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Shirakabe Fureai Square (White-walled Town Interaction Square) & Tourist Information Center
The parking lot is exclusively for motor coaches as it is located at the west end of Yanai’s most famous tourist spot, white-walled street. Tourists can freely stop at a tourist information centre and get a lot of information, map and brochures. This square is often used as a meeting place with your volunteer guide. (Please see a link about volunteer guide service). On weekends and national holidays, you can receive a 2-hour free parking ticket, so that you can use it at two designated parking lots below. ※Ebisu parking lot & City’s Machinaka parking lot (See the Map).
Special Feature Special Feature
Strolling in the Shirakabe Historical District
How about a walking tour of the Shirakabe historical district, one of Yanai’s famous sightseeing spots?
The town partitioning of the middle ages remains unchanged today, with rows of Edo-period merchants’ houses lining both sides of the road, approximately 200m in length. During the era of domain administration, this district was known as the “storehouse of Iwakuni Domain”. The street was lively with the comings and goings of huge two-wheeled carts, loaded with agricultural produce.
In 1984, Shirakabe was selected as a Nationally-Important Preservation District for Groups of Traditional Buildings.
Wouldn’t you like to feel a sense of history in this townscape that holds traces of the past?
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Shigeeda Shoyu Brewery
We are one of the major breweries of Kanro Shoyu(vintage soy sauce), which is a specialty of Yanai, brewed for more than two years. Its mellow and rich taste goes perfectly with Sashimi(sliced raw fish) and it is also a perfect seasoning for all kinds of Japanese dishes. Other popular products are Moromi(fermented mash), Miso(soy bean paste) and whipped ice cream.
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The Kunimori Residence (National Important Cultural Property)
The Kunimori Residence was built in the mid-Edo period (the late 18th century) and remains unchanged up until today. The Kunimori Family was one of the most wealthy merchants in Yanai, engaged in business and trading of lamp oil and hair oil. Their residence is one of the rare types of white-walled merchant houses during the Edo period because the white plastered 2-story storehouse has its entrance in one of the gable ends. It is constructed with a hip-and-gable roofing method, where square and round slates are laid alternately. The builders’ creative contrivances to prepare for the frequent fires and...
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Yanai Nishigura
This white plastered, 1-story wooden storehouse was built as a soy sauce brewery in the late Taisho Period (around 1920’s) . Many people used to call it in its nickname “Nishigura” up until 1980. In order to preserve the building as a valuable historical and cultural heritage, its facade, interior pillars and frames have been maintained as original state. It is now utilized as “Yanai Nishigura”, a craft center and a gallery. 【Goldfish-shaped Lantern Making】 Why don’t you try making Kingyo Chochin (goldfish-shaped lantern), the traditional folkcraft of Yanai? You simply paste fins and eyes and then draw scales to...
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Karari
This store sells a range of accessories made using Yanai-jima textiles, such as coin purses, business card holders, and book covers. Karari also holds an accessory-making class called “Hitohari Yokocho” (Stitch Alley).
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Kanro Soy Sauce Museum & Sagawa Soy Sauce Brewery
Kanro Shoyu (vintage soy sauce) was invented in Yanai 200 years ago. Its production process utilizes a unique technique of double-stage fermentation and was loved by the local feudal lord Yoshikawa. The vintage flavor of soy sauce and unique production process have been preserved by two local soy sauce breweries, both of them still remain in the downtown. One of them is Sagawa Soy Sauce Brewery which is now open to the public as museum as well, you will have a chance to learn the special production processes of this vintage soy sauce and see various traditional tools, such as...
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Kisaka Syobundo Stationery, Shirakabe Branch
This store’s slogan is “The local pioneering stationer with a nostalgic atmosphere”. The company was founded in 1894 (Meiji 27), and thrived as a wholesaler during the Meiji and Showa periods, leaving traces of that role even today. The interior of the store is designed to evoke an old-fashioned school. Items such as Yanai’s famous folkcraft “kingyo chochin” (goldfish-shaped lanterns), as well as original stationery and goods that incorporate “kingyo chochin” motifs, are gladly received as gifts for daily use. The store’s range of nostalgic stationery and toys is also a must-see.
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Yanai Machinami Museum/Matsushima Utako Museum
This building was constructed in 1907 (Meiji 40) as the head office of Suo Bank. One of few such buildings in Japan, the stately appearance of the former bank can be felt even today. It was designed by Sato Setsuo, the star pupil of Nagano Uheiji, who worked on many Western-style buildings in the Meiji period. Suo Bank later underwent several mergers, and the building was donated to Yanai City by its final owner, The Yamaguchi Bank Ltd., in 1998. The first floor of the building is used as the Machinami (Townscape) Museum, exhibiting models of townhouses in Yanai’s Townscape...
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Muroya-no-sono Merchant House Museum (Prefecture's Important Folk-cultural Property)
Muroya is a trade name of the Oda Family who prospered as oil merchant in Edo Period. Later they became one of the most wealthy merchant houses in western Japan. The family owned as many as 50 trading ships during the Edo Period and its trading area expanded from Kyushu to Osaka. Today, this is one of Japan’s biggest merchant houses well-preserved since that era, having 11 buildings with 35 rooms including a main house, a main warehouse, an accounting house, a rice warehouse, a tool shed and a Chugen samurai room. By looking at various living wares and business...
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Shoko-an Temple / Willow tree and well
Shoko-an is a temple of the Soto Zen Sect, which has a legend that the area name of “Yanai” is originally derived from the willow tree planted there. About 1,400 years ago, the Princess Hannya, a daughter of a local wealthy man, Manono Choja in Bungo (the south of Oita) was struck by a terrible storm in the off shore of Heigun Island on her way to Kyoto to reunite with the Prince Tachibanano Toyohi (later Emperor Yohmei). Because of this, she was forced to sail back to the shore of Yanaitsu. There, she asked a local man to give...
