









[Sakata and the Kitamae-Bune]
In the Edo period, Sakata City played an important role as a port of call for the Kitamae-bune. Located in the northwestern part of Yamagata Prefecture, Sakata was a major transportation hub connecting the Tohoku and Hokuriku regions, as well as Hokkaido, and many ships passed through the city. Sakata prospered as a center of goods, and the city's streetscape and culture have a history of being supported by merchants who made their fortunes through the trade on the Kitamae-bune. The houses of these merchants and other historical buildings in the area around Sakata are popular tourist attractions.
One of the reasons for Sakata's prosperity as a port of call for the Kitamae-bune is rice. The high-quality rice produced in the Shonai Plain was in great demand in Kyoto and Osaka, and the port of Sakata developed as a rice depot. The “Sankyo Warehouse,” a warehouse for storing rice, which was the main commodity for the Kitamae Senpaku (Western bound) route, stands adjacent to the Mogami River as a symbol of the prosperity of the area.
The Sankyo Warehouse, which was designated a National Historic Site in March 2021, was built in 1893 by the Sakai family of the former Shonai Domain as a warehouse attached to the Sakata Rice Exchange, and may be remembered by some as the location for the NHK morning TV serial “Oshin.” The zelkova trees lining the Mogami River side of the building block strong winds and sunlight, and the white walls and earthen structure, along with the double-layered roof to prevent moisture inside, are all designed to create an optimal environment for rice preservation. The Sankyo Warehouse, which was superior to the storage functions of modern warehouses, contributed to the development of the rural economy by improving the quality and reputation of Shonai rice.
Also, Maiko Chaya Somaro, which preserves the culture of the Edo period and the prosperity of the Kitamae-bune trade, is a facility that opened in 2000 as a new tourist attraction after restoring Somaya, one of Sakata's representative restaurants, which opened in 1808. The wooden main building was built around the remaining storehouse immediately after it was destroyed by fire in the great Shonai Earthquake of 1894, and the building was designated as a National Tangible Cultural Property in November 1996. While having the structure of a typical Japanese house from the Edo period, it has a stately feel and features traditional Japanese architectural features such as shoji screens, tatami mats, ranma, and crafted wood carvings throughout. Somaro also exhibits hina dolls brought from Kyoto on the Kitamae-bune, and the Takehisa Yumeji Museum, which opened in May 2008 in Somaro, is a popular place to view Yumeji's works and materials. Visitors can also watch a performance by Sakata Maiko at the performance hall on the second floor of the building.
Sakata City continues to transmit its timeless charms. Please visit the museum when you visit Yamagata.
Sankyo Warehouse
https://www.pref.yamagata.jp/110001/sangyo/sangyoushinkou/him_top/him_maincat4/him_05.html
Maiko Chaya Somaro, Takehisa Yumeji Museum
https://www.somaro.net/
References
https://www.city.sakata.lg.jp/bunka/bunkazai/bunkazaishisetsu/sankyosouko.html
https://www.city.sakata.lg.jp/bunka/bunkazai/bunkazaishisetsu/soumarou.html
https://mokkedano.net/feature/jimoto4/top
https://yamagatakanko.com/attractions/detail_2509.html
https://ja.wikipedia.org/wiki/%E7%9B%B8%E9%A6%AC%E6%A8%93