Omachi city in central Japan was a post-town on the Chikuni highway, which linked Matsumoto (inland city) and Itoigawa (coast city of the Sea of Japan). Salt and so on were brought to inland region through the highway a.k.a. "Salt Road". Chouji-ya was a residence of a village head who also was a salt wholesaler. The buildings including storehouses are open to the public.
I was surprised that even raw fishes were
transported to Omachi from the seaside without a cold-chain and trucks; the sea
is eighty kilometers away. People wanted to eat sashimi or sushi so
much. I was also moved by the local festival which hero is a boy. Omachi is a
calm city, however, locals have been passionate.
長野県の旧宿場町・大町市にある資料館です。大町は、日本海沿岸の糸魚川と内陸部の松本を結ぶ千国街道が、山間部を抜けて松本平に入ったところにあります。庄屋であり塩問屋であった平林家とその蔵が「ちょうじや」の展示室として公開されています。
生魚を海から80km離れた大町までの山道を24時間で運んだ物流システム（すなわち、生の海の魚へのニーズの高さ）、そして、子どもを主役にした祭りへの情熱に驚きました。普段は静かな街ですが、熱いですね。
Sacred rice-straw ropes were hung, because it was the annual festival day of the local shrine (Nyakuichi-ouji Shrine). Flat dolls (inside the white dotted circle) were hung in front of the museum; it was a local custom of Star Festival (Tanabata).
訪問日は、若一王子神社の夏祭りで通りには注連縄が張られていました。また、建物の前には、月遅れの七夕飾りが吊されていました。平面の人形を吊すのは松本平の風習です。
A legend has that a young man (hikoboshi) on the right and a young woman (orihime) on the left cross the Milky Way and meet only once a year. However, they cannot meet on a rainy day because of a rising of a river. In such a case, a man in center helps the woman to cross the river in this area. Therefore, three dolls are hung.
織姫さまと彦星さまの間にいるのは天ノ川が溢れたときに、織り姫さまを彦星さまの所に連れて行ってくれるカワゴシ（川越）です。
We go inside the building; there is a wooden railway on the earthen floor. Those were way on which carts were drawn to storehouses in behind.
The houses were built in 1890 by the
former owner (Hirabayashi family), who were a village head and also a salt
wholesaler. The model at the upper right shows their prime time. We go into
the exhibition space on the left.
建物に入るとレールのように板が埋め込まれています。奥にある蔵へと続く台車の通り道でした。
建物（1890年竣工）の所有者であった平林家は、庄屋であり塩問屋でもありました。模型（右上）が展示されていて、かつてのにぎわいを感じさせてくれます。左側の展示スペースを拝見します。
We enter the wooden floor room with an irori fireplace.
囲炉裏がある部屋から家に上がります。
We go up the stairs, which is also a chest of drawers. It’s a rare experience for us to go up such an old furniture.
帳場にある梯子箪笥をのぼり、二階の展示室に向かいます。民芸品の上を歩くのは恐縮しますね。
Salt Road、塩の道
Exhibits about “Salt Road” are displayed on the second floor. Salt, seafood and so on were carried to an inland region through the road. It is also called “Chikuni highway”. In the Edo period (1603～1868), Matsumoto han (local government of the inland region) transported salt from the north only because of military and taxation reasons.
二階には、塩の道についての展示品が並びます。日本海から松本平へ塩や海産物を運ぶルートは、古くは「千国道」や「千国大道」と呼ばれ、江戸時代は「糸魚川街道」や「松本街道」と呼ばれました。松本藩は、軍事の理由や徴税のため太平洋側からの塩（南塩）を禁止し、北塩を入れました。確かに。南からは藩領や天領を通過しますが、北からは糸魚川藩だけですからリスクが少ないと思います。
Various things were brought through the road. From Itoigawa (seaside city), salt, fish, dried-seaweed, cotton, used clothes and hardware were brought to Oomachi and Matsumoto (inland). On the other hand, hemp, tobacco, paper, perilla seeds, soy beans, wheat and buckwheat (soba) were brought to Itoigawa.
塩は、新潟ではなく瀬戸内で生産されたものが北前船で糸魚川にきて、松本平に運ばれました。日本海沿岸の糸魚川からはさまざまな品が運ばれました。
The distance from Itoigawa to Matsumoto is around 120 km, and the one from Itoigawa to Oomachi is around 80 km which is a mountain road. Cattle carried goods in a mountainous area, and horses carried ones in a plain. A driver controlled several cattle (model at the upper left) or horses. Although it was a side job of a farmer during an agricultural off-season, transporters started business in the 19th century.
