Mid Edo period (18th century)
Tangible Cultural Property, designated by Sakata city
Donated by the Homma family
This is an important illustration that allows us to know of the bustling nature of Sakata Harbor during the first half of the eighteenth century. With the mouth of Sakata harbor as its focus, this image portrays shrines and temples, amongst them Sanō-sha (modern day Hie Shrine) and Shinmei-sha (modern day Kōtai Shrine), official loading stations (rice storehouses directly under the shōgunate’s control), showing the townscape of Sakata – including Teramachi and Nakamachi streets. What is written on this hanging scroll leads us to understand that large ships would unload their cargo onto smaller ships at the small Sode-no-ura bay, which would then carry said cargo to Koya-no-hama, from whence the cargo would be unloaded.