Kumagawa-juku Historic Post Town

SPOT 7

Wakasa Town

Kumagawa-juku Historic Post Town

Kumagawa-juku, which prospered as a post town on the "Saba Kaido" (Wakasa Kaido) connecting Wakasa and Kyoto in the Edo period, is a spot that is rare nationwide where the traditional cityscape still stands today. Besides being able to drive through the town, spots for gourmet food, sweets, and souvenirs are also plentiful.

Kumagawa-juku Historic Post Town, where a retro and emotional cityscape remains for about 1km, is full of fun things to explore, such as museums where you can learn about history and souvenir shops renovated from townhouses and storehouses.

You Can Drive Through the Retro Cityscape

Kumagawa-juku became a post town in Tensho 17 (1589). Developed by Asano Nagamasa, a retainer of Toyotomi Hideyoshi and the lord of Obama Castle, it prospered in the Edo period as the leading post town on the Saba Kaido with about 200 houses lining the street.

Currently, diverse buildings line the street, including a mixture of "Hirairi" (entrance on the long side) and "Tsumairi" (entrance on the short side) styles, or "Shinkabe-zukuri" and "Nurigome-zukuri" styles. In 1996, it was selected as an Important Preservation District for Groups of Traditional Buildings by the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology.

The water flowing in the irrigation canal (Maegawa) along the street is beautiful and was selected for the "Heisei's 100 Best Waters" by the Ministry of the Environment in 2008. A happy point for drivers is that you can drive through this cityscape and the road along the waterway. There is a lot of traffic and there are no fences, so please drive carefully and safely.

Lots of Shops in Renovated Old Folk Houses

Preservation of buildings in Kumagawa-juku has been carried out in cooperation with the region and Wakasa Town, but there is an increasing number of cases where the younger generation moving in inherits buildings that became vacant due to the aging of residents. Currently, diverse commercial facilities such as pottery studios, cafes, accommodations, and antique shops are operating.

Furthermore, there are cultural facilities such as a museum utilizing a building that was a village office, an art museum in a renovated old folk house, and experience facilities such as pottery, wood carving, and a ninja dojo. Of course, you can also purchase Mackerel Sushi, a specialty of the Saba Kaido.