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Castle Town Tsuwano in Shimane
Tsuwano, located in the south-west of Shimane Prefecture, is a small town, which population is 6,600 as of May 2022. In the Edo Age, Tsuwano was a capital of Tsuwano Feudal Domain and Tsuwano Castle was located. Historical houses remain in downtown and it is called "Little Kyoto". Many tourists visit Tsuwano. If you walk to the south from Tsuwano Station on the Yamaguchi Line, you will see traditional houses along Honmachi-Dori Street. |
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The above-left picture shows Kawada Residence and the above-right picture shows Zaima Residence. These houses were built in the late nineteenth century. To the south from these houses, Catholic Tsuwano Church is located. The church was founded in the late nineteenth century. 
In Japan, the Christianity was introduced by Francisco de Xavier in 1549, at the end of the Muromachi Age (1336-1573). The number of Christians in Japan were increased at that time, especially in Kyushu, because many territory lords in western Japan encouraged the people in their territory to be a Christian. However, Christianity was prohibited by TOKUGAWA Ieyasu (1543-1616) in 1615 during the Edo Age (1603-1868). Christians were forced to converted to Buddhism, but many of them became crypto-Christians through the Edo Age. In 1857, crypto-Christians were fond in Nagasaki and 125 of them were sent to Tsuwano. They were put to torture. Thirty-seven of them were martyrized.Catholic Tsuwano Church tells this history. To the south from Catholic Tsuwano Church, it used to be the districts where retainers of Tsuwano Feudal Domain, "Samurai" lived. The street was the main street in the Edo Age. The white cray walls continue along the main street. 
A rickshaw man was standing in front of a residence. He seemed lost in meditation. Red crepe flowers and his figure were very impressive.
Koi fishes were swimming in the roadside driving channel. limpid stream flows in the driving channel. 
On the other side of the main street, the main gate of "OOKA residence" is located. OOKA clan were the chief retainers of Tsuwano Feudal Domain during the Edo Age. Tsuwano Town office is located at the site of OOKA residence, shown in the below-right picture. |
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To the south of the site of "OOKA Residence", Yorokan is located on the other side of the main street. Yorokan was the domain school in the Edo Age. It was founded in 1786 by KAMEI Norikata (1766-1821), who was the eighth generation of the feudal lord of Tsuwano Domain.
The existing domain collage buildings were rebuilt in 1853, after the great fire in Tsuwano. The training Hall of martial arts, "Kendo" and "Judo", and the book vault remain. |
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To the west from Yorokan, the site of YAKO residence is located. The main gate of the residence remains. 
The gate was built at the end of nineteenth century. TAKO clan were also the chief retainers of Tsuwano Feudal Domain. "Yorokan" is located at the south end of downtown Tsuwano. The Tsuwano River flows at the end of downtown. If you walk along the Tsuwano River, you will see Taikodani-Inari Shrine. The shrine was founded in 1773 by KAMEI Norisada (1739-1814), who was the seventh generation of the feudal lord of Tsuwano Domain.
Red Torii gates continue to the main shrine building on the hill. It is said that Taikodani-Inari Shrine is one of five major Inari Shrines in Japan. If you walk further to the south along the Tsuwano River, you will arrive at the birth place of MORI Ogai (1862-1921). MORI Ogai is very well-known novelist in Japan. He studied Dutch and the Four Books and Five Classics of Confucianism of China, when he was nine years old at Yoroken Feudal Domain collage. When he was ten years old, he moved to Tokyo and studied at the University of Tokyo.
His family was a doctor for a feudal lord of Tsuwano from age to age. He also majored the medical science at the university, and became a surgeon major-general of Imperial Japanese Army. |
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The house where he was born seems kept as it was, when he was a child. Near the MORI Ogai's birthplace, the birth place of NISHI Amane (1829-1897). NISHI Amane's original family name was MORI and he was a relative of MORI Ogai. NISHI Amane's family was also a doctor for a feudal lord of Tsuwano.
He also studied Dutch at Yoroken Feudal Domain collage and became a Bureaucrat of Japanese Government. MORI Ogai and NISHI Amane were heroes of Tsuwano who contributed for Japan to be a modern country after the Edo Age. Tsuwano is a small town in mountains. It is very lovely and attractive town to visit. Tsuwano downtown is designated as an important preservation district of historic buildings. |
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How to get there
Other Historical Sites near by:
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Home Page in Japanese: "Shane's HomePage"