"Sakai (Osaka) in the west and Sakata in the east" is the phrase to show how much a port town Sakata flourished in the Edo Period.
"Sakai (Osaka) in the west and Sakata in the east"
is the phrase to show how much a port town Sakata
flourished in the Edo Period (1603-1867) through
the trade of safflower (sometimes referred to as
"bastard saffron"), and other commodities. The
port's history and culture, cultivated by nobles
and wealthy merchants, are still found everywhere
in the city.
Sankyo Soko was built in 1893 as a storehouse for
rice, and has been used to preserve agricultural
products ever since. The view of these12
traditional storehouses together with the Japanese
zelkova trees that line the river is now a symbol
of Sakata, a "city of rice." One of the
storehouses is now used as a museum to exhibit
documents related to Shonai rice, while another
has opened as Sakata Yume-no-kura, a hall where
you can buy souvenirs and enjoy dishes made with
seasonal ingredients.
A villa of the Honma family, known as a family
even wealthier than the feudal lords, is open to
the public as a museum. Its garden surrounding the
pond is a must-see.
Souma-ya, one of the most prominent Japanese
restaurants in Sakata during the Edo Period, has
been renovated and renamed the Souma-ro. At Souma-
ro guests can enjoy traditional performances by
young women known as "Sakata Maiko" (dancing
girls) while they dine. This is a part of the
culture found at some Japanese restaurants which
was brought from Kyoto and Osaka to Sakata as a
byproduct of their trading business.