‘Kanakuso’ refers to the slag produced during iron-making from iron sand. Any digging in this area, whether on roads or in the fields, produced a lot of slag, hence the name Kanakuso Field. The nearby slope is called Kanakuso Slope. Iron manufacturing seems to have been actively carried out in this area since ancient times.
Iron sand, a raw material for iron-making, is believed to have been extracted from the Hijikuro River, which is also known as the Iron River (Kurogane River).
Hackberry trees were planted along the Shimabara Road, and some of these trees still retain their original appearance.
It is said that in the early Edo Period (1603-1868), when all the main roads in the country were being developed and trees were to be planted about every 4km as landmarks, the shogun’s words “Yo-no-ki (other trees) are better” were misheard by his vassals, and enoki trees were planted.
Near the current Baba Settlement Centre in the Taira area, there used to be a building where silkworm larvae were raised for distribution to silkworm farmers. It is said that farmers’ daughters worked there under supervision. East of here, there was a seed store that handled silkworm eggs, and sericulture instructors were stationed there to provide guidance.
In addition, 400m to the west, along the banks of the Hijikuro River, Matsumoto Nobuteru, a native of Hijikuro, set up a silkworm-raising facility and was engaged in sericulture research. Matsumoto succeeded in the storage of silkworms by using the cold air of the wind caves in Mount Unzen. He is regarded as the person who laid the foundations of sericulture in the Shimabara Peninsula.
Shimabara Road was a major road that circled the Shimabara Peninsula during the Edo Period (1603-1868). The road from Shimabara Castle to Aino (North Road), which runs half-circularly along the Ariake Sea on the northern side of the Shimabara Peninsula to Aino, is still called the ‘Lord’s Road’. It is so called because it joined the Nagasaki Road at Isahaya on the way to Edo (present-day Tokyo) during the pilgrimage of the daimyo (feudal lord) to Shimabara.
Along the road extending from the Shimabara City border east of here towards Mount Unzen are the ruins of Gomanchoja. These ruins are thought to be the remains of a representative temple in the Takaku-no-kori area of Hizen Province in the Nara period, and three burial mounds, including Koge Tomb, which is thought to have been built in the mid-6th century is called ‘Cave of the Demons.’
Palanquin (Kago) Stand
The palanquin or kago stand is where the lord had his palanquin placed when he took a rest. It is thought that this is where the palanquin stood to rest during a long journey.
The town of Kōjiro-Kawanishi flourished as a town of the Kōjiro-Nabeshima domain, which was established as an enclave of the Saga Clan.
There are still a few merchant houses in the shopping street that tell of the prosperity of the past, and a group of Ebisu statues from the history of the Saga clan still remain along the street.
Nabeshima residence is a 10-minute walk from Kōjiro-Kawanishi. Please come and visit.
Nabeshima residence was the former residence of the lord of Kōjiro in the Saga domain and was designated as a national important cultural property in 2007.
The Honda Family is an old-established family that has been running a brewery in the Kōjiro town centre for generations.
The existing building is a two-storey wooden structure, built in the Meiji period (1868-1912 ). The family residence and the shop are in the same building.
The exterior walls are plastered with white plaster for fire protection purposes, and the traditional architectural style of the roof and windows has been preserved to the present day.
The shop area on the ground floor, facing the road, is over 40 square metres in size. The pillars are made of large machilus trees, suggesting the prosperity of the Honda family in the past.
The building is a valuable example of a traditional Kōjiro merchant house.
This medieval castle was built on a hill overlooking the port of Kōjiro. It is said that the castle dates back to the period of the Northern and Southern Courts period (1336-1392 ), when Takamasu Kōjiro entered the castle.
In 1584, at the battle of Okitanawate, where the Shimazu and Arima allied forces clashed with the Ryūzoji forces, the lord of the time, Kōjiro Takashige, sided with the Ryūzoji forces. When Ryūzoji Takanobu was killed in battle, the defeated Takashige took refuge in the castle of Kōjiro. Surrounded by the sea and marshland, the castle was well defended and the Kōjiro clan fought well but eventually perished in the ensuing battle.
Kōjiro Castle was granted to Nabeshima Naoshige by Toyotomi Hideyoshi in 1587. In 1608, when the castle came under the control of Nabeshima Nobufusa, it was rebuilt as a residence, but was later abandoned under the One Kingdom, One Castle Order.
It is said that cranes (‘Tsuru’ in Japanese) used to fly in the sky and turtles (‘Kame’ in Japanese) used to swim in the surrounding sea, hence the name ‘Tsurukame Castle’.
The Nagamatsu Family, were a samurai family for generations and resided at the southernmost end of Kōjirokūji. They are said to have been the educators of the Nabeshima Family.
The main house is a thatched, partly two-story samurai residence, probably built in the late Edo period (1603-1868 ). The wall surrounding the building, which runs from north to south, is built of natural stone and topped with hedging.
The building has been renovated several times since the Meiji period (1868-1912 ), but it still retains its original dignity as an early example of a large samurai residence.
The townscape of Kōjirokūji was built around the deposits of the Minotsuru River, which runs north to south, and was formed as a planned samurai town.
Bridges were built at the entrances and exits of the Kōjirokūji, which was surrounded by a river. There were also ‘masugata’ or walls built at right-angled turns at the entrances and exits to make it difficult for enemies to enter in a straight direction.
The centrally located masugata is no longer visible today due to the modern straightening of the roads. The site that remains today is a reproduction of the central masugata.
Former Nakamura Family residence and Hoashi Family Nagaya-mon gate
Former Nakamura Family residence
In the past, the alleyways of Kōjirokūji were lined with thatched samurai houses facing the street. The former Nakamura Family residence was a prestigious structure with an entrance hall. It also had a wooden floor set up so that visitors could ride in a kago* without having to step on the ground. However, due to its dilapidated condition, it was demolished in the early 1980s.
*A ‘kago’ is type of litter used as a means of human transportation in feudal Japan and into Meiji Period (1868-1912 )
Hoashi Family Nagaya-mon Gate
The Hoashi family, who were chief retainers of the Nabeshima family of Kōjiro, have a Nagaya-mon gate facing the street and main building to the north. The main gate and the tatami room of the main building have been preserved. The main building has a thatched roof and a large tatami room, in keeping with the style of the high-class samurai houses.
The Nagaya-mon Gate is a ‘pseudo gate’ created in order to deceive the eyes of an invading enemy into thinking that it is the entrance to the Nabeshima Family residence.
It was originally thatched, but the present structure was remodeled around 1907.
