A Picturesque Village Where Every Corner Is a Scene Worth Framing

The Kasajima district of Honjima was once the political and economic center of the Shiokaku Islands and prospered as a castle town. The area was selected as an Important Preservation District for Groups of Traditional Buildings in 1985 because of the traditional buildings built from the late Edo period to the early Showa period that remain in the village. Along the cobblestone streets, which were built in such a way as to make it difficult to see through, are machiya-style buildings with mushiko windows. The noren curtains hung at the entrances are embroidered with the house name of the family, allowing visitors to imagine the lively lifestyle of the past when people called each other by their house names as they strolled around. There are three buildings in the district that can be viewed from the inside, and the largest of these, the Maki Residence, serves as the Kasajima Townscape Preservation Center and also serves as a tourist information center. Not only can visitors see the 190-year-old building, but the furnishings and old furniture actually used in the house are also on display, allowing them to more vividly recall the prosperous days of the Shiohaku Islands.