In the past, Yaotsu was a key location for assembling rafts from timber cut in the upper reaches of the Kiso River, and it was also a place where various goods were traded. Transporting goods via river is called ‘boat transportation.’ Specialty products from the mountainous regions were carried on human and horseback along the Kurose Highway, passing through the relay point of Kutami, then transported to Kurose Minato on the Kiso River, and from there, shipped downstream on boats. The cargo load of a single downstream boat was about 460 kan (approximately 1725 kg), consisting of charcoal, firewood, ice, timber, konnyaku yams, tea, raw silk, and various grains. Yaotsu Town flourished by skillfully utilizing the power of the rivers and wind, living in harmony with nature’s rhythm. In modern times, as economic activities and lifestyles change, values and ways of living were also transformed. However, living in harmony with nature is an important approach to building a sustainable future. Let’s consider the necessary ways of living in the modern era to maintain the balance between human society and the global environment and to realize a healthy future.”
Sustainable802
Day 3 / Friday, June 12, 2026 Day 3 — the final day had arrived. Once again, the morning began with the group splitting in two for their walks. Group A explored the river trade hubs around Inuyama and Unuma, while Group B visited the Kurose Danjiri storehouse, Kurose Port, and Honmachi-dōri. With relatively less […]
2026.6.16. [ Updated ] Study & Business Tours
Day 2 / Thursday, June 11, 2026 Day 2 featured a program designed to give participants a lived sense of the history and daily life of Yaotsu and the Kiso River basin. In the morning, the group split into two and headed out for walks in different directions. Group A visited the Kurose Danjiri storehouse, […]
2026.6.16. [ Updated ] Study & Business Tours
Through an unexpected connection, we had the wonderful opportunity to welcome faculty members from Nagoya University’s School of Agriculture, along with international students from Thailand and Cambodia. Over three days — June 10 to 12 — we had the pleasure of showing them around Yaotsu Town. This program was developed through discussions with university faculty […]
2026.6.16. [ Updated ] Study & Business Tours