
Ai Nishimura
Administrator of the blog "My Diary," which began in 2004. A writer who has traveled to all 47 prefectures and loves local culture and history.
Author of Shimane's "Geography, Place Names, and Maps" Mysteries (Jitsugyo no Nihonsha), My Town is the "Number One in Japan" Dictionary (PHP Institute), and Prefectures Explained in Neko Neko Japanese History (Jitsugyo no Nihonsha). Official blogger for Suntory Gourmet Guide, official top user for Retty, and official platinum blogger for Excite.
The northern part of Ube City, a mountainous area, is an area with a long history where post towns were built as well as other important places on the Sanyo Road. While taking a bus to enhance the travel mood, we stop at Okusu, which is the origin of the name of this powerful area, in Funaki, Ube City, and a cafe in a closed school in the Yoshibe area. The very popular sculpture "Grandpa had the universe in his nostrils" is located in this area.
We head to the Funaki area where we are greeted by a 700-year-old camphor tree.
It takes about 40 minutes by bus from Ube-Shinkawa Station. The destination is "Yoshibe". However, you will need to transfer buses, so get off at the transfer stop "Funaki" and walk around the town.
Funaki was once a post town on the Sanyo Highway, and was a crossroads for many people. It also had a magistrate's office, and it is said that feudal lords would stop by here when they were making alternate attendance trips to Edo. Remnants of this can be seen in the large, white-walled wooden houses.
The former name of this town, which became Ube City after the merger, was "Kusunoki-cho". The name was derived from "Okazaki Hachiman Shrine". A large camphor tree, 700 years old and 20 meters tall, was planted here and has been watching over this area since ancient times. This camphor tree is infested with a long, thin snail shell called "Siebold's kogisel", which can be seen by looking into the cracks in the trunk.
It is also one of the few shrines in Japan where brewing sake on-site is permitted, and there are stone lanterns modeled after sake barrels.

We will change buses and tour the northern part of Ube city. Before it was incorporated into Ube city, this area was "Kusunoki-cho, Asa-gun". We will go to see the camphor trees that gave the area its name.

From Ube-Shinkawa Station to the Funaki area. The scenery becomes more and more tranquil. The bus stop is also quite retro.
Although it is in the same Ube area, it is an area with a peaceful rural landscape, unlike the city area.

It's similar to the scenery I saw as a child... Red tile roofs, tin roofs, block walls and irrigation channels. Funaki has scenery that brings back fond memories for me.

Funaki is a town that flourished during the Edo period and has a longer history than Ube City. Along the old road, there are a number of buildings with large, heavy red tile roofs and interesting architectural decorations, although they are not large in area.

There was a "trowel painting". A trowel painting is a relief that a plasterer draws on a white wall using plaster and a trowel. It is said that there are many of them in Yamaguchi Prefecture, but Shimonoseki is more famous, and I never thought that there would be a trowel painting with such smooth and beautiful curves in Funaki, a mountainous area.

There was also a simple "udatsu" (rail-shaped wall). Even just in this wall you can see various architectural decorations.

You can also see houses with distinctive square windows in plasterwork. The glass was probably added later, but if you look closely you can see that it is wavy, making it clear that it is not modern but ancient.

At Fuji Soy Sauce, an old local soy sauce brewery that has been in business for generations since the early Meiji period, we saw a roof that curves inward.

We headed to Okazaki Hachimangu Shrine, the local guardian deity. It is located on a small hill.
There is a large camphor tree here that is said to be 700 or 800 years old. This sacred tree gave the area its name, "Kusunoki-cho."

The shrine building is old and charming. It had fallen into decline many times, but was rebuilt and restored by the Ouchi and Mori families, and has continued to the present day.

This shrine is rare across the country in that it is permitted to brew sake, and it is served during New Year's and festivals.

What catches your eye the most is the large tree, which is about 20 meters tall. Not only is it tall, but its branches also spread out horizontally, providing a large amount of shade when you stand underneath it. It is a giant tree that gives you a sense of the preciousness of life and mysticism.

The trunk of this tree is infested with a long, thin snail shell called "Siebold's kogisel." On this day, many shells were visible in the cracks. Since ancient times, they have been prized as a good luck charm for sailors.
From factories that continue the production of traditional crafts to popular sweets, Funaki offers a variety of ways to enjoy the area.
In Funaki, there is a craftsman who makes a traditional instrument that is now rare. The instrument is the "Koto." It is a Japanese instrument in which strings are stretched around a wooden body and the strings are plucked with fingernails to produce sound. There are probably many people who have never played this instrument in modern times, but it requires quite a bit of strength to pluck the long strings with your fingertips. I have some experience and I had been hoping to start again someday, but I never expected to encounter a koto being made.
Tamashige Koto Factory, which manufactures and sells kotos, is currently run by the fourth generation and has a history of over 100 years. They are known for being particular about the tone, and for sparing no time or effort in handcrafting each one, making them elegant works of art in appearance. They performed a song on the spot, and everyone in the room was instantly captivated by the charm of the koto.
The Western confectionery shop "Air La Porte" is located just a few minutes' walk from the bus stop, and is a cute cake shop that suddenly appears in the midst of a tranquil landscape of spreading fields.
The most popular item is the "Croquant Choux," with its rough dough and overflowing cream. They are particularly particular about their custard cream, and use delicious local eggs. It has just the right amount of saltiness, making it a popular menu item with both adults and children.

