Kinkoutei (Former Rest Spot)

With its deep and large cove, Fukae Harbor in the Oga District of Hiji has prospered as a natural port since the Heian period.
During the Edo period it serviced ships departing for Daimyo official attendance services. In those days, due to the fact that ships used sails, it was neccessary to wait for wind and sea conditions to be perfect before setting off. For those waiting to sail, in 1667, Toshinaga Kinoshita, the third Daimyo of the Hiji Domain, build a rest house at Fukae Harbor. He named this rest house 'Kinkoutei'.
At the time Kinkoutei was built, its location was right next to the spot where ships came in to dock, and in this way the ship could be boarded via the entrance of the rest house. The runway was designed to be wide enough for palanquins to be carried through the exit of the rest house and moored directly next to the ship. The stone steps that lead up to the entrance are made from sea stones. Kinkoutei was made using tatami floors and the main building has Irimoya tiled-roofing. Imagine the sincerity with which it was made at the time.
While there were many rest houses like it at the time, it is said that Kinkoutei is the only one of its kind still around.
*Kinkoutei is privately owned, so it is not possible to see inside.