The Port Town Flourished During the Edo Period
Mitarai is an island on the Seto Inland Sea, part of Hiroshima Prefecture. This port town flourished with maritime traffic during the Edo Period, and the secluded port town was a place for sailors and merchants to rest and refuel on the way to and from Osaka. At its heyday, Mitarai was one of the wealthiest towns in Japan, with shops selling luxury goods, theaters for entertainment and even a geisha quarter where the sailors spent their evenings, all of which still stand today. Visitors can still see the historic buildings that were essential facilities during the time. Shipyards, stone bridges, and high lanterns make this location an interesting sightseeing spot for tourists.
Mitarai is a wonderful place to wander by yourself, but you will gain a far deeper understanding of its fascinating and colorful history by taking a guided tour. See local people and enjoy chatting with them, check out an old man, who used to be a great ship carpenter, still making a miniature ships on the waterfront. Appreciate the flowers and short poems with which local people decorate the walls of their houses to welcome the guests from outside the island. Mitarai is a place where you can still experience the sense of community and small town friendliness that characterized life in Japan decades ago.
Mitarai is a wonderful place to wander by yourself, but you will gain a far deeper understanding of its fascinating and colorful history by taking a guided tour. See local people and enjoy chatting with them, check out an old man, who used to be a great ship carpenter, still making a miniature ships on the waterfront. Appreciate the flowers and short poems with which local people decorate the walls of their houses to welcome the guests from outside the island. Mitarai is a place where you can still experience the sense of community and small town friendliness that characterized life in Japan decades ago.
