An older craftsman working with a younger worker
Western Woodworks
A custom-made furniture store located in Anan City, Tokushima Prefecture.
Under the company's own product brand "ARTISAN," the company is working to connect Tokushima's forest resources and woodworking techniques, which have been cultivated in the Naka River basin since ancient times, to the future.
住所：徳島県阿南市那賀川町西原10-1
電話：0884-49-6660
INDEX
- The history and charm of Anan City, Tokushima Prefecture, known for the Awa Navy
- Touring the areas associated with the Awa Navy
- Decreasing number of craftsmen... Current situation in Anan City, Tokushima Prefecture
- History of sawmills in Tokushima Prefecture
- The crisis of Japan's lumber industry as seen from the perspective of Seibu Mokko
- The "Igeta Series" is a product that inherits the techniques of craftsmen
- Sustainable things we can do for the future
- A recommended itinerary for sightseeing in Tokushima, where you can experience history and culture
- Rental car shops around Tokushima Station
- Recommended dining spots in Tokushima
The history and charm of Anan City, Tokushima Prefecture, known for the Awa Navy
Anan City, Tokushima Prefecture, is the southernmost city in Shikoku, located in the eastern part of Tokushima Prefecture. The city is home to a first-class river called the Naka River, which originates from the Tsurugisan mountain range in the Jirogyu River in Naka District, Tokushima Prefecture, and meanders through the prefecture before continuing to the sea. It is a place rich in tourist resources, where you can enjoy both the natural mountains that are the source of the river and the sea.
During the Genpei period, a navy was born here and became known as the "Awa Navy" (※).
Many shipwrights with the shipbuilding skills of the Awa Navy lived here, and they built the foundations for Tokushima Prefecture's furniture industry, which is now known as one of Japan's six major furniture production areas.
*About the Awa Navy:
The Awa navy led by the Mori family. In the narrow sense, it refers to the navy under the control of the Tokushima Domain, but in the broad sense, it refers to the navy led by the Mori family from the Azuchi-Momoyama period before the Tokushima Domain was established. The successive heads of the Mori family have inherited the name Mori Jingobei. After the Hachisuka family, vassals of Toyotomi Hideyoshi, entered Awa, the Mori family was placed in the Tokushima Domain's churo-shiki and was in charge of sankin-kotai (alternate attendance).
The Awa Navy's shipbuilding techniques, which played an important role behind the scenes in historical events, were highly valued by Toyotomi Hideyoshi and Tokugawa Ieyasu, and played a part in promoting various technological cultures, such as Japan's castle-building techniques.
The Hachisuka clan of the Tokushima domain performed extremely well in the Siege of Osaka (a battle between the Edo Shogunate and the Toyotomi clan), and it can be said that the driving force behind this was their navy. *
※Note:
Hachisuka Shigenobu (the eldest son of Hachisuka Iemasa), who had joined Ieyasu's camp, launched an attack from both land and sea with Asano Nagaakira and Ikeda Tadao in the Battle of Kizugawaguchi, the first large-scale battle of the Winter Siege of Osaka. The navy attacked the Osaka guard post with 40 warships approaching from the Kizugawa River, and took the fort.
By the way, the Hachisuka family, which is often featured in historical dramas, is the loyal retainer Hachisuka Koroku, who supported Toyotomi Hideyoshi's success since they met at Yahagi Bridge during the Hiyoshimaru era, but the founder of the Tokushima domain, Hachisuka Iemasa, was the son of Hachisuka Koroku. It is said that the origin of the "Awa Odori" was when Iemasa had the peasants dance when Tokushima Castle was being built.
During times of peace from the Edo period onwards, the Awa Navy played an active role as a sea transport fleet supporting the sankin-kotai system.
Then, when highly skilled shipwrights began to use surplus lumber and leftover materials from shipbuilding to make everyday items, Tokushima's woodworking and joinery industries developed. Much of Tokushima's history, culture, and technology were cultivated together with the Awa Navy.
Nishioka of Seibu Mokko says, "If you come to Anan City in Tokushima Prefecture, you can still see the Tokushima people's history of using all the bounty of the mountains, rivers, and sea in their daily lives and industries."
Seibu Mokko is located in a place that enjoys the blessings of both the sea and the mountains.
Touring the areas associated with the Awa Navy
The site of the Awa Navy residence in Tsubakidomari (the site of Mori Jingobei's residence)
Provided by: Anan City
Provided by: Anan City
The winding road stretching 2km from east to west that leads to the remains of the mansion is narrow, with just enough space for one car to pass through at a time of war, but this was a tactic used in warfare to prevent the enemy from advancing in a straight line. On both sides of the narrow road, there are over 300 houses, creating a unique atmosphere.
After walking, we arrived at a pier on a cape called Hiuchizaki. At the tip of the cape is the Karimatazaki Lighthouse. At the site itself, there are gravestones for the successive heads of the Mori family.
The site of the Awa Navy residence in Tsubakidomari (the site of Mori Jingobei's residence)
| address | ： | Tsubakidomari Town, Anan City, Tokushima Prefecture |
|---|---|---|
| phone | ： | 0884-22-3290（阿南市商工観光労政課） |
Tokushima Castle Museum
Facing Mt. Bizan, the symbol of Tokushima City, the Tokushima Castle Museum stands on the former castle grounds of the Tokushima Domain. It is a historical museum that introduces the life of the Tokushima Domain and the castle town of Tokushima Castle.
The highlight here, where you can also experience the history of the Awa Navy, is the Tokushima Domain's Imperial Whale Ship Senyamamaru, the only surviving Japanese ship in the country that is also a nationally designated Important Cultural Property.
Tokushima Castle Museum
| address | ： | 1-8 Tokushima-cho, Tokushima City, Tokushima Prefecture |
|---|---|---|
| phone | ： | 088-656-2525 |
| Permanent Exhibition | ： | Changes in feudal domain government, the life and culture of feudal lords, castle layout, life in castle towns, and the activities of the Awa Navy |
| web | ： | https://www.city.tokushima.tokushima.jp/johaku/ |
Naruto Whirlpools and the Onaruto Bridge Promenade
The website shows the likelihood of seeing whirlpools, so it is recommended that you visit at a time when you are most likely to see them. You can experience for yourself why the Awa Navy avoided large whirlpools when deciding their route.
It is one of the three largest tidal currents in the world, and the speed of the current reaches over 20km per hour during the fastest spring tides. The size of the whirlpools is also said to be the largest in the world, making it a rare place in Japan where you can see this powerful natural phenomenon. It is at its largest during spring tides in spring and autumn.
Naruto Whirlpools and the Onaruto Bridge Promenade
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The contents published are accurate at the time of publication and are subject to change.
