The Uchida Sashichi Residence
From the second half of the Edo period through the Meiji period, trading ships from the southern part of the Chita Peninsula(Utsumi, Minamichita in particular)were called "Utsumi-bune". Utsumi-bune operated between Edo (Tokyo) and the Seto Inland Sea. Their main cargo was rice, and they also carried soybeans as well as salt, tatami mats, and fish to be used as an ingredient in fertilizer.
The ships would purchase these goods in the areas where they were produced, and then earn a profit by exploiting the price difference in the places where they were consumed.
A window called "Monomi" for confirming the state of the bottom of the ship is provided just behind the mast.The ship's shrine and altar were put on a starboard side of Monomi and a cupboard on a port side.The Ship Nameplate was hanged in the upper part of the Monomi.
A great deal of history connected with the Utsumi-bune survives in Minamichita, particularly in Utsumi.Especially around the Higashibata and Nishibata regions of the Utsumi River delta, there are numerous temples and shrines that were closely connected with shipowners and the Ebisuko Association.
The activities of the Utsumi-bune are made known to us through some 10,000 historical documents that survive to this day, particularly those stored at the Uchida Sashichi Residence. The Institute of Chitahanto Regional Development, Nihon Fukushi University has been studying these documents for many years.
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