A Mukuri-yane is a style of roof that curves down along the eaves and was popular among the aristocracy in Kyoto for the soft impression it gave. The people of Kyoto would pay special care to the height of their roofs, and this custom spread to the people of Kumagawa as well.

Returning to our exploration of Kamincho, this area was home to many of the Kumagawa fishmongers. “As long as you have a single rope, you can make a living.” These brawny men would make the last leg of the journey transporting the fish from Kumagawa to Kyoto. They would carry cargo weighing up to 132 pounds, or 60 kilograms, as they climbed over the mountain passes. They would leave at noon and walk all night, arriving in Kyoto in the morning, giving even modern-day Amazon couriers a run for their money. As the fishmongers bragged of the freshness of their wares with a proud Wakasa province sign, this fish must have seemed as if they had just been pulled out of the water.