What do you think the area beyond the river would have looked like? As you stand here, think about the former Morikawa family residence, where there was a scenic ocean view as far as the eye could see.
Takehara was a small port town, and during the Edo period, the town decided to fill in the beaches to build rice fields. However, once they actually tried to till the rice fields, they realized that the seawater had a much stronger effect than they’d expected. The sea water was making it difficult for crops to grow.
The town was at a loss for what to do about their fields, when by pure coincidence, a merchant from Akō passed through the town. Akō was famous for its salt making, so when the merchant saw the rice fields, he told the townspeople that the location was better suited for salt fields.
At the time, the methods of salt production used in Akō were a secret, but the Akō Domain and Hiroshima Domain were ruled by relatives, so the Akō Domain made an exception and shared their techniques. With that, the rice fields of Takehara were transformed into successful salt fields.
So, how did the people of Takehara successfully produce salt? The answer lies in the river flowing behind you.
It may look dried up now, but you would be surprised by how much the water level rises during high tide. If you take a look at the river bank, you’ll see traces of just how high the water level becomes.
If the river you see is actually flowing with abundant water, try imagining what it might look like if it were dried up enough that the river floor was exposed.
This significant difference in water levels between high and low tide is the secret to Takehara’s successful salt production. When the tide rose, the salt fields would naturally pull in seawater, which would result in large batches of salt. That was the phenomenon that the salt-makers of Akō used.
And so, the former seascape of Takehara was transformed into a bright white expanse of salt fields. The salt brought prosperity to the town, which allowed for culture to flourish. The memories of the tide continue to gently ripple across the surface of the sea.
