Above: Oshi Castle: The Lords of this castle supported Tokugawa Shogunate strongly through Edo period
Heritage-Town Gyoda:
Gyoda City is blessed with historic and cultural heritage. There are not only three famous heritage described the followings, but also other attractive cultural legacies around the city.
1. Japan Heritage Gyoda
Tabi is Traditional Japanese split-toe socks.
The Tabi industry is one of important industries in Cool Town Gyoda.
Gyoda City got an approval of “Japan Heritage Gyoda” as the first city in Saitama prefecture in April 2017. Japan Heritage is an objective that people are expected to utilize the legacy in local region as not “point”, but “surface” and to send messages to domestic and foreign people to vitalize the region.
Tabi industry in Gyoda City originated from a side job of Samurai’s wife about three hundred years ago. Ishida Mitsunari commanded his followers to attack the Oshi castle from a headquarter of Maruhakayama burial mound.
His tactics was building an embankment around the castle, hoping to sink the castle into water in 1590. However, Oshi castle and the town remained without destruction and continued to be prosperous. This means that an infrastructure of Tabi industry was kept.
Tabi industry developed rapidly in Meiji period and many storehouses of Tabi were built. The female workers in Tabi factory ate Furai and Zeri-furai as snack at an interval. Tabi shops sent their important customers Narazuke as seasonal gift and placed barrels of pickles at front of the store. Paper labels on Tabi goods were printed in this town.
Therefore “Japan Heritage Gyoda” includes 44sets of the historic and cultural legacy and others such as, Sakitama Ancient Burial Mounds cluster, Oshi Castle Site, Ishida Dike , many Tabi-gura Storehouses, and local foods.
This means that “Japan Heritage Gyoda” has not only The Tabi Storehouse Course, but also The Sakitama Ancient Burial Mounds Course and The Oshi Castle Site Course.
Local foods
Right: Furai is a fried dish that is prepared by dissolving wheat flour in water, lightly grilling it on a metal plate, adding ingredients such as green onion,meat and eggs, and then putting on a Japanese-style worcestershire sauce to taste.
Left: Zeri-furai resembles an unclothed croquette. It consists of potato with green onion,carrots and lots of okara, so it is healthy and rich in dietary fiber.
Left: Narazuke (Traditional Japanese pickles)
These Narazukes match well with not only the Japanese
Sake, but also whisky and beer. You should try these in
Gyoda.
2. National Special Designated Historic Site
Sakitama Ancient Burial Mounds Cluster was designated as "National Special Designated Historic Site" in October 2019. This means that this site is national treasure in sites. Museum of the Sakitama Ancient Burial Mounds exhibits a set of national treasure including "Gold-inlaid Iron Sword". So,this area is very special site.
Left: Sakitama Ancient Burial Mounds Cluster
3. World Heritage of Irrigation Facilities
Minumadai Canal which intake gate locates at Tone Diversion Weir in Gyoda, was also registered as "World Herritage of Irrigation Facilities" in September 2019. This canal supplies agricultural water to 15,400 hectare(38,000 acre) area ranging from Gyoda to Southeastern Saitama Prefecture, and also city water to Adachi Ward in Tokyo.
Upper left: Painting of intake gate in 1880
Lower left: Picture of intake gate in present day