Senbongoshi no Machinami

It's so nice to walk around the old-fashioned residential houses in the Kanaya-cho (rows of houses with "Senbon-goushi" lattice work). From the website; In 1611, just after the construction of Takaoka Castle, Toshinaga, the second head of the Kaga Maeda family, who had retired to Takaoka, invited seven foundry workers from Seibu Kanaya in Tonami County to this area and gave them a plot of land 50 ken (1.5 meters) wide and 100 ken (1.5 meters) long to establish a foundry. He also gave them many privileges, such as exemption from taxes and labor, to protect them, and the foundry industry took root in the area, making it the birthplace of today's Takaoka castings.

Small street with a lot of old houses. A good 15 minutes walk from Takaoka station.

Kanaya Town is the birthplace of Takaoka's foundry industry. The old houses with stone pavements and lattice doors make it even more peaceful when there are few people on weekdays. There are some exhibitions in the rest area where you can learn about the previous knowledge of the foundry industry. Passing by Fengming Bridge, there is a golden phoenix on the bridge that is said to be from Byodo-in Temple. The two are different in shape. They should be one female and one male. The place name Gaogang comes from the Book of Songs, where the phoenix sings over Gaogang. The total length is about 500 meters.

I stopped by on my way from Kaiomaru Park to the National Treasure Zuiryuji Temple on a road trip around Japan. It was very beautiful, with rows of houses made of delicate 1000-lattice latticework, and a cobblestone road that stretches for about 500 meters, creating a perfect harmony. On the day I visited, wind chimes were hung in front of the eaves of the houses, and the cool sound was soothing.

I visited on weekdays and Saturdays, and it was a very quiet place and I didn't see many tourists. I felt that it was a place where the scenery was preserved, with electric wires buried underground and metal embedded in the roads. There were several shops selling antiques and Takaoka specialties. Although it wasn't crowded, it was a very quiet place, so I felt relaxed. There is a parking lot and restrooms at the park. I think it's due to timing, but the parking lot was full on Saturday morning.