Is the meaning of “the guy who can’t go up the Udatsu” closer to “the guy who can’t even build a pool in the garden”?
Udatsu began as a fire wall plastered on the boundary between the second floors of merchant houses on the street to prevent fire from catching fire from neighboring houses. Later, its thickness became a symbol of wealth. Nowadays, it is used in the opposite way, such as “some people can’t go up the Udatsu,” and it has become a proverb to ridicule a husband who is unattractive and inferior to other people.
The merchant houses on the street remain intact in the townscape, as if you had slipped back in time to the Edo period. In this town, the Udatsu has risen in the trade of indigo products. It is similar to Yamagata’s safflower trade. When you are enjoying the good atmosphere, you will suddenly be occupied by a large number of chattering ladies who got off the large sightseeing bus, so be careful. It is the mother who rules the world, and the husband always doesn’t go up the Udatsu.
In addition to the Udatsu, a perch-like place is attached to the ridge-end tile (Onigawara) on the roof for birds to rest their wings and not poop on the ridge-end tile. It is called “Toribusuma”. Also, Also, on the second floor of the merchant’s house, there is a lattice window that allows the outside to be seen only from inside room, and the exterior is designed like an insect cage. It is called “Mushiko window”. On the first floor, there is a thin lattice that hides the private part, and a lattice with a large gap that allows the store to be seen from the outside. You can see many historical buildings with many interesting details.
