decorative features. 7 Takebayashi’s House Tsuura’s House P Wide shop front with 6 mushiko-mado Tateishi chaya Kanō’s House Ippuku Totsui’s house 6 windows, selling shōyu and fishnets. Renovated late Edo machiya now a Retro Postbox 5 Kitanomachi rōjin ikoi-no-ie rest area. In vicinity, many distinct 4 （assembly hall for citizens） buildings, including those with 3rd Otakyusuke-ginsei 3 1 Daisembori floor, udatsu, observatory tower. Okashō（rest house） 2 Kadocho Kitamachi St ● P Nanamagari Area 7 Takebayashi’s 8 (former) Tateishi dōhyō House 2 Shokunin-gura Suhara’s House Stone road sign Museum Kitamachi Gallery （1838） made for P with Rest room （built in 1874） the Kumano well-preserved Pilgrimage Route. main brewery show North Ebisu Shrine a good example of Suhara’s 8 Yuasa building Shōyu Museum House Ueshimmachi Area Hamamachi St Kajiyamachi St ● North Ebisu Shrine Shitashimmachi Area Long ago North Ebisu Shrine faced Matsunoshita Area Shōji-kōji lanes the sea. Jin-buro Narrow lanes closely related to Going to Tateishi chaya We believe it was built in the 19th 11 people’s daily life. century because there is evidence of stone lanterns in the precinct, Nakamachi St which were made by people as 2 Kadocho contributions to this shrine in 1823. Kadocho Brewery established in 1841. 12 Machinami Kouryukan Many shōyu-making tools remain in the (rest house) Yuasa Preservation Districts for Groups of Traditional Buildings warehouse（built in 1866） designated as the Town Cultural Property. Honshōji Temple Map of the Historical Designs of a Built between 1573 and 1591 the main temple is the 10 Town Cultural Property. Place which has kept Traditions Alive. Akagiri’s Onigawara tile made in House 1694 remains. Tradesmen’s traditional techniques have been shared from generation 9 12 Machinmi Kouryukan to generation. Kinoshita’s （rest house） Warehouse with a House （late Edo） A rest area marked Hokueibashi Bridge white plaster wall Shinhokueibashi BridgeP and a brick wall by red-ocher Bengara Kōshi Shinhokueibashi Bridge 11 Jin-buro (public bath) 10 (former) Akagiri’s House built on the alley. Kitabashi Bridge Extensive Map Yamadagawa River Welfare Agency (urban district) Museum （built in 1907） Main building of a ● Public bath that operated from brewery largest of its kind. Shop front late Edo to the end of Showa. Now （5.5ken, 1-ken=1.8m） with mushiko-mado Yuasa Preservation a museum windows and mukuri-yane roofing Hōrinji Temple （curved roofing） Districts for Groups of ★ North Ebisu Shrine Traditional Buildings Tsushi Upatairs & Hongawara-buki roofing Seiro Museum Two story house with a A street museum Honshōji Temple The star on the left is on an low upstairs used of items used in enlarged map. Dōmachi St mainly for storage and Yuasa people’s （the Kumano Pilgrimage Route） lodging for servants. daily life displayed ★ Gradually built to be in seiro and full-size upstairs with morobuta, wooden Shinrakuji Temple Jinsenji Temple hongawara-roofing trays and lids used （Stone monument of Tsunami） （curved tiles covering for the soy bean ● Tateishi chaya the joints of the flat fermentation process. Tateishi dōhyō Going to Route42→ tiles）. 9 Kinoshita’s （late Edo） private residence for Fukuzōji Temple House the brewery family Kinoshita Senkōji Temple

Makuita Mushiko-mado window Many kinds of Kōshi South Ebisu Shrine Police Box Timber tiles hang Plastered framed Lattice used as a blind ● beneath eaves to avoid window with lattice at shop front（mise） for ● rain and moisture often used for upstairs privacy, natural light Yuasa Town Office entering the house. in Early Modern to and ventilation. 3-shaku Information Center● Often seen in areas Modern Periods. （1-shaku= 30cm） tall P JR Kinokuni Line with high precipitation Window shape varies removable kōshi was from a simple square to often used for the Nagi-ohashi Bridge more decorative mokkō corridor connecting the （four-petal oval shape） shop front and residency areas. Hirogawa River Yuasa Station