Looking up at the second floor of the buildings, you will see what is called the “Udatsu Wall” built between two houses, a panel of stone stretching from the wall to the edge of the first-floor roof. In Japanese there is a phrase udatsu ga agaranai, which means no matter how much time passes, you’ll never succeed. The Udatsu Walls, as such, are seen as a sign of wealth, as building one indicates success in life. The length or height of these walls acts as a status symbol in the neighborhood. The original purpose of these structures, however, was to help prevent fires.

Kumagawa sits in a valley between two mountains and the wind funnels through the village like a draft between two buildings. This also made the town difficult to invade from a military standpoint. This advantageous positioning is why Kumagawa was chosen as a post town and began urban development during the warring states period. They constructed waterways, a guardhouse, wholesale markets, and inns. During the Edo period, the village became a stopping point along the Mackerel Road, playing an essential role for traders carrying their wares through a now prosperous trading town.

There is a street sign that reads Okura-michi, or Warehouse Road. At the far end of this narrow road lies a wide river. Though Kumagawa is known for being part of the trade route, it was also located on a canal where goods were also transported. This was not easy work, however, as you had to go against the current to make it from Obama to Kumagawa. A total of five people were needed to steer the boat to shore; two aboard the boat and three on land. Once the goods were brought down from the boats, they would need to be carried down Okura-michi to the large storehouse. Unlike those on the Mackerel Road, these goods weren’t normally fish, but rather the rice and other goods used to pay annual taxes. Matsunoki Shrine now sits on the ruins of that warehouse.