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Museum of farming village “Ikusaka”、生坂村農村資料館


The village which population is 1,600 is in central Japan (Nagano prefecture). It’s a mountainous area; people live in small flat land along a river wherein also fields, shops and public facilities are (the photo below).

The museum in a village facility was built in 2000 due to strong demand of villagers. They donated items for exhibits. The exhibits filled with their memories are well organized with good panels.

生坂村は長野県・松本盆地の水を集めて千曲川に流れる犀川沿いにある人口1600人（2025年）の村。多くが山林で、川沿いの小さな平地に田畑や店、公共施設があります（写真は犀川と生坂村中心部です）。

資料館は、村民からの強い要望で、村民からの寄贈資料の展示ホールとして活性化センター内に2000年に作られました。村民の思いが詰まった品々が、整然と展示され丁寧に説明されています。

 


The lion dance heads from settlements in the village are in the showcase. The curtain in behind was used in Kabuki performance by villagers. I felt like hearing of applause of villagers.

Gifts in the Edo period (1603～1868) are written on the panel at innermost. For example, at celebration party when pilgrim returned from Ise Shrine, folding fans and so on were given out.

各集落から集められた獅子頭の後ろに貼られているのが、農村歌舞伎の幕です。この前で熱い演技が行われ、観客がヤジを飛ばし喝采を送ったのですね。

奥のパネルでは江戸時代の農村の生活が紹介されています。儀礼の贈答品については特に詳しく、伊勢参宮の帰村祝い（酒迎え）では、扇子や風呂敷など配ったとあります。


Items used in annual events, picnic and so on are displayed. At wedding party, a wooden tai fish was set (lower right). Surprisingly enough, it is written “It was difficult to obtain sea fish, so a wooden one was displayed.” If they could eat an actual tai fish during pilgrimage to Ise, it had to be once in a lifetime experience and they had to be proud of it at their welcome party.

儀礼や酒宴・行楽で使われた道具です。婚礼用鯛の説明には、「本物の鯛を手に入れるのが難しかったため、木製のものを飾った」と書かれています。ビックリです。彼らが伊勢参りなどで本物の鯛を食べたら、一生の思い出、そして酒迎えで自慢話になったでしょうね。


Manual farming machines. Rice field was scarce in the village, so they planted wheat a lot. They have made udon noodle and oyaki (round cake with various vegetable fillings) from flour; those are specialties at present.

電動化される前の農機具。田んぼが少ない生坂では、麦も重要な生産物。小麦を使ったオヤキやうどんは生坂の名物になっています。


There is a living room of farmer’s house at center of the exhibition room. On the irori fireplace, oyaki cakes are displayed. It says, “oyaki is made at irori even until now”. Oyaki is roasted in ash of irori, so its surface is crispy; it is called “Hai (ash) yaki (roasted) oyaki”.

展示室の中央は農家の居室のようになっています。囲炉裏には「今も囲炉裏で灰焼おやき」と書かれています。囲炉裏の灰の中で焼くので、表面はカリッとしています。


Tobacco was a major income source before modernization. A monk brought tobacco seeds from Nagasaki (1200km away from the village) and started planting in around 1600. Cutting machine of tobacco leaves is exhibited (lower left).

煙草の栽培は、江戸時代の生坂村の主力産業でした。1600年ごろ、寺僧が長崎から煙草の種を持ち帰ったのが始まりです。農機具のコーナーには、刻み煙草のせん切り機が展示されています（左下）。


I don’t like a chronological table, but this is an exception. Because, history of ordinary people is written on it.

In Bunsei period (1818～1829), revenue of tobacco improved the standard of living. Villagers held a festival and a Kyogen performance, make haiku poems which were offered to shrine. Sumo wrestling was also offered. They also went on pilgrimage, and some built houses.
In 1930, the cocoon price plummeted and it caused recession.
In 1919, a sericulture association was established; many families engaged on it. Villagers who lived a luxurious life became prominent.

Those historical events link to the exhibits. The museum shows us a history and culture of the village well.

村の年表は政治の記載がほとんどなので見ないのですが、この年表はおもしろい！

文政年間（1818～1829）、“煙草の収入により生活が豊かになり、祭典に狂言・俳句・相撲の奉納・札所の巡拝、家普請をする”
1919（大正8）年、“古坂蚕業組合が設立される。繭の養蚕戸数が増加。村内華美の生活者が増加する”
大正後半、“若手の女性多数が岡谷、伊那、松本方面の製糸工場へ働きに出る”
1930（昭和５）年、“繭値が大暴落し、不況“

生活のようすが書かれています。展示品が年代的につながりました。まさに「農村文化の歴史」ですね。


Dr. Kato museum, who was an authority of jurisprudence, is next to the history museum. He was well versed in haiku poem, drawing and calligraphy. The photo in lower right is a wooden board on which one hundred people’s haiku poems are written; it was offered to a shrine. I am surprised that there were so many poets in the mountainous village.

農村資料館の隣の部屋は法学研究の権威「加藤正治博士頌徳館」になっています。博士は俳句や書画に通じた方ですが、100人ほど方が俳句を作って神社へ奉納した額の写真がありました（右下）。山村ですが、粋人は多かったのですねえ。

 

Museums are in “Kasseika (reinvigorate) center. In the field around the building, rice had been planted.

資料館がある活性化センター。周りの水田では田植えが終わっていました。



I ate simmered udon noodle at the roadside rest area “Ikusaka-no-sato”. There were many ingredients in it. It is probably a traditional food. The popular shop “Katuie-shoten” (lower left) is an oyaki specialty one.

道の駅「いくさかの郷」で食べた煮込みうどん。具材が多く、昔からの食事でしょうね。右下は人気おやき店の「勝家商店」。

 


Dosojin (deity) statue in Ashijiri settlement、芦ノ尻道祖神

It took around an hour by car from the museum to Ashijiri settlement.

車で小一時間の長野市・芦ノ尻へ道祖神を見に行きました（斜面にある芦ノ尻集落）。


The Dosojin (deity) statues at the border of the settlement are decorated by straw ropes which were ornament during New Year's as shimenawa sacred ones. It is said the decoration started in the late 19th century. A creative thinker probably came up with decorating the Dosojin statues which protected demons from invading the village. The used ropes are burn in the mid-January; the straw mask completes its mission and returns to the nature.

集落の端にある道祖神は、１月７日に松飾りの注連縄を使って飾り付けられ、集落に悪霊が入り込まないように見張っています。飾り付けは石碑が建立された明治のはじめからと伝えられているので、アイデアマンが装飾を思いついたのでしょうか。“一年間の守護役をつとめた神面は、夜のどんど焼きの火とともに自然にかえる” と書かれています。


 

Reference site（参考サイト）
https://www.village.ikusaka.nagano.jp/kankou/kankou.html#siryou (in Japanese)

  

Visited in June, 2025

 


 

 

Previous post (museum near Ikusaka village): Aoki village folk museum、青木村民俗資料館

Next post (museum near Ikusaka village): Ogawa village local and historical museum、小川村郷土歴史館(Coming soon)

 


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