Let’s start by looking at the roof. The buildings with entrances on the gabled side are called tsuma-iri, and those with a main entrance that runs parallel to the roof’s ridge on the non-gabled side are called hira-iri. Usually, a given post town will have only one of these styles, but mysteriously, in Kumagawa-juku, both are seen side by side.

One example of the tsuma-iri architectural style is Murata Hall. One of the main purveyors of Kyoto cuisine is said to have originated here in this hall, which has a distinct Kumagawa style. Kumagawa, which sits on Mackerel Road between Kyoto and Obama, was also a passage for the proliferation of Kyoto’s food culture.

In the past, the male fishermen in the port of Obama would pass the fish along to the women who would then bring the fish to Kumagawa. In the faint light of dawn, these women would carry the heavy cargo on their backs and head out for Kumagawa. Stopping at their local haunts along the way, they would arrive in Kumagawa around noon. They wouldn’t just bring mackerel, which the area is famous for, but they would also bring small sea bream, righteye flounder, eel, and more to sell at Kumagawa’s wholesale market. The seller and buyer would use hand signals from inside their kimono sleeves to discreetly negotiate the price of their goods. Once the deals were done, the women, with their lightened loads, would start their journey back to Obama.

As you stand here, can you hear the triumphant voices of the women chatting cheerfully on the road back to Obama?