A Piece of History That Used To Be Underwater
The Hofukuji River runs through the mountains north of Matsumoto. Along that river is a village called Shiga-mura. It sits about 650 meters above sea level. It used to all be underwater.
This entire area was once a living ocean, evidenced by the fossil of a whale that was found among the rocks of the Hofukuji-gawa in 1987. That miraculously-preserved skeleton is now the central exhibit at the Shiga Fossil Museum. But it’s not the only show in this quiet little village. Right up the road is the Satoyama Villa Honjin, where you can enjoy a one-of-a-kind overnight experience. From the 17th to the 19th Century the Lord of Matsumoto Castle would travel the Hofukuji Kaido road to Edo to meet with the shogun. That kaido ran right through what is now Shiga-mura, and the Satoyama Villa Honjin is where the castle lord would stay on the first night of his trek down to Edo. This villa is now a luxurious hotel that retains all the beauty and tradition of the age of the shogun.
While the Hofukuji Kaido ran from Matsumoto over the Shinagura Pass and down into Shiga-mura before turning east toward Edo, another road, the Zenkoji Kaido, ran north from Matsumoto, over Kariyahara Pass and down into the west side of Shiga before continuing north toward Nagano and Zenkoji Temple. These centuries-old kaido can still be walked today, taking you through Shiga-mura in the footsteps of pilgrims and castle lords.
Adding a bit of modern flair to Shiga-mura was the French Paralympic Cycling Team who, in 2021, trained right there in historic Shiga for the Tokyo Paralympics, aided by the assistance of our own Sylvain Danjaume who facilitated communication between the French team and their Japanese hosts.
Today Shiga-mura is pretty quiet. But for a place that used to be underwater it hosts some interesting pieces of history.
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