The Worlds Most Foolish Traveler
Human Pillars (Hitobashira)
In 1954, the three villages Niki, Fukuzuka, and Oyabu were incorporated into one town, Wanouchi.
The kanji for Wanouchi (輪之内) literally translates to "within in a circle." This name is derived from the fact that Wanouchi is situated between the Ibi River and the Nagara River. Historically, these two rivers ran together and the area known as Wanouchi today was one of many ring-levees in the middle of the river. Naturally, these levies were prone to frequent flooding and so the waters had to be diverted. Hence, Wanouchi's physical environment and history has been greatly shaped by the constant threat of floods.
In 1754, the Edo (modern Tokyo) Shogunate, under Shogun Tokugawa Ieshige, ordered the rich and powerful Satsuma feudal lord, Shimazu Shigetoshi (whose great wealth was regarded as a threat to the Shogunate) to send his samurai and resources to the Gifu area. Their task was to build embankments in order to divert the rivers. It seems the Shogun hoped that this project would weaken the Satsuma lord's power. This becames known as the Hōreki Age River Improvement Incident.
The construction of these banks was extremely dangerous and difficult. It is said that a human sacrifice was made in the Wanouchi area during the construction when a local retainer voluntarily gave his life by remaining under the rushing waters in order to keep a foundation pillar from moving until it could be secured from above. As well as aiding in the construction, this sacrifice was also treated as an offering to the gods ensuring the successful completing of the project. In Japanese, this sacrifice is referred to as hitobashira (人柱?) meaning "human pillar."
Ritual suicides have taken place in Wanouchi's history as well. The Satsuma samurai who came to Gifu from what is now Kagoshima Prefecture under the Shogun's orders, felt that they were betraying their own lord. This sense of disloyalty mixed with frustration of resulting from great difficulties with construction led the men to commit "seppuku" (self-disembowelment). It is interesting to note, that out of respect for the Shogun, the cause of death was simply recorded as "sword wounds". Therefore, it is unclear exactly how many people took their own lives.
Despite the many difficulties, the initial construction was completed in 1755. More than 80 lives were lost. The graves of 8 of these men are located around Wanouchi, serving as a constant reminder of the great sacrifices made so that people could live in a safer environment.
Due to the construction of many banks over the last 200 years, the waters surrounding Wanouchi have become two separate rivers, the Ibi River and Nagara River. The area located between the two rivers is referred to as the "Waju-tei" (輪中堤 or Waju levee). The name Wanouchi originates from this word and means "the town in Waju-tei".
In 1976, the Nagara River swelled and flooded Wanouchi's neighbouring towns, Anpachi, Gifu and Sunomata, Gifu. However, the people of Wanouchi were protected from the floods because of the strong embankments.
Every August, Satsuma Gishi, a Buddhist service, is held at one of the three temples where the graves of construction victims are located. The service honors these people and the Satsuma samurai.
The kanji for Wanouchi (輪之内) literally translates to "within in a circle." This name is derived from the fact that Wanouchi is situated between the Ibi River and the Nagara River. Historically, these two rivers ran together and the area known as Wanouchi today was one of many ring-levees in the middle of the river. Naturally, these levies were prone to frequent flooding and so the waters had to be diverted. Hence, Wanouchi's physical environment and history has been greatly shaped by the constant threat of floods.
In 1754, the Edo (modern Tokyo) Shogunate, under Shogun Tokugawa Ieshige, ordered the rich and powerful Satsuma feudal lord, Shimazu Shigetoshi (whose great wealth was regarded as a threat to the Shogunate) to send his samurai and resources to the Gifu area. Their task was to build embankments in order to divert the rivers. It seems the Shogun hoped that this project would weaken the Satsuma lord's power. This becames known as the Hōreki Age River Improvement Incident.
The construction of these banks was extremely dangerous and difficult. It is said that a human sacrifice was made in the Wanouchi area during the construction when a local retainer voluntarily gave his life by remaining under the rushing waters in order to keep a foundation pillar from moving until it could be secured from above. As well as aiding in the construction, this sacrifice was also treated as an offering to the gods ensuring the successful completing of the project. In Japanese, this sacrifice is referred to as hitobashira (人柱?) meaning "human pillar."
Ritual suicides have taken place in Wanouchi's history as well. The Satsuma samurai who came to Gifu from what is now Kagoshima Prefecture under the Shogun's orders, felt that they were betraying their own lord. This sense of disloyalty mixed with frustration of resulting from great difficulties with construction led the men to commit "seppuku" (self-disembowelment). It is interesting to note, that out of respect for the Shogun, the cause of death was simply recorded as "sword wounds". Therefore, it is unclear exactly how many people took their own lives.
Despite the many difficulties, the initial construction was completed in 1755. More than 80 lives were lost. The graves of 8 of these men are located around Wanouchi, serving as a constant reminder of the great sacrifices made so that people could live in a safer environment.
Due to the construction of many banks over the last 200 years, the waters surrounding Wanouchi have become two separate rivers, the Ibi River and Nagara River. The area located between the two rivers is referred to as the "Waju-tei" (輪中堤 or Waju levee). The name Wanouchi originates from this word and means "the town in Waju-tei".
In 1976, the Nagara River swelled and flooded Wanouchi's neighbouring towns, Anpachi, Gifu and Sunomata, Gifu. However, the people of Wanouchi were protected from the floods because of the strong embankments.
Every August, Satsuma Gishi, a Buddhist service, is held at one of the three temples where the graves of construction victims are located. The service honors these people and the Satsuma samurai.