Video Narration Script

During the Edo period and
for a few decades following the Meiji Restoration,
Sawara prospered as a port town on the Tone River
in the northern part of what is now Chiba Prefecture.

The Jah Jah Bashi was formerly an aqueduct.
It’s name is derived from an onomatopoeic expression
that is based on the sound of the water falling into the river.

Right across the street from the Jah Jah Bashi
is the former residence of Tadataka Ino,
a famous geographical surveyor and map maker.
His former residence now serves as a memorial museum
and has been designated as a National Historic Site.

Tadataka Ino is most famous
for making the first accurate maps of Japan.
In 1800, under order from Japan’s shogun government,
he embarked on a 16 year tour of the entire country
to survey and create maps.

Local businesses of the Edo era
focused mainly on the brewing of sake and soy sauce
and were involved in trade with Edo (the former name of Tokyo)
and the surrounding area.

The prosperity of the local businesses
and the connection with Edo
led to the introduction of building styles
that had previously been unique to Edo.

One particularly interesting style is the dozo zukuri.
This style of construction was developed
as a fireproofing measure in Edo
since wooden structures were frequently destroyed by fires.

A special feature along the Ono river
are the stone steps and their accompanying docks
which the Japanese call dashi.
They were used by the local businesses
to load and unload goods to and from boats
that utilized the river for transport.

The Baba sake brewery features
a collection of tools and artifacts
that serve as an outdoor museum
of this company’s history.

Kanpukuji is a Buddhist temple that is
believed to have been founded in the 9th century.
The temple possesses many Buddhist artifacts
that have been designated as
National Important Cultural Properties.
In it’s graveyard are the gravestones
of important people from Sawara’s history,
including Tadataka Ino.