[Mie Prefecture, Matsusaka City] Matsusaka Tour Taxi | A trip to learn about the history and culture of Matsusaka (departing from Ise and Matsusaka)

Matsuura Takeshiro Memorial Museum Matsuura Takeshiro, who was praised by Yoshida Shoin, influenced Sakamoto Ryoma, and was highly praised by Okubo Toshimichi, was a master of walking, communication, drawing, communication, and collecting, and was also a humanist who had deep ties with the Ainu people. This book tells the full story of Matsuura Takeshiro's life, including his walking around Japan except Okinawa, surveying Hokkaido six times, climbing Mount Fuji at the age of 70, and spending his later years in a one-tatami room.

Matsuura Takeshiro Memorial Museum (Exhibition Room) A full-scale model of Takeshiro's study, which is one tatami mat in size, is reproduced here, allowing you to lie down inside and get a taste of what Takeshiro was like. The map of Hokkaido that Takeshiro created shows approximately 9,800 Ainu place names written in katakana, which is an overwhelming number. In addition, the museum holds special exhibitions on various themes, changing the exhibits every two months to display materials related to Matsuura Takeshiro, a designated Important Cultural Property. *Please note that the museum will be closed during the exhibition changeover period.

Birthplace of Matsuura Takeshiro Takeshiro's family home stands along the Ise Kaido (Ise Route) that leads to Ise Shrine. During the Edo Period, many people flocked from all over the country to Ise for the "Okage Mairi" (praying to the gods) that took place every 60 years or so. Seeing travelers passing by in front of his house, Takeshiro also aspired to travel, and from the age of 17 to 26, he traveled all over the country without ever returning home, setting off for Hokkaido at the age of 27. This is truly the origin of Takeshiro's travels.

Birthplace of Matsuura Takeshiro (interior) The main house at the birthplace is an old house with over 200 years of history, and in addition to being able to see the appearance of buildings along the Ise Kaido, there is a large hearth in the kitchen where water was boiled and poured into barrels for bathing. The 150-year-old detached room was used to entertain guests, and features a copy of the calligraphy "Birthplace of Matsuura Takeshiro" written by Ainu language researcher Dr. Kindaichi Kyosuke, a lantern built by Takeshiro in the garden, as well as two storehouses and a barn, giving a sense of how the Matsuura family lived at the time.

Takarazuka No. 1 Tomb, a nationally designated historic site It is a 111m long keyhole-shaped tumulus dating from the beginning of the middle Kofun period (about 1600 years ago), and is the largest on the west coast of Ise Bay. It is characterized by an earthen bridge that connects the main tumulus to the "festival area," and excavations have revealed the placement of haniwa, including boat-shaped haniwa, around the tumulus. On a clear day, from the top of the tumulus you can see Matsusaka city, the Ise Plain, Ise Bay, and as far as Aichi Prefecture.

National Treasure "Haniwa excavated from Takarazuka Tomb No. 1, Mie Prefecture" We will introduce some representative examples from the 278 haniwa designated as national treasures in August 2024. The boat-shaped haniwa attracted nationwide attention as the first example of a three-dimensional representation of a royal ship found in ancient documents and paintings. The enclosure-shaped and house-shaped haniwa are extremely valuable documents that represent water-conducting facilities and wells at spring facilities, which represent water festivals. The house-shaped haniwa on raised platforms is placed next to a boat, and its meaning remains a mystery.

A representative example of the national treasure "Haniwa excavated from Takarazuka Tomb No. 1, Mie Prefecture" - the boat-shaped haniwa It is one of the largest boat haniwa in Japan, measuring 140cm in length, 94cm in height, and 35cm at its widest point. This is the first time a boat haniwa with a pedestal has been excavated, and fin decorations showing dignity can be seen everywhere. It depicts a semi-structural boat made by adding planks to a dugout canoe, and is decorated on top with a large sword, a dignified staff, and a lid (kinugasa), all of which symbolize the authority of the chief, making it a precious and unique piece.