まちなみ逍遙

Originally a business center for the Tajima region of Japan, thanks to the river port, Izushi is now a small and culturally strong area that caters to local and foreign tourism.
Izushi has castle ruins, a popular local scenic spot.
The first and original castle’s location on top of Mount Ariko was too difficult for even the ruling family and their retainers to reach easily and, in 1604, it was moved to the base of the mountain. It is the second castle’s location which now a popular tourist spot . While the castle itself does not exist anymore, the two front guardhouses were restored in 1968. The original castle foundations are still on top of the mountain and are accessible by hiking only.

The most iconic image of Izushi is the Shinkoro clock tower.
Built in the Meiji Era, the wooden clock’s name means “eight o’clock drum tower”. This is in reference to the old system of time in Japan, where shin was the starting point of the day between 7 o’clock to 9 o’clock. A drum would beat to call retainers to the castle to work and signal the businesses in the town that working hours had started. It was formerly part of the gate system into the castle, now only it has only a small moat filled with koi.

Izushi is known for being the traditional home of soba noodles in this area of Japan. It was said to have been brought to Izushi with the Sengoku family, when they were transferred by the Ashikaga Shogunate from Shinshu.
Traditional white porcelain pottery, in Japanese called yakimono, is created and sold in small studio shops in downtown Izushi. The professionally made ceramics in this town are called Izushi yaki.

Izushi, Toyooka-City,Hyogo-Prefecture,Japan.
September 2013, Olympus OM-D E-M5

但馬の小京都，出石のまちなみです。
出石は，記紀（古事記，日本書紀）にも記されている長い歴史を持つ町で，”出石”の名も、天日槍の宝物である『出石小刀』に起因したと伝えられています。
時代を下り，中世・室町自体になると，山名氏が但馬地方を制圧し，此隅山（このすみやま）に本拠を構えました。山名一族は大いに栄え，一時は日本全国66カ国中11カ国を治さめるに至り，「六分の一殿」と呼ばれましたが，戦国時代に入って勢力を失い，此隅山城は織田軍の羽柴秀吉（のちの豊臣秀吉）に攻められて落城しました。その後山名氏は城を有子山に移しましたが，有子山城も天正8年（1580）に秀吉の弟秀長（ひでなが）により落城し，山名氏も滅亡してしまいました。羽柴秀長は城を木下昌利に守らせ、その後城主は青木甚兵衛、前野長康と変わったのち、播州竜野から小出吉政（よしまさ）が領主として封ぜられ五万三千石を領し、その子吉英（よしふさ）の時に山城を廃し、山麓に平山城を築き城下町づくりを行ったとのことです。
小出氏は九代、約100年間続きましたが後縦ぎがなく断絶し，元禄10年（1697）に武蔵国岩槻より松平忠徳が移封されました。その後，宝永3年（1706）に松平氏は信州上田の仙石政明と国替えとなり，この際，仙石氏が信州からそば職人を連れてきたのが，名物 ”出石皿そば” のはじまりとされています。
（出石町観光協会・公式観光ガイド参照）

兵庫県豊岡市出石地区
2013年9月 Olympus OM-D E-M5