Shio no michi- Chikuni Kaido
( The Salt Road- The Chikuni highway )
Since before the Middle Ages,the Chikuni
Highway had been a major artery connecting
the area bordering the Japan Sea ( Niagara
prefecture) and the Matsumoto region( Nagano
prefecture). It is about 120 km long.
It continued to play an important role until
the late 19th century as a transport road
.
Shionomichi means a route for salt.( shio
= salt, michi = road),
In olden times, salt was a very valuable
resource.
It was the thorough fare for commerce in
the feudal days of Japan.
Porters( Ushikata )driving oxen or horses,
carried salt and fish inland from the Japan
Sea .
On the return trip, they hauled hemp yarn
and tobacco from the Shinshu area. ( called
Nagano prefecture nowadays ). This route
ran along the Hime river and threaded it's
way through mountains in Otari.
A panorama of beautiful sceneries adorns
the road between Itoigawa and Ohmachi, taking
the North Alps and magnificent valleys.
Transporting the goods was often extremely
difficult because of heavy snowfalls and
rugged roads.
However this hard work helped the life of
the people who lived in Otari.
Otari was not a rich area because there were
not enough plain for farming.
So, they had to work for porter even such
a heavy snow falls.( They carried loads by
themselves in winter not drove oxen )
This old route is more correctly called "the
Chikuni Kaido"
The road passes through a village called
" Chikuni" part of Otari area.
Kaido means Highway.
Chikuni was an important village where a
gate called " the Bansho" was in
the Edo period.
The domain officers checked and taxed baggage
there.
You can see the gate and feel the wonderful
old Edo atmosphere at "Chikuni no sho"
Along the Shionomichi there are lots of historical
things.
For example Hyakutai Kannon ( A hundred goddess
of mercies), Ushikata -yado (Lodge for cows
and the owner), Chikuni no sho , Suwa shrine,
Genchoji temple, etc.
The road invites you travel to it. You will
be reminded of old and elegant tastes of
it.
Shionomichi Matsuri (Salt Route Festival)
May 3-5 The local people and visitors (even
some foreign visitors) dressed in traditional
costumes, visit historical spots on the route
from Otari, Hakuba, to Ohmachi. Many events
along the way.
Genchoji is a Sotoh-shu sect Buddhist temple
located on the Salt Road.
It was built in 1573 at first, after that
burnt down twice, and destroyed by the strong
wind once. The temple you can see now was
built in 1914.
At the foot of the stone steps, which lead
to the temple, some stone figures of Buddha
are laid in the line. Each figure has different
expression on its face.
You can see some clusters of Iris around
here in June.