Kutsuki-mura (朽木村)

Kutsuki-mura was a village located in the former Takashima-gun in the west of Shiga Prefecture.

Kutsuki-mura had been the only village in Shiga Prefecture for a long time, but on January 1, 2005, Kutsuki-mura was merged with Takashima-cho (Shiga Prefecture) in Takashima-gun, Adogawa-cho, Shinasahi-cho, Imazu-cho and Makino-cho to form Takashima City and thus dissolved along with Takashima-gun.

Kutsuki-mura belonged to the Kosai area in Shiga Prefecture.

Geography

Kutsuki-mura was located on the western edge of Shiga Prefecture, and bordered Kyoto Prefecture on the west and Fukui Prefecture on the north. The main part of Kutsuki-mura was a market place. The Hira Mountains were located on the east of the village with the eastern edge of the Tanba Highlands located to the west. The middle and upper Ado-gawa River ran through the village.

History

The so-called Saba-kaido Road, a shortcut to connect Kyoto and Obama City in the former Wakasa Province, ran through Kutsuki-mura, and the village prospered as a place along the road. The road remains as National Route 367. Additionally, Kutsuki-mura was called 'Kutsuki no Soma' (timberland in Kutsuki), supplying wood to Kyoto.

In 1570, Nobunaga ODA tried to return home by way of Kutsuki-mura instead of the Koto area ruled by Asai when he was betrayed by Asai during the attack on the Asakura clan. Mototsuna KUTSUKI, the lord of the manor in Kutsuki, helped Nobunaga and become a vassal to him.

The Kutsuki clan had ruled the Kutsuki-sho (Kutsuki Manor) from the Kamakura to Edo periods.

Chronology

April 1, 1889: By enacting the chosonsei (Town and Village System Law), Kutsuki-mura was established.

January 1, 2005: Kutsuki-mura, Takashima-cho (Shiga Prefecture), Adogawa-cho, Shinasahi-cho, Imazu-cho and Makino-cho were merged to form Takashima City.

Industries

Forestry developed in the area, and timber used to be transported via the Ado-gawa River by a method called 'ikada nagashi' (building a raft with timber and floating it down the river). Shitake Mushroom is grown.

Transportation
Railroads
Thirty-minute bus (Kojak bus) ride from Adogawa Station on the Kosai Line (West Japan Railway Company)

Roads

National Route 367

Tourism

The Sunday Morning Market is held at seven in the morning every Sunday in the Kutsuki Shinhonjin, a Michi-no-Eki, or Roadside Station (a roadside rest area where one can take a rest, purchase local food and products, and get local information).

KUTSUKI SNOW PARK

Kosho-ji Temple (Takashima City) (Old Shurin-ji Temple Garden)

Ninigi-jinja Shrine

Kutsuki Onsen Tencoo (KUTSUKI KUR-RESORT TENCOO)

Kutsuki Ikimono Fureai no Sato (Village of The Creature Contact)

Local products

Shitake Mushroom

Saba no Narezushi (fermented sushi of mackerel)

Tochi mochi (rice cake made with Japanese horse-chestnut)

[Original Japanese]