Have you noticed the sound of the flowing river? Not only does this river act as the background music for this audio guide, but it has also provided a backdrop for daily life in Kumagawa for generations. The local people would wash their vegetables and fish in this water, and use it as a source of energy for their water wheels, for fire prevention, and to help melt snow.

There is a washing area called Kawato beside you. Can you visualize the people of Kumagawa as they drew water and washed clothes in this one river that they shared with everyone in the town? The impurities in the water would flow to another waterway and the local people all took care to keep this water clean and pure.

This river provided drinking water for the draft animals that would pull the trade goods through the village, but it was also used as a place to keep fresh mackerel. The people of Kyoto purchased fresh fish, and after some consideration, the locals decided to place the fish in the river. There are also several other “resting” places along the route to Kyoto that allowed the locals to bring the freshest possible fish to the city.