This location was formerly home to the Takehara Shoin school, where the townspeople learned and nurtured their minds.
The town of Takehara prospered because of its successful salt making, but salt was by no means a stable business. There were aggressive ups and downs in this industry. In order to protect their families and secure their futures, the people of Takehara had to turn to academics.
Instead of using all of their wealth on hobbies and entertainment, the merchants of Takehara chose to also invest in academics. That was the sort of culture that Takehara fostered.
Around 70 years after it originally began, the salt industries of Takehara saw their peak. Following the height of business, competing businesses began appearing all over the Setouchi region. The merchants of Takehara survived by being flexible and expanding into other businesses, such as sake brewing and shipping. Takehara also continued to produce salt, and salt making continued to be the foundation of businesses for 300 years.
Takehara’s long history of prosperity can be attributed to academics. The knowledge and initiative gained through studying helped the town succeed. Takehara actually produced some of the leading academics of the Edo period. The Takehara Shoin school was the very place where those academics both studied and taught. During the Showa period, the school became a library. Now, the building has become a museum of history and folklore, and it continues to be a center of learning.
