Shonai is a marvel - a place with a blending
of cultures of stillness and motion.
A number of cultures and institutions were brought to Shonai from Kyoto, Osaka and Edo (Tokyo) areathrough the sea, river, and land. They blended in with the cultural climate of the mercantile town Sakata and the castle town Tsuruoka and helped nurture the culture and ethos of Shonai.
(national historical site)
Chidokan is a school of the Shonai feudal domain, opened in 1805 by the ninth lord of the Sakai clan, Tadaari. With an educational policy emphasizing natural talent, it produced many promising persons and was a source of educational cultural activities in the simple and sturdy castle town. This officially-designated historical building exhibits valuable learning materials, where you can feel the atmosphere of education of that time.
Chidokan, Shonai Domain School
0235-23-4672
This mansion was constructed as housing for government inspection workers in 1768 for the Sakai family, the lord of the Shonai domain, by the third head of the Homma family, Mitsuoka. It is a rare building with two different architectural styles integrated: it is a samurai residence with status of hatamoto Shogunal retainer of 2,000-goku (income rating) constructed in the Shoin style but the inside is structured as a merchant’s place of business. It is a prefecturally-designated cultural property, and has been awarded 2 Michelin stars in 2009.
Historical Homma Residence
0234-22-3562
Soma-ro is a Japanese-style restaurant in Sakata which has been in business since the Edo period. Soma-ya, was restored and newly-created into Soma-ro after the Shonai earthquake. On the first floor is a 20-tatami mat lounge where you can have tea appreciating Tessai’s pictures and ink paintings of bamboo groves; the second floor is a large hall where you can enjoy meals and dances of Sakata maiko dancers. Soma-ro has been introduced in the Michelin Green Guide Japan .
Soma-ro
0234-21-2310
Shonai thrived on trades with Edo and Osaka during the Edo period. Kyoho-bina, Tachi-bina, Kanei-bina, Kokin-bina, and Jiro-zaemon-bina dolls that were shipped by ship have been in the families in Sakataand Tsuruoka for generations. They are displayed for the public in early spring.
Shonai Visitors Association
0235-68-2511
Tomekichi Aoyama,who made his fortune in herring fishing, built this mansion in 1890 at the age of 55 in his hometown Aozuka in Yuza Town. It has been designated as an important national cultural asset.
Yuza Town Board of Education
0234-72-5892
The Homma’s former vacation home became open to the public as a museum after the war. It displays written works, paintings, tea utensils and dolls. The museum lies adjacent to the beautiful garden of the Edo era utilizing the view of Mt. Chokai. The Michelin Green Guide Japan has awarded 1 star to the museum.
Homma Museum of Art
0234-24-4311
This is a Romanesque church built in 1903 in the ruins of a samurai residence for ministers of the Shonai domain. You will see a black statue of Virgin Mary, which is extremely rare in Japan.
Tsuruoka Catholic Church
0235-22-0292
Originally built as business premises for the Sakai family, it is now opened to the public as a museum. Valuable historical structures have been reconstructed here, including a unique garden designed in the Shoin style. The museum has been awarded 1 Michelin star in 2009.
Chido Museum
0235-22-1199
This is the world's first museum of photography, which preserves and displays all the works of Ken Domon, a Sakata City-born photographer, who marked a distinct age in the history of modern photography in Japan. The Michelin Green Guide Japan has awarded 2 stars to this museum.
Ken Domon Museum of Photography
0234-31-0028
A building with modern styling constructed in the early Showa era (1926-1989) with an atmosphere typical of Taisho-era (1912-1926) romanticism. Its garden, which features a circular pond and fountain, is very well-known, and the wildflowers are a must-see in the spring when they are in full bloom.
Mikawa Town Cultural Exchange Center
0235-66-5040