Esashi

Visit also: (August 23,24)
Hakodate--Choshiguchi--Hakodate--Kikonai--Matsumae--Kikonai--Hakodate--
Kikonai--Esashi-- We were going and returning using Hakodate Honsen,Matsumae Sen and Esashi Sen. Trains had become our shoes at the end of the trip. You don't have to be careful about driving, even awake in the trains, either. All you have to do is to look at the timetable and take the right train.
(picture right)You could be an Ainu beauty at Esashi Station. Put your head out of the hole. It is easy. The billboard said,"Now on sale! Commemorative tickets--the Kitamae sen's calling at Esashi."
Take JR Esashi Sen from Hakodate to Esashi. The streets are narrow and most are one-way traffic. Walking is the best way to know Esashi.
(picture left) Near Hokke-Ji
Esashi once prospered as a port town, where many ships loaded with a large amount of herrings were arriving and leaving. There is a saying like"Esahi, in May, is more prosperous than Edo(Tokyo)." The peak was around 1900. But, as herrings moved north, the amount of fish caught decreased, and now, few are engaged in fishing. Walking down the street, you could feel or hear the hustle-bustle of those days. Now,let's walk.

is a temple founded about 470 years ago in Kaminokuni,south of Esashi, and it was moved to the present place in 1665. The main temple was built in 1722. The magnificent architectural beauty is well preserved. Among many works of art there, Happo Nirami no Ryu could astonish your eyes. It is a dragon drawn on the ceiling of the main temple(5.4m by 5.4m),which is said to be the masterpiece of Ike no Taiga(1723-1776). Wherever you stand, the dragon is glaring fiercely at you. This might because of its composition. Anyway, Seeing is believing.

In 1786, the first generation were engaged in fishery and commerce and they sold ships wholesale. When we visited there, the Yokoyamas were selling daily necessities. This building was built about 160 years ago and some parts were still used as a shop. In the main house and the Yonban gura(No.4 storehouse), you can see fishing nets, tubs, sculls,zaru or Japanese colandar made of bamboo, lantern, vase, byohbu and other utensils at that time. You can also eatNishin Soba or a bowl of buckwheat noodles in soup seasoned with fish broth and soysauce. One or two pieces of (maybe)smoked herring are placed on top. Ms. Kei Yokoyoma, the seventh proprietress,would cook it. We didn't eat it, to our regret.

Esashi Oiwake

In short, it's a Powerful Japanese Soul Music, I'd say. At first, it sounded strange to me because I have been taught the Western music. But soon I was overwhelmed by its power. The vocalization is quite differnt from "opera" and "hymn." It might be a litle similar to the Koran and cante jondo. At Oiwake Kaikan, you can listen to Esashi Oiwake and look at the materials including scores.
Oiwake means the place where a road branches off. There are many places named Oiwake, and Oiwake-songs in Japan. Especially,the song in Oiwake village, Nagano Prefecture spread to various places, and many variations came into being. Esashi Oiwake is one of them.

was built by Uhei Ohhashi, the merchant in Ohmi(the present Shiga Prefecture). The Ohhashis have been dealing in marine products for the fishermen on the Japan Sea coast since the Edo era. Tha foundation consists of the piled-up stones brought by Kitamae Sen from Fukui Prefecture. Though the front can't be seen from the picture,the two-storied main house is gabled and built of all Japanese cypress.
It has the typical structure of the wholesale store.
--The main house, BunkoGura,Shita noKura(store house) andHanedashi or workshop/warehouse are connected.
It looks narrow in width, but very long, as well as the Yokoyamas' House.
In the early Taisho era, Yonekichi Nakamura bought it from the Ohhashis. In 1974, the Nakamuras contributed it to Esashi Town.

This building had been first planned as a police station and the construction began in 1885. This is also the site of Hiyama(Matsumae)Bugyohsho. Because of the administrative reform, it was completed as the public office in 1887. The only existing public office built during the Reclamation Era in Hokkaido. The building is now being remodeled and open to the public this April. Besides buildings and Esashi Oiwake, there are many insteresting places in Esashi,
e.g., Kaiyoh-Maru Center where you can see the restored warship of the Tokugawa Government "Kaiyoh" and other materials.
(picture, left)TIRED! Now, we must leave Esashi.
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