🎎 Yuge no Sho Salt Production Experience

Japan has rich salt resources such as rock salt and salt lakes, and has been producing salt in various ways since ancient times. The calm Seto Inland Sea has long sunshine hours and little rainfall, which is why many islands are famous for salt production. Yuge Island is one of them. Since the late 12th century, "Yuge no Sho" served as a salt-producing estate contributing to the Tō-ji temple in Kyoto for about 300 years. The ancient document "Yuri Monjo," which is registered as a national treasure at Tō-ji, also contains records of the salt-producing estate on Yuge Island. In 1981, the current Emperor of Japan visited the island. Later, in 2015, the aforementioned ancient document was designated as a Memory of the World by UNESCO, and in October 2021, seven sites on Yuge Island were designated as historical sites by the national government. To preserve the unique history of salt production on Yuge Island, a specified non-profit organization called "Yuge no Sho" was established, and various activities were launched. Based on ancient seaweed salt production, they also engage in pottery making, pottery salt production, historical research, and sales of salt products, allowing both children and adults to visit and experience these activities. By the way, Ehime University has been excavating salt production sites similar to Yuge Island for many years, listing the discovered salt production sites and artifacts as historical evidence, making significant contributions to the study of the history of salt in Japan.

The history of salt production thriving on Yuge Island. The dedication of the islanders has revitalized salt production. You can experience traditional salt-making. You can taste hand-crafted salt. There are also five types of salt suitable as souvenirs.