I thought I had seen the approach to the castle located on the north side of town, but I was surprised to see that it looked exactly like the Obi Castle ruins on the Nichinan coast. It is also very similar that the historic townscape remains intact along with the town layout and this townscape was registered as “Traditional Buildings Preservation District.”
Obi’s stone walls surrounding samurai residences are impressive, while Tatsuno’s rows of merchant houses formed by lattice windows and storehouses are impressive. Most tourist brochures highlight only the most beautiful parts of the scenery, but it is rare to find a historic wooden building of this size remaining. If possible, it’s best to take enough time to wander aimlessly.
In Japan, children’s songs urging children to “go home” are still played from loudspeakers in many towns in the evening. The representative children’s song is “Aka-tombo,”(red dragonfly) and the lyricist’s hometown is Tatsuno City. The lyrics are interpreted in various ways due to the poor lifestyle, but they give the impression of being melancholic and making people feel anxious and want to go home. Red dragonfly designs can be found on various street corners in Tatsuno City.
Many souvenirs are based on fermented foods and soy sauce. The brick chimney of the soy sauce factory seen from the castle ruins is impressive.
