Roads That Carry Skills and Tradition Main Production Site Close to the Huge Kanto Market Development Driven by Geographic Benefits

Development Driven by Geographic Benefits

Forests occupy 60% of Kanuma, which is surrounded on three sides by mountains. In the mountainous areas, forestry has been an important element of the economy for centuries, with wood-working being the main local industry. Today, the city has a thriving industry making traditional door fittings such as fusuma and shoji (wood-paneled paper sliding doors), underpinned by the traditional craftsmanship symbolized by the exquisite carvings that decorate the festival carts. Flat land in the central and southern parts of the city is mostly covered by rice fields, while local agricultural products such as strawberries and chives are grown in the eastern part. Blessed with fertile soil suitable for growing garden trees, Kanuma is the largest production center of satsuki (azalea) in Japan and also a major supplier of gardening soil. Kanuma’s development has been supported by its geographical advantages: closeness to the Tokyo metropolitan area and richness in topographical diversity and natural resources. The industries capitalizing on these advantages will keep powering Kanuma’s economic growth for years to come.

	Of the three greatest gardens of Kanuma, only the Kikusuien remains. It is decorated with stone lanterns and rocks of unusual shape or color, collected from around the country. Each season offers a uniquely beautiful view of the garden. The Kantokyo, in the middle, is a house built in the style of a tea-ceremony hut. Its authentic tea-ceremony room is still used for group lessons.	Kanuma is known for its fine and delicate woodwork, and the skilled craftsmen who have carved this reputation with their own hands. In the Ki no Furusato (traditional wooden handicrafts) Museum, a broad array of products embodying this superb craftsmanship are on display, including shoji (sliding paper doors decorated with fretwork) paulownia-wood chest drawers, and hand-made brooms.
		satsuki (azalea) The Furumine shrine is dedicated to Prince Yamatotakeru, a legendary hero of ancient Japan whose story is told in the oldest Japanese chronicles, the Kojiki and Nihon Shoki. Legend has it that the priest Sho-nin, who founded many temples in the mountains of Nikko, practiced asceticism in the overwhelming silence of this shrine.

(Data collected April 2005)