Journey Around Lake Biwa 8

This issue features Saba Kaido Road. The Saba Kaido Road refers to the road used to transport mackerel caught in Wakasa Bay from Obama in Fukui Prefecture to Kyoto in the capital. There are several roads called Saba Kaido Road but the most famous route is from Obama Fukui to Oharaguchi in Kyoto via Kumagawa-juku and Ohara. It is said that the mackerel were salted to preserve them on their journey from Obama to Kyoto and when they arrived in the capital they tasted even better than when they were fresh. In this issue we visited and interviewed the shop owners and people preserving Japanese culture along the Saba Kaido Road mainly in Obama City. Obama is a port town facing Wakasa Bay. In the past the mackerel were plentiful and the port was lively. Even today it retains the appearance of the old port town and we can enjoy the charm of the culture.