Time Travel in Tsuyama: 2 Days and 1 Night Tour of Historical Roads

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.

10:00 PORT ART&DESIGN TSUYAMA: A 100-year-old red-brick bank building

On the second day, we will explore the charms of Tsuyama, focusing on Western-style buildings.
This building was built in 1920 (Taisho 9) as the "former Senoo Bank Hayashida Branch" and was in use until 1973 (Showa 48). It then came under the management of the city and was used as the Tsuyama Western Studies Museum for 32 years until 2010 (Heisei 22), and is currently used as a gallery.
The red brick walls and the heavy roof are covered with cypress bark and copper sheets, and are covered with slate, which becomes shiny and luxurious when wet with rain. The imposing chidorihafu gables on the front make it look like a prestigious temple.

The interior is also packed with the techniques of Japanese architecture. The open ceiling is a shining amber-colored coffered ceiling made of Yoshino cedar. The counter is made entirely of Zelkova, and the quality of the building materials used is so high it will take your breath away. No matter where you look, you will see the intricate workmanship packed with the techniques of Japanese architecture and the generous use of expensive building materials, making it a place worth seeing.

The gallery is usually used for art exhibitions and events, so it can also be enjoyed as a place to appreciate art. The exhibition in a building that used to be a bank vault created a unique worldview, with the works standing out against the soft reddish-brown brick background.
There is also a cafe on the premises, which serves "Port Original Coffee," a blend made with carefully selected beans.

We enjoyed a rich time that awakened our senses, enjoying art, coffee, and the indescribable art and craftsmanship that brings together the finest Japanese architecture up close.

PORT ART & DESIGN TSUYAMA

11:00 Tamachi Bunka Store: A cozy cafe renovated from an old building

The Tamachi district of the city was once an area where samurai residences were located, and even today old samurai residences are still scattered here and there.
We visited a cafe that was renovated from an old warehouse building in this area. This is "Tamachi Bunka Store," a cafe beloved by the local community as a place to disseminate culture such as art, music, and books.

The owner originally collected old furniture and used it to open this relaxing cafe about four years ago. The velvet curtains, antique-style chairs, leather trunks, and dried flowers are all tastefully placed, making it impossible to get bored just looking at them. A selection of paperbacks is set out on the tables, making it a good way to spend time while waiting for your food. It's a comfortable and easy-to-use shop, even for solo travelers.

On this day, I ordered the recommended one-plate "Coarsely Ground Hamburger Steak Set."
The main dish is a juicy hamburger steak that overflows with juices as soon as you put your chopsticks in it. The steak is hand-kneaded and grilled after the order is placed, so the flavor of the meat is tightly sealed in, and the demi-glace sauce makes you want to keep eating. The soft sweet potato potage, plentiful salad, and creamy mashed potatoes are also delicious, so I finished the whole thing in no time.
The building also houses a record store and a second-hand clothing store, so be sure to stop by on your way home.

Tamachi Culture Store

12:30 Taisho-era library "Keizo Morimoto Memorial Museum" and Meiji-era school "Tsuyama High School Former Main Building"

We went to see two Western-style buildings built during the Meiji and Taisho periods.
The first building was a Western-style building built by the Morimoto family, who ran the former kimono and financial business "Nishikiya," as a library for Christian-related books. Today, along with remnants of this building, it is a historical and folk museum that displays the belongings and daily life of the wealthy Morimoto family.
The tenth head of the family, Keizo Morimoto, met Kanzo Uchimura while studying at Tokyo University and converted to Christianity. He returned to Tsuyama and built the Tsuyama Christian Library, the only Christian public library in Japan. Kanzo Uchimura also attended the opening ceremony and gave a commemorative lecture.
By 1970, the number of books had increased to 65,000, covering fields such as philosophy, thought, history, and natural science, and it played an important role in the education of Tsuyama. It later discontinued library operations and was renamed the "Morimoto Keizo Memorial Museum."
The Morimoto Keizo Memorial Museum is easy to find, as it is located at the entrance to the castle. It is a three-story wooden Western-style building with Ionic columns, a crown of Christ, and sheep and goats on either side, as well as a clock tower and a cross, giving it a religious-like design. It is currently designated as a national registered tangible cultural property.
The educational and cultural center in Tsuyama, which was built by a great man of Tsuyama with his own money, continues to serve as the foundation for improving education in the region.

