Chapter 2
Nurturing and Displaying Culture

As Esashi flourished, people came from around the country via the northern trade routes, bringing with them various cultural customs. Esashi’s townsfolk adapted these customs to suit their local environment, creating many cultures unique to Esashi derived from herring. The Esashi Oiwake Museum and Esashi Yama Museum are stops for learning essential cultures to understand the Japan heritage in Esashi, including "Esashi Oiwake," one of the most famous folk songs in Japan, and the "Ubagami Togyo Festival," a time-honored event with over 380 years of history.