Sababushi Factory Relocation (aka Itenchi)
- Modification： 2024/01/11
- Area: issou
In Issou, the fishing of katsuo (a term that refers to several species of bonito and skipjack tuna) began in 1202 (Kennin 12), that of tobiuo (flying fish) began in 1783 (Tenmei 3), and that of saba (mackerel) began in 1885 (Meiji 18).
Many inhabitants of Issou village prospered by making smoked katsuo (katsuobushi). Naturally, through time, the industry thus expanded into smoked mackerel (sababushi) territory.
Until the beginning of the Shōwa era (the 1920s), there were many sababushi factories in Issou. They’d often keep their smoke-fires burning through the night—which frequently resulted in fires breaking out in town. Amongst these disasters, one stands out: on April 11th of 1928 (Shōwa 3), a sababushi factory in the heart of Issou caught aflame. This particular fire resulted in most of the town between Gajumaru Street and the seaside—including the local Buddhist temple—to be burnt to the ground. From October of that year onwards, the remaining sababushi factories were consolidated into one factory situated at the mouth of Issou River.
To this day, that factory site is called Itenchi, or “relocation”. This term is also used generally to refer to the sababushi industry of Issou as a whole.
