Toyosato-cho, Shiga

From PHOTOGUIDE.JP

This page is 75% complete. Last updated Jan. 3, 2010.

by Philbert Ono

Toyosato (豊郷町; -chō) is a town in eastern Shiga Prefecture.

With only 7.78 square km, Toyosato is Shiga's smallest town in area. It is the birthplace of Itoh Chube'e, the founder of ITOCHU Corporation, one of Japan's largest trading companies. His house is open to the public.

Toyosato also has the old Toyosato Primary School designed by William Merrell Vories in 1937. The town renovated the old building and opened it to the public in May 2009. A few of the rooms are in use as offices, pubic library, and children's play room. A few of the old classrooms have also been restored to their original state.

Getting There

By Train

Toyosato has only one train station, Toyosato Station on the Ohmi Railways Line.

Train Lines & Stations

• Ohmi Railways Main Line (Honsen): Toyosato Station

Travel Time

• From Tokyo Station to Toyosato Station: JR Tokaido Shinkansen to Maibara Station (2.5 hours), then transfer to Ohmi Railways for Toyosato Station (27 min.).
• From Maibara Station to Toyosato Station: 27 min. via Ohmi Railways
• From Hikone Station to Toyosato Station: 16 min. via Ohmi Railways
• From Yokaichi Station to Toyosato Station: 15 min. via Ohmi Railways

Nearest Airports

• Kansai International Airport
• Central Japan International Airport (Centrair)
• Osaka International Airport

Sights

Toyosato Primary School gate	Toyosato Primary School	Itoh Chube'e Memorial House

• Toyosato Primary School 豊郷小学校 - Toyosato gained national attention when this old elementary school building designed by William Merrell Vories was going to be torn down by the mayor in opposition to activists who wanted to preserve the building. The old building still remains while a new school has been built. The town did an excellent job in renovating the old building and opened the old school to visitors in May 2009. A few of the original 1930s-style classrooms have been restored and opened for public viewing. The school auditorium and former school library (now a gallery and event space) are also open for public viewing. There are also exhibition rooms, local Board of Education offices, public library, and tourist info counter. If you like Vories or architecture, visiting this school is highly recommended. Admission free. Within walking distance from Toyosato Station.
• Itoh Chube'e Memorial House 伊藤忠兵衛記念館 - Itoh Chube'e (1842-1903) was the founder of Itochu Corporation (C. Itoh) and Marubeni, two of Japan's largest trading companies, in 1858. This house displays his former residence and some of his possessions. It is on the Nakasendo Road. A short walk from Toyosato Station, the house is open to the public on Tue., Thu., and Sat. Free admission.
• Kurenai-en Park くれない園 - Small park with a monument dedicated to Itoh Chube'e. Built in 1935 and near the Itoh Chube'e Memorial House. Another monument dedicated to his brother Chobe'e (Chobei) is on the former site of Chobei's home, now a parking lot.
• Senjuji temple 千樹寺 - One of the places purported to be where the Goshu Ondo 江州音頭, Shiga's bon dance originated.
• Yutaka Kaikan 豊会館 - Local history museum in the former home of Fujino Kibe'e (Kibei) 藤野喜兵衛 who was an Omi merchant peddling dry goods all the way to Hokkaido where he expanded to fishing and became very successful. Open 9 am to 4 pm, closed Fri. Small admission charged.

Travel Tips

• Most sights are within walking distance from the train station.
• It is a very rural town, with no souvenir shops nor restaurants.

Getting Around

If you need a taxi, call for one at the train station.

Maps

Placemarks are in English in the Google Map.

View Larger Map

• [http Sightseeing Map of Toyosato]

Event Calendar

• Aug. - Goshu Ondo bon dance at Senjuji temple.

Photos

Itoh Chube'e Memorial House	Itoh Chube'e Monument	Toyosato Station

More photos at Toyosato Photos. More Shiga photos here.

Videos

Side Trips

Other sights in neighboring cities/towns within easy reach from Toyosato.

