There’s a strong solidarity among the residents of Ipponsugi Street and its shopping arcade.
Its status as a hotspot for commerce used to be so high that it was once called “the Ginza of Noto,” and people from many regions flocked to it. Because of that, it remains home to many shops that have seen dozens of generations; family-owned businesses whose proprietors are fourth- or even fifth- generation owners. That’s how the neighborhood continues to maintain its sense of equality.

“Meetings aren’t just once-in-a-lifetime.”
“Human connections are worth cherishing.”
These are sentiments shared by the proprietors. Sentiments that are reflected in their words.
Those human connections also bore fruit through the TV drama “Hanayome Noren” and the opening of the Hanayome Noren Railway.
It’s often difficult to grasp a mother’s love until her daughter weds.
Since I was a child, I fought with my own mother all the time. Then she gave me a beautifully dyed inkan seal at my wedding, and I understood then how much she loved me.

That inkan speaks of her love, and for the women of Nanao, the hanayome noren weaves the same tale.
A mother’s love will carry on to the next generation.
As I finished my research and coverage, I only grew more convinced that the hanayome noren tradition will also live on.

ON THE TRIP Editing Team
Planning: Akihito Shiga
Writing: Rio Wakabayashi
Photography: Hiroshi Honma

* This guide was created based on documents and interviews and includes some interpretation done by us at ON THE TRIP. Theories differ between experts, so try to find out what really happened on your travels!