Yao-cho, Toyama City, Toyama Prefecture has attractive sightseeing spots that preserve the good old, historic townscape.The tourist spot is “Suwacho Hondori”. At first glance, it seems like a common name. However, here there is a traditional folk song event called ″Owara Kaze no Bon,” which has a history of about 300 years. It is an event with a unique worldview that is both elegant and melancholy. This time, we will introduce in detail the local folk song “Owara Kaze Bon” that has been passed down for 300 years on Suwa Town Hondori.

①What kind of place is “Suwacho Hondori”, a scenic street on a slope?

Suwa-cho Hondori is the name of a street in Yao-cho, Toyama City, Toyama Prefecture. Suwa Town is the name of one of the areas called the old town of Yao Town, and is not the name of the town.
The official name of Suwa Town is “Yao Town Suwa Town.” By the way, in addition to Suwa-cho, Yao-cho still has 11 old town names, including Higashimachi, Higashishinmachi, Nishimachi, Nishishinmachi, and Kagami-cho.

❶Also known as “Etchu Yao”

Suwa-machi Main Street was also known as ″Ecchu Yatsuo.” Etchu refers to present-day Toyama Prefecture, and Yao refers to Yao Town. The origin of the name Yao comes from the fact that it was the part where the ridges of all directions converge.

❷“Suwacho Hondori” is a nostalgic hill town‼︎

Suwa Town Hondori is a hill town. The area in Yao Town called Kyu-machi is located where ridges meet, so a gentle slope is formed. The further you head towards the mountains of Hida, the steeper the slope becomes. On Suwamachi Main Street, a stone pavement was built by stacking stones on the slope.

❸Nostalgic good old historical townscape!! ︎

Suwa-machi Hondori is a place where the good old historical streetscape remains. The reason why Suwacho Hondori was able to preserve such a historic streetscape is because the local people worked to protect the historical value of the buildings built with the traditional roof tiles, lattice doors, and white walls of Suwachohondori. Because we tried to preserve it. Approximately 90 houses still stand today, and the area still retains its traditional atmosphere. However, most of the buildings were built during the Showa period. To be more precise, Suwamachi Hondori is a ″streetscape with traditional Edo period-style buildings”.

❹What is the local folk song “Owara Kaze no Bon” that has been passed down for 300 years?

The local folk song ″Owara Kaze no Bon,” which has been passed down for 300 years, is still held on Suwa Town’s main street. Owara Kaze no Bon is an event that heralds the arrival of autumn.
Owara Kaze Bon is characterized by men and women wearing woven hats that cover their eyes deeply, dancing in a richly emotional and dignified manner to the melancholy song and melody of “Ecchu Owarabushi” played on shamisen, kokyu, and drums. It is an event where people parade around the town. The participants of Owara Kaze no Bon are people from 11 towns (branches) called Kyu-machi. It is held for three days from September 1st to 3rd every year.

❺“Wakamiya Hachiman Shrine” A power spot that watches over the city‼︎

Wakamiya Hachimansha Kaiyogu Shrine is a shrine located in Higashishinmachi, Yao City, Toyama Prefecture. By the way, Wakamiya Hachiman Shrine and Seriyo Shrine were originally separate shrines. This is a rare shrine that enshrines the silkworm. The specific location is in the southern part of Mt. Jogayama at an altitude of 200m. The Sericulture Palace was built in 1781, the year before the Great Tenmei Famine in Japanese history. Seriyogu Shrine was enshrined with Wakamiya Hachiman Shrine in 1878, and the shrine building was renovated to its current status.

❻You can see the cityscape of Suwa Town from the view plaza.

From the view plaza, you can see the cityscape of Suwa Town. The View Plaza is an observation deck located in Shirogayama Park, located in the southeastern part of Suwacho Main Street. From an altitude of 202m, you can see the entire cityscape of Suwa Town from every corner.

▲If you climb this path, you will arrive at the observation space within 10 minutes.

❼You can see a beautiful view of the Idagawa River from the observation deck in Nishimachi.

You can enjoy a beautiful view of the Idagawa River from the observation deck in Nishimachi. The observation deck was built in 2013 on a slope along a stone wall about 30 meters above the Idagawa River. The view is good and you can see far away.

➁Access information to Suwacho Hondori

Here you will find detailed information about access to Suwacho Hondori. The address of Suwa-cho Hondori is “2605 Suwa-cho, Yao-cho, Toyama City, Toyama Prefecture.”

❶Route from Tokyo to Suwacho Hondori by plane and car.

Tokyo Haneda Airport ⇒ Toyama Airport ⇒ Car ⇒ Toyama Chubu Regional Farm Road ⇒ Prefectural Route 68 ⇒ Prefectural Route 7 ⇒ Prefectural Route 224 ⇒ Prefectural Route 472 ⇒ Kamishinmachi, Yao Town ⇒ Suwacho Main Street

Summary

This time, we introduced the local folk song “Owara Kaze Bon” that has been passed down for 300 years on Suwa Town Hondori. Suwamachi Hondori is an attractive tourist spot that still retains its good old, historic streetscape. The quaint cobblestone streets are lined with old-fashioned shops, and it has a glorious history of developing as a temple town after receiving permission from the Kaga clan to build a town. In addition, ″Owara Kaze no Bon” is a folk song event loved by local people that has been passed down for over 300 years since the Edo period. Each branch has different costumes, dancing styles, and song lyrics. Therefore, you can enjoy comparing them.
If you visit Toyama Prefecture, we highly recommend you to visit Suwacho Hondori.