Wajima City Kurojima District Important Preservation District for Groups of Traditional Buildings

Overview

The Wajima City Kurojima District Important Preservation District for Groups of Traditional Buildings is an area designated as an Important Preservation District for Groups of Traditional Buildings in Wajima City, Ishikawa Prefecture. This district thrived as a port of call for Kitamae-bune (northern coastal trading ships) from the Edo to Meiji periods, and its townscape vividly retains the atmosphere of that era. Kurojima district faces the Japan Sea to the west and stretches north-south along the main street, ascending from the sandy beach to the foothills to the east. The settlement is said to have been established in the early 16th century. In the late 16th century, Banso-ya Zenemon, who started the shipping business, transported rice for the Kaga Ikko-ikki (Kaga Ikko rebellion). In the Edo period, ship owners appeared, and the settlement grew due to the development of maritime transport along the Japan Sea route. The number of houses, approximately 150 in the mid-Edo period, exceeded 500 in the early Meiji period, and the settlement extended north and south along the main street, forming the framework of the current townscape. The preservation district covers an area of approximately 20.5 hectares, with east-west dimensions of about 680m and north-south dimensions of about 1300m, encompassing the entire settlement during its heyday and related cemeteries, etc. The former roads and lot divisions are well preserved, and traditional main houses line the streets. Many houses feature a passageway on one side leading to an earth floor, a central tea room (chanonoma), and a formal reception room (zashiki) with a raised floor and Buddhist altar facing the main street. Ship owners’ houses, in particular, showcase a unique U-shaped layout surrounding a courtyard. While structural styles vary depending on the era, black glazed roof tiles, lower wall clapboarding, and lattices on the front openings create a sense of unity throughout the townscape. Despite suffering significant damage in the Noto Peninsula earthquake of March 2007, the area retains the excellent land division from the early Meiji period, when it was at its most prosperous. Traditional main houses, along with gardens, storehouses, shrines and temples, stone objects, and trees within the site, effectively convey the historical landscape, making it of great value to Japan. The Wajima City Kurojima District Important Preservation District for Groups of Traditional Buildings is a precious place where you can feel the history and culture of a settlement that developed as a residential area for Kitamae-bune ship owners and crew.