We visited Tamashige Koto Factory to be shown the manufacturing site of the koto, a traditional Funaki craft.

A koto is placed haphazardly in front of the factory. It is drying in the sun. Kotos are made from paulownia wood.

Have you ever seen a koto up close? It is a Japanese musical instrument that is played by inserting "kotoji" (bridges) under the strings to create different tones. The surface is baked to give it a dark color. It is plucked with the fingernails to produce sound.

We had them actually play the koto for us. It's quite loud when you listen to it up close. Currently, the fourth generation Koto master is taking over the production, and the fifth generation Koto master, who played the koto, will continue the tradition.

As it was almost time for the bus, we headed to the Funaki bus stop and headed to our next destination. On the way, we stopped off at a popular local cake shop called "Air La Porte."
The shop is small, but packed with delicious looking sweets. It's a dreamlike space.

The small baked goods are a good size for souvenirs, so I bought a few. They were moist and flavorful.

The most popular item is the "Croquant Choux." It's a crunchy pastry filled with custard cream.

We finally head to Yoshibe, further north. The journey continues on the bus, with all fare costing just 100 yen.
Very popular! The "Grandpa" sculpture that suddenly appears on the roadside and the "Staff Room Cafe" in an abandoned school building.
From Funaki, it's another 20-minute bus ride to the Staff Room Cafe, a renovated cafe in a closed elementary school that is used by the local community.
As the name suggests, the "Staff Room Cafe" was renovated from the old Yoshibe Elementary School staff room into a cafe that anyone can use. On the day we visited, we were served a special set of rice balls and side dishes made with Yoshibe's delicious rice, but usually a caterer prepares curry or set meals for us.
The former Yoshibe Elementary School is also used as an event space to foster connections with the local community. Classrooms are used to hold markets and run mini 4WD cars, making it an effective community space for the entire area. Nearby, you can also experience the feeling of exploring in the former Funaki Railway tunnel, made of stone and brick.
Installed on the side of the road is a sculpture called "The Universe Was in Grandpa's Nostrils."
When I looked inside my nose, I really was in space! This piece won first place in the popularity vote at the 25th UBE Biennale.
It is located on the road from Ube towards Akiyoshidai and has a large parking lot, so it would be a good place to stop by during a drive.
I got off in front of the old Yoshibe Elementary School. I came here because I heard that there was a cafe in an abandoned school. I imagined it to be a small wooden school building, but it was actually a very impressive reinforced concrete building. It was light blue and very cute.

I don't know how long it was built, but the "exterior corridor" that leads to the classrooms from outside gives it a sense of history.

We had lunch at the "Staff Room Cafe," which was actually the staff room of an elementary school.
The desks and chairs used in school are lined up, creating a nostalgic atmosphere.

On this day, the special menu was all about Ube, with rice balls made with Yoshibe rice, tamagoyaki (Japanese omelette) made with local eggs, and sake lees from a sake brewery in Ube City. Usually, the school lunch menu changes daily and includes curry made with Yoshibe rice.

Yoshibe rice was really delicious! This area is a rice producing region, and they produce rice that has won awards.
After filling our stomachs, we immediately went to see a sculpture in front of Yoshibe Elementary School.

"Grandpa had the universe in his nostrils." It's so impactful no matter how you look at it. It's along the road, so people who pass by in their cars or on their bikes make the effort to come back. It makes sense.

This work was exhibited at the 25th UBE Biennale. Let's take a look inside the nostrils...

It really was like space! It was designed to let light in, so it was made with natural light. What a great idea!

Additionally, there is a spot near Yoshibe Elementary School where you can experience a little sense of adventure.

It is the remains of the Funaki Railway. The line was abandoned due to the iron donation during the war and then fell into disrepair, but it has been restored by local residents and can be seen on foot from the elementary school. It is a few hundred meters up the bank from behind the elementary school.

The remains of the railroad tracks are still clearly visible. It appears to have been a cut through, but there are fields on the side and fences to keep out wild boars.

Then you arrive at the Otana Tunnel, made of stone and brick. It has a Ghibli feel!

The lower part is stone, the upper part where the curve gets bigger is brick, and there was a lot of bamboo growing above the tunnel.

This man-made structure has completely blended into nature over time. The contrast between the greenery and the bricks is very beautiful.

The Otana Station sign was made by locals to enliven the area. It is now a popular spot with visitors on abandoned railway tours.

The "reuse of abandoned schools" has been attracting attention nationwide. A place for children to learn has been reborn as a "place for everyone" that is used for art events and markets, and as a base for the local community.
Read the second part here
The contents published are accurate at the time of publication and are subject to change.