The Izumozaki townscapek

Four kilometers of traditional Japanese architecture along the Hokkoku Kaido Highway - Izumozaki-machi, Niigata Prefecture

Izumozaki, an imperial domain during the time of the Tokugawa government during the Edo Period, was the most prosperous post town along the Hokkoku Kaido road thanks to cargo ships docking in the area, as well as cargo unloaded from the Sado gold mine. It was also dotted with inns, shipping agents, and various other types of industries.

Sandwiched between an area of small hills and the Sea of Japan, Izumozaki has virtually no flat land. During the Edo Period, it boasted the densest popular of the Echigo region. To bring in more people to the area, and because taxes at the time were calculated based on frontage, buildings were built with narrow frontage and long to the back in a traditional Japanese architectural style.

Izumozaki has also been named a historic road area by the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism. It is well-known as the birthplace of the well-loved Zen Buddhist monk Ryokan. It also appears in Oku no Hosomichi (“The Narrow Road to the Deep North and The Narrow Road to the Interior”), by Matsuo Bashō.

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