The other Western-style building is a school. The former main building of Okayama Prefectural Tsuyama High School was built during the Meiji period.
This historic school building was built as Tsuyama Junior High School in Okayama Prefecture, and is in very good condition and has an elaborate design that is well worth seeing. The school has produced many famous people, and classes are currently held in a new building as a prestigious school in northern Okayama Prefecture.
The wooden Renaissance-style design is in the shape of a cross when viewed from above. The front is decorated with triangular and semicircular pediments and dentils, preserving its elegant appearance to this day. The exterior is pink, and the interior is also in soft colors, with overlapping pale colors often used in Meiji-era architecture.
Inside, old school equipment and textbooks remain intact, and in the room that was used as a resting place for the Meiji Crown Prince (later Emperor Taisho) during his visits, there are even traces of a stylish curtain rail that had been added.
It has been designated as an Important Cultural Property of Japan, and is a school that is treasured by alumni, current students, and local residents.

Keizo Morimoto Memorial Museum

Okayama Prefecture Tsuyama High School

14:00 Learn about Tsuyama, a pioneer of Western studies at the "Tsuyama Museum of Western Studies & Oranda" and "Mitsukuri Nampo Former House"

At the Tsuyama Museum of Western Studies in the Joto district, the "Anatomy Book" that we all learned about in history class was on display.
This is a museum that displays the history of Western scholars connected to Tsuyama, as well as materials related to Dutch studies. Located in the center of the Joto district, it is a very easy spot to stop by. It was originally located at the site of "PORT ART & DESIGN TSUYAMA", but as the number of materials became enormous, it was relocated to its current location in a new building.
From the late Edo period through the Meiji era, Tsuyama Domain produced many great Western scholars (Dutch scholars). One of these was Udagawa Genzui, a physician based in the Edo residence, who introduced Western internal medicine knowledge to the physicians of the time. His successors, Genshin and Yoan, are known as the "Three Generations of Udagawa" and played an active role in the field of Western studies.

Tsuyama native Mitsukuri Genpo, who studied under Udagawa Genshin and translated and popularized various Western medical books, is another great figure remembered locally. He was a man of many accomplishments, translating the personal letter brought by American Perry when he arrived, and accompanying the negotiating mission when Russia's Putyatin arrived in Nagasaki. Mitsukuri Genpo's birthplace is a nationally designated historic site that still stands in the Joto district, and admission is free. The facility features a typical house from the late Edo period, and inside there are panels introducing Genpo's career.
The doctors of the Tsuyama domain who were active at the center of Edo Dutch studies, which began with the translation of "Anatomy New Book" by Sugita Genpaku, are still a source of pride for the people of Tsuyama.

Next, we went to the "Orandao" cafe next door to enjoy a delicious cup of coffee.
This coffee is called "Yoan Coffee."
The kanji for "coffee" that we use every day without thinking about it was created by Udagawa Yoan. In addition, Yoan also created new words used in daily life such as the names of elements such as oxygen, hydrogen, and carbon, as well as temperature, boiling, analysis, and ingredients when translating. These words did not exist before!
Ronan Coffee, which uses the type of coffee that is closest to the coffee that Ronan is said to have drunk during the late Edo period, can be purchased as a souvenir in drip packs, and when drinking it in the shop, it is served in a Japanese-style coffee cup created by a local ceramic artist to match the Ronan Coffee.
With his many talents and insatiable curiosity, Yoan left behind botanical books and research notes written in various languages. These are also on display in the Yoan corner of the museum, and the coffee tasted even better after his desire to learn had been satisfied.
Please come and see these precious materials while paying tribute to the efforts of the outstanding scholars of Tsuyama Domain who laid the foundation for Japanese scholarship and medicine.

Tsuyama Museum of Western Studies

15:30 A must-see spot for train lovers: "Tsuyama Learning Railway Museum" with its cute retro trains

Our final destination was the railway depot, located very close to Tsuyama Station.
This is the former Tsuyama Roundhouse, which was established in 1936 (Showa 11). It is still a JR depot that is in active use today, and retro rolling stock is on display.
It was established here because Tsuyama was a key location connecting Sanin and Sanyo, and has supported passenger and freight transportation in Japan.

First, when you enter, you'll be given an old-fashioned hard ticket. They'll snap your ticket and you'll instantly travel back to the Showa era. As you go further in, you'll see the locomotive shed with its rows of cute, retro trains. What's more, the "turntable" that carries the trains into the shed is still in use. You can get pretty close, so it's very impressive.
In this garage, steam locomotives were once maintained. The ceiling is pitch black and covered in soot from the locomotives. Just imagining those huge lumps of iron lined up here is sure to get both adults and children excited. Inside the garage, where the smoke from the locomotives makes it difficult to see, there are large glass windows that let in natural light. There were some vehicles that were nostalgic to me, so it turned into a photo shoot.

Inside the facility, there are rooms where you can learn about history and the workings of railways, and it is also used for school studies. The diorama room is a masterpiece that overlooks the townscape of Tsuyama, so be sure to check it out.

Tsuyama Learning Railway Museum