Obi Castle Town Historic Preservation: How Citizens Saved a Samurai District in Miyazaki

Official Archive Document Recording the Revitalization of Obi

The Miyazaki Prefectural Library has published a document titled "People and Folklore of Nichinan City [PDF]" that contains detailed records of Obi Castle Town’s historic preservation efforts.

Reading this document moved me deeply.

As travelers who love exploring Japan and witnessing history firsthand, we should be more grateful for the tremendous efforts made by local residents who worked tirelessly behind the scenes. The tourist destinations we enjoy today were built upon their dedication.

In this article, I summarize the history of Obi Castle Town’s preservation as recorded in this document.

Document Overview

This document records the journey of Obi Castle Town becoming the first Important Preservation District for Groups of Traditional Buildings in Kyushu in 1977, along with subsequent preservation efforts.

The main contents are as follows:

The Beginning of Obi Castle Restoration (1974)

According to the document, a newly elected mayor launched the “Obi Castle Restoration Project” in 1974.

Due to limited financial resources, the city established the “Obi Castle Restoration Promotion Association” and launched a citywide fundraising campaign. Simultaneously, the city council passed the “Cultural Property Preservation City Declaration,” clearly establishing a revitalization strategy that would leverage the historic townscape.

The Path to Historic District Designation

The document records that of the total project cost of 518 million yen, 220 million yen was raised through citizen donations.

Resident-Led Shopping Street Development

A particularly noteworthy section of the document describes the efforts of the Honmachi-dori Shopping Street.

In response to plans for a bypass on National Route 222, residents formed the “Honmachi-dori Widening Promotion Association” in 1970. Through persistent petitions to prefectural and national authorities, they successfully changed the plan to widen the existing road in 1973.

Furthermore, in 1978, they formed the “Honmachi-dori Townscape Study Group” and independently established townscape guidelines without government assistance. The residents created a Japanese-style shopping street befitting a castle town through their own efforts.

Ongoing Preservation Efforts

The document also records continued efforts after the historic district designation:

• 1982: Release of carp into roadside waterways, relocation of utility poles
• 1989: Reduction and miniaturization of road signs
• 1993: Construction of Komura Memorial Hall and Obi Folk Performing Arts Center

Key Takeaways from the Document

The three defining characteristics of Obi’s historic preservation that emerge from this document are:

1. Collaboration between government and residents - Simultaneous advancement of three projects: Obi Castle restoration, historic district designation, and Honmachi-dori widening
2. Citizen-funded financing - Approximately 42% of total project costs were covered by citizen donations
3. Resident initiative - The shopping street independently established its own townscape guidelines

I hope that the story of the efforts by the people of Obi reaches as many people as possible and serves as valuable information for local revitalization and tourism development. If you are interested, please read the original document.

People and Folklore of Nichinan City [PDF] - Miyazaki Prefectural Library