Tomonoura: A port town where the days dissolve into sepia tones

Japan’s incomparable early modern port town enveloped in the evening calm of the Seto Inland Sea

　The Jōyatō stone lighthouse, which lights up every evening, has been a protective symbol of Tomonoura for 160 years, both to ships seeking port as well as to the local townspeople. The Gangi stone steps, which appear and disappear with the tide of the Seto Inland Sea, run from the foot of the Jōyatō stone lighthouse and wrap around the harbor like an amphitheater, with the stonework Hato jetty at its end to protect the port from large waves. Surrounded by the beautiful islands of the Seto Inland Sea, Tomonoura is the only port town in Japan to have such an abundance of port facilities which date back to the Edo period. As a port town shaped by the “turning of the tide,” the Tomonoura townscape is crowded with wealthy merchants’ lavish homes built at the peak of their prosperity as well as the smaller townhouses of tradesmen, reflecting a modern port town that is brimming with traditional culture.

What is “Japan Heritage”?

“Japan Heritage” is any cultural asset recognized by the Agency for Cultural Affairs as helping to tell the story of Japanese culture and traditions by how it conveys a given region’s historic appeal and distinctiveness. The aim of Japan Heritage is to have each region comprehensively develop and utilize its tangible and intangible cultural properties, communicating their appeal to both domestic and overseas visitors for the purpose of invigorating local communities.