Sugaya Tatara Sannai

“Sannai” is the general term for districts where people engaged in tatara ironmaking—an ancient Japanese method of ironmaking—worked and went about their daily lives. Various buildings remain at Sugaya Tatara Sannai, allowing you to capture a glimpse of what life then was like. The location where tatara ironmaking took place is also preserved as it was then, and is the only such example in Japan. The massive Japanese Judas tree on the grounds is considered to be a sacred tree that the god of tatara ironmaking is said to have descended upon, and when the shoots of the leaves appear in spring, for a period of three days the tree is dyed a deep red that looks just like autumn foliage. Ironmaking continued at the site until 1921, and in 1967 it was designated one of the country’s important tangible folk-cultural properties. A variety of tools, everyday articles, and other materials that were used in everyday life at the time are on display.