The Attraction of Itako

[The Flourishing of Waterborne Transportation]

Surrounded by rivers and lakes, the water town of Itako thrived as a key hub for waterborne transportation.
A bronze bell donated to Choshoji Temple, founded by Minamoto no Yoritomo in 1185, bears the inscription “Passenger boats moor overnight at Hitachi So Castle.” This suggests that by the Kamakura period, Itako had already established itself as a vibrant waterway hub, with boats bustling day and night, reminiscent of the lively scenes in Suzhou, China.

During the Edo period, its role as a logistics hub became even more pronounced. Serving as an intermediary station for rice taxes and goods transported by water from the Tohoku region to Edo, the town’s Maekawa area saw over 30 piers and docking stations. These developments transformed Itako into a bustling port filled with the lively chatter of stevedores.

Residences and rice warehouses of northern feudal domains, including Tsugaru, Nanbu, and Sendai, lined the area. Officials strolled its streets, the sounds of shamisen music filled the air, and a vibrant downtown scene emerged.

In addition to its role as a logistics center, Itako also flourished as a tourist hub for the popular “Three Shrines Pilgrimage” to eastern Japan during the mid-Edo period. Around this time, popular songs originating from Itako spread across Japan, such as the Japanese dance tune “Itako Dejima,” the Awa Odori rhythm “Yoshikono Bushi,” and the ballad “Dodoitsu.”

[The Decline of Tonegawa River Transport]

With the dawn of the Meiji era, the flow of goods increased significantly. The Tonegawa River system saw even more traffic as a route for steamship transport. The Tonegawa Canal, Japan’s first Western-style canal completed in 1890, connected the Edo and Tone Rivers and recorded over 100 vessels passing through daily.

However, the prominence of water transport eventually waned under the tide of changing times. The Tsuchiura Line railway, opened in 1896, reduced the one-night, two-day steamship journey to central Tokyo to just two hours. By the following year, the opening of the Sobu Railway between Choshi and Tokyo further accelerated the decline of waterway transport.

[A Forgotten Inner Sanctuary]

The long-distance water routes, once the backbone of logistics, were forced to shift to short-distance transport. Itako, bypassed by railway lines and lacking proper infrastructure, struggled to adapt. Particularly in the Jurokushima region between Itako City and northern Katori City, there were no roads, and the intricate network of narrow waterways called “Enma” served as vital daily transportation routes. Every household owned a boat for this purpose.

This unique waterscape gained popularity as a pastoral retreat among Tokyo’s urbanites.

Surviving the postwar chaos and entering the rapid economic growth of the 1950s, Itako gained attention as a nostalgic water town. The local “sappa boats” were turned into tourist attractions, featuring young local women as boat guides, earning the title “maiden boatmen” and becoming a new cultural symbol of Itako.

During this period, Itako became a popular filming location for movies, contributing to its fame. A superstition among filmmakers claimed, “Movies shot in Itako are destined to succeed.”

Itako also became a recurring theme in Japanese songs, reflecting its cultural significance. Notable songs include “Sen’you Kouta” from the Taisho era, which lamented the decline of water transport, and contemporary hits like Hibari Misora’s “Maiden Boatman,” Michiya Mihashi’s “Onna Sen’you Uta,” and Harumi Miyako’s “Itako Lullaby.”