• Hikone

History

• 1858 - At age 15, Itoh Chube'e (Chubei) founds Itoh Chube'e Shoten, now ITOCHU Corporation, dealing with textiles.
• 1898 - Toyosato Station opens.
• 1937 - Toyosato Primary School's classroom building and auditorium, designed by William Merrell Vories, are completed. Cost is donated by a director of Itoh Chubee Shoten, forerunner of Itoh-chu Corp.
• 1971 - Toyosato-mura village becomes Toyosato-cho town.
• 1999 - Toyosato mayor Ohno Wasaburo 大野和三郎 becomes mayor and announces his plan to demolish Toyosato Primary School and build a new school, citing the old building's earthquake vulnerability.
• 2002 - Citizens against the demolition of Toyosato Primary School succeed in obtaining a court order to stop the demolition. The mayor still proceeded to destroy part of the school, but soon faced protesters who camped out inside the school buildings. The mayor relented and the old school was saved.
• 2003 - A recall election for mayor was held, and Ohno Wasaburo is reelected. A new school is built while the old building is preserved.
• 2009 - The old Toyosato Primary School designed by William Vories is renovated and opened to the public in May.

Miscellaneous

Recent News

• The town will spend 650 million yen to fix up Toyosato Elementary School's old school building designed by William Vories. Renovations will start in Oct. 2008 for completion around May 2009. The building will be restored as much as possible and also be reinforced to withstand earthquakes. The 1st floor will be a child-rearing support center where parents can play with their kids, and the 2nd and 3rd floors will be preserved as is with an elevator installed. The school library will become a public library and gallery, and the school auditorium (also designed by Vories) will become an event space for rent.
• On Dec. 27, 2007, at the Otsu District Court, a court settlement was reached between a citizen's group and the town of Toyosato over the preservation of Toyosato Elementary School's old school building designed by William Vories in 1937 and the funding of the construction of the new school building. The citizen's group sought to have former town mayor Ono Wasaburo return the over 1.8 billion yen spent to build the new school building since the money was appropriated without obtaining the approval of the town assembly. Both sides agreed to the court's proposal that the former mayor express his "reflection" concerning his deeds, and the construction company, which built the new school building, to donate about 20 million yen to the town to help preserve the old school building. The old school is slated to become a cultural facility. This concludes the five-year court battle.

Trivia

Famous People

Itoh Chube'e 伊藤忠兵衛 (1842-1903)

Omi shonin merchant and founder of Itochu Corporation (C. Itoh) and Marubeni, two of Japan's largest trading companies, in 1858. At age 15, he started out peddling his linen goods on foot from Shiga, traveling west to Wakayama and Osaka. He soon set up shop in Osaka. He even had a shop in San Francisco, California. His second son Seiichi, also born in Toyosato, set up the C. Itoh company in 1918 and started importing textiles from England where he had studied abroad.

Related Articles

• Shiga Prefecture
• Shiga Prefecture Sights
• Shiga Prefecture Transportation
• Shiga Prefecture Municipalities

External Links

• Toyosato Town Hall
• shiga-ken.com - Comprehensive guide to Shiga Prefecture.

Municipalities of Shiga Prefecture 滋賀県

Cities & Towns: Aisho-cho | Azuchi-cho | Higashi-Omi | Hikone | Hino-cho | Koka | Konan | Kora-cho | Kusatsu | Maibara | Moriyama | Nagahama | Omi-Hachiman | Otsu | Ritto | Ryuo-cho | Taga-cho | Takashima | Toyosato-cho | Yasu

愛荘町 | 安土町 | 東近江市 | 彦根市 | 日野町 | 甲賀市 | 湖南市 | 甲良町 | 草津市 | 米原市 | 守山市 | 長浜市 | 近江八幡市 | 大津市 | 栗東市 | 竜王町 | 多賀町 | 高島市 | 豊郷町 | 野洲市

Prefectures of Japan

Aichi | Akita | Aomori | Chiba | Ehime | Fukui | Fukuoka | Fukushima | Gifu | Gunma | Hiroshima | Hokkaido | Hyogo | Ibaraki | Ishikawa | Iwate | Kagawa | Kagoshima | Kanagawa | Kochi | Kumamoto | Kyoto | Mie | Miyagi | Miyazaki | Nagano | Nagasaki | Nara | Niigata | Oita | Okayama | Okinawa | Osaka | Saga | Saitama | Shiga | Shimane | Shizuoka | Tochigi | Tokushima | Tokyo | Tottori | Toyama | Wakayama | Yamagata | Yamaguchi | Yamanashi