Cattle were not good at walking in a snowy season, so a farmer carried goods and walked. The weight was 50 to 60 kg (there is a full-scale doll in center). It was a hard work, however, it was also a nice way for them to earn cash. I guess a worker bought gifts in a city such as a toy for their family members. It has been one of Japanese customs (Travel of Isabella L. Bird in 1878, part 11).
糸魚川から松本までは約120km、大町までは約80kmです。大町までの山道は牛で、大町からの平地は馬での運搬が主力でした。牛方は数頭の牛を連れて荷を運びました（左上模型）。保有する農耕牛や農耕馬を使った作間稼ぎでしたが、江戸時代後期になると輸送業者があらわれました。
歩荷（ぼっか）も農閑期のアルバイトでした。50~60kgの荷を背負って雪道を歩きました。牛は積雪期が苦手だそうです（牛方宿の職員の話）。歩荷の人形はちょっとこわいですね。得られた貴重な現金収入で、家族へのお土産を買って帰ったのでしょうか。
The men in the photo above seems to be drivers. But, I’m not sure they were models or not. Many traveling gear made by rice straw are exhibited. Even gloves were made by straw (lower right).
牛方らしい人の写真もあるのですが、モデルかどうか不明です（千国~沓掛、親坂の道にて）。旅に使われた藁細工がたくさん展示されていますが、手袋も藁で作ったのですね（右下）。
The chart surprised me. Row fishes were brought to Oomachi in 24 hours. Japanese love them!
この図にはびっくり。生魚を24時間で大町まで運ぶサービスがあったのですね。日本人は刺身好きです。
Not only transporters but also traveling entertainers walked the Salt Road. The old women above came from Niigata (neighboring prefecture). They were called “goze” who were blind, played shamisen guitar and sang. I cannot imagene what they thought and what was their joy while traveling.
街道を行き交う人には盲目の女旅芸人・瞽女さんたちもいました。写真は新潟の高田瞽女（鈴木昭英氏撮影）。どんな思いで旅をしていたのだろうか、楽しみはあったのだろうかと思いますね。
About the former owner’s family (Hirabayashi)、平林家について
Hirabayashi.J (1791-1867) developed a new channel to purchase salt by a patient negotiation. He reduced the price by 30%. Btw, Hirabayashi family live nearby even until now.
平林甚左衛門さん（1791-1867）は、高額で買うしかなかった糸魚川の塩を、交渉の末、加賀藩からも購入できるようにしました。三割も安くなりました。大きな功績ですね。平林家は今も近くに住まれているようです。
Everyday goods such as lunchboxes are exhibited. The hiirige on the right is breathable, so foods didn’t get rotten even in summer.
弁当箱などの日用品も展示されています。夏でもご飯が腐らない「ひいりげ」もありました。
Precious items of the family are exhibited on the first floor. The lacquered lunchbox on the left was used while sakura cherry blossom viewing. The luxurious box and bottle made foods and liquor delicious.
一階では平林家のお宝が展示されています。左端の「牡丹蒔絵花見提重」はとても豪華。お酒も料理も美味しくしてくれますね。
Annual events are exhibited such as a star festival and a girls’ day. Those are similar to Matsumoto.
年中行事が紹介されています。七夕人形、押し絵雛、市神様に祀った塩を子どもたちが売る塩市（あめ市）。松本と同じ習俗です。
We go down to the first floor, go through the classy guest rooms and go to storehouses in behind.
一階に戻って、立派な座敷を通り、裏の蔵に向かいます。
There are three storehouses on the left and there is Yabusame (festival) Hall on the right.
左側に文庫蔵、漬物蔵、塩蔵が並び右に流鏑馬会館があります。
Storehouse for pickles、漬物蔵
The building was used not only to storage pickled vegetables but also to manufacture them. The thick mortar wall kept the inside temperature constant, so it was possible to produce exceptionally good tasting pickles. It was a related business of the salt wholesaler because salt is a necessary material for making pickles. The family also manufactured soy sauce and miso (soybean paste); salt was also needed to make both.
漬物蔵には、桶などが並べられています。塩問屋の平林家では、醤油や味噌も作っていました。そして、漬物の製造。漬物は家々で作った時代ですから、きっと美味しい品を売っていたのでしょうね。「温度が一定する土蔵で生まれた漬物の味は格別でした」と書かれています。
Storehouse for salt、塩蔵
It is written “There were nearly one hundred straw salt bags piled at all times. There still remains a store of bittern which drains out from the salt (lower left)”. The bittern is used to make tofu; it solidifies soymilk.
