Around Wada 4

Core of the Town

▲米屋鐵五郎本舗: Yoneya Tetsugoro Hompo as a center for informing to restore the stage-town.
All the town-houses have now walls plastered in white, but they have wooden walls in Edo period.

  Every stage-towns on Nakasendo are standing at a crossroad about town-forming under the situation in which, under aging and decrease of population, no furhter economic growth cannot be expected.
  They need to arrange townscapes on the base of deep understanding about the history of their home town and to form community integrating the tourism and their own industries including agriculture.
  I have investigated Wada town since 2014 spring. Then the plan restoring their townscape has started then. I found the traditional gates along kaido getting devastated and inclined. Some years later the view of the town has been gradually getting better.
  The town administration has begun to hold the houses out of life to restore or rebuild them in the traditional architecture, thus to make people feel comfort in the town at same time to attract tourists. The results has been coming out now.

■Nakamachi and Shimomachi■

◆Impressive Area◆ ▲Border between Nakamachi and Shimomachi ▲2014 the gate was caught in devastation Walking from Kanmachi northward on Kaido, we would find the site where two Yakuimon gates atand next to each other. One of them is new, looks restored recently, another is old and ruining, covered with moss. A tiny sign bord indicating Kanmachi is standing between them. It means that the area northmore than it is Nakanmachi. I am interested in the gates deeply. Yakuimon was regarded as a honarable gate once. Then I suppose some leading family lived in the house-site behind the gates. A large town-house of Dashibari architecture is next to the site. It must have been a inn or a shop-house of the leading marchant. The shape of the house showed the rank and the richness. Though it was a inn named Hontei until recent days, now out of service. Its was holded by the Nagais. They were keeping the position of a village chief. The Nagais were the most powerful families managing Honjin and Toiya. On the north side of it is Yoneya Tetsugoro Hompo. A wooden nightlight i front of the shop-house is attractive. It the base point which was founded and has been operated by Assosiation Considering the Tomorrow of Wada Town to investigate its history and cultural assets and to promote tuourism by imforming. They display and sell the traditional folkcrafts in it, usuing it for a workshop to make intercourse with tourists. You may take a rest and have lunch. ◆Wakihonjin and Ishiai◆ ▲View of Nakamachi from hill : the house in front is Wakihonjin, that of brown roof is Hontei and the laft side one is Yoneya Hompo. You would find a traditional town-house which has also a fine Yakuimon gate behind the busstop across the road. It is the main house of Wakihonjin Midorikawa rebuilted recently. To talk about history, it was originally builted for welcoming the princess Kazunomiya, a sister of the emperor who would marry Shogun, coming down to Edo, just after Honjin was burnt out in the last phase of Edo period. Walking from there toward Honjin, you would find another fine traditional town-house at the crossing. It is the inn Ishiai resored. The Ishiais were the notable family nominated for Toshiyori. Toshiyori was the post assisting the administration of the stage-town.⇒article refering	Two Yakuimon gates standing next to each other Restored one A house of the inn Hontei Nagai
	Yoneya Tetsugoro Hompo next to Hontei Front side of Yoneya
	Busstop of Nakamachi : WC is behind it. Wakihonjin Midorikawa Entrance side of main house behind gate View of its north side
	The inn Ishiai Fine structure of house View of the inn from belfry of Shinteiji