塩蔵は一番奥にあります。常時、百俵近い塩が積まれていました。塩からにじみ出るにがりを溜めるニガリ溜め（左下）が残っています。
Yabusame Hall、流鏑馬会館
Yabusame (horseback archery) is a rite which is held at the annual festival of the local shrine (Nyakuichi-ouji Shrine). It is performed on the 4th Sunday of July. Ten selected archers parade to the shrine. Every archer is accompanied by residents of their community who walk shouting “hao, hao, hao”.
７月の第４日曜に若一王子神社例祭の神事として行われる流鏑馬です。各町から一騎、合計十騎が隊列を組んで、神社へ向かいます。「ハオ、ハオ、ハオ」と大きな掛け声をかけながら進みます。
It is rare that a boy becomes an archer across Japan. The conditions of an archer are (1) around seven to eight-year-old boy, (2) both parents are fine, (3) no family member passed away in a year. The photo above was taken in 2019.
祭りのヒーロー・射手ボボ（ボボは男の子の方言）は、７~８歳ぐらいの男の子で、十町内それぞれから選ばれます。両親がそろっていて、身内に不幸がなかったことが条件です。流鏑馬は各地で行われていますが、少年が行うのは珍しいです。射手ボボは、町内の若者や代表者八名ほどを従えて、流鏑馬神事を行います。写真は、令和元年の六九町。
Photos of an archer’s activities on the rite day were shown in a special exhibition. At 7AM, residents went to the archer’s house and greeted him. Afterword, he put on makeup, got dressed, had a meal with residents which was his debut as an archer. He departed, performed in the shrine, changed clothes and returned home at 7:30 PM. Of course, he had meals with residents during the day. His parents bought a toy as a reward after the rite in the shrine. It was a hard day for him, however, I’m sure it was also an unforgotten one for him.
文書蔵の企画展では、祭り当日の射手ボボの一日が紹介されていました。射手ボボの家には、朝７時に氏子が挨拶に来ます。化粧、着付け、町内のお披露目（食事付き）、出発、神社での奉射、ご褒美のおもちゃを買ってもらって、帰り用の衣装に着替え、夜７時半到着。この間、皆さんでの食事も入ります。子どもにとっては大変な一日ですが、一生の思い出になったでしょう。
It’s an honor for a family and relatives that a boy is selected as an archer. The photo was taken in 1933.
射手ボボを出すということは、親戚一同にとってとても嬉しいことだったと思います（昭和8年、大町市南原町、企画展の写真）
Inside the exhibition room. The full-scale model of an archer (lower left) welcomes us.
展示室の内部、射手ボボの実物大模型（右下）が入口にあります。
Ornamented floats follow the archers and people on the floats play music. The photo above is a float on the festival-eve. Children are attracted by the performance of the white fox, which replica is exhibited in the hall (upper left).
射手ボボの隊列には、華やかな舞台もお囃子を奏でながらついて行きます。上はビデオで紹介されている舞台（堀六日町）の宵宮での様子。からくり狐（左上、複製の展示品）が動きます。子どもが見入っています。
The old document written in 1824 recorded how to entertain the “Yabusame” group from the great shrine nearby (Nishina Shinmeigu, reference; Omachi folklore museum). Fishes (yellowtail and mackerel), simmered vegetables, steamed rice with red beans (sekihan), tofu soup and so on were served. Those were treats in Oomachi back then.
古文書には、1824年に仁科神明宮(参考ページ：大町市民俗資料館)の宮本から来た流鏑馬の一行を大町で接待したときの記録が書かれています。酒肴はブリやサバ、野菜の煮しめ、赤飯に豆腐汁などが出されています。当時のご馳走ですね。
I visited the day before “Yabusame” rite. In the shrine ground, targets of horseback archery (inside the white dotted circle) were set. The main hall was built in 1556. The three-story pagoda behind the target shows us the typical example of Shinto-Buddhist syncretism.
訪問したのは、流鏑馬神事の前日でした。若一王子神社ではお祭り準備のさなか。流鏑馬の的（円内）も置かれていました。本殿は1556年に仁科氏が造営、1654年に松本藩主・水野氏が大改修しました。三重塔（1711年建立）の奥には観音堂（1706年建立）があり、神仏習合の姿を残しています。
Visited in July, 2024
Official website: http://www.alps.or.jp/choujiya/ (in
Japanese), accessed in August, 2024
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Alpine Museum、大町山岳博物館
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