Japan Heritage story
Sato-numa: the village marshes of Tatebayashi
里沼（SATO-NUMA）
Most of the Kanto plain's marshes were drained long ago, but Tatebayashi still has many. Each grew a culture of its own: a marsh of prayer beside a temple, a marsh of harvest that fed the town, and a marsh of protection around a castle, famous now for azaleas.
Key facts
- Theme
- Castles, Sea and waterside, Food and sake
- Era
- Edo
- Region
- Kanto
- Official name in Japanese
- 里沼（SATO-NUMA）
- Official subtitle in Japanese
- 「祈り」「実り」「守り」の沼が磨き上げた館林の沼辺文化−
- Official area (in Japanese)
- 群馬県（館林市）
The story
Tatebayashi lies between the Tone and Watarase rivers, where spring water pooled into marshes. Like satoyama hills, these sato-numa, village marshes, stayed healthy because people used them: cutting reeds, fishing and farming around them. In winter, swans fly from marsh to marsh at dawn and dusk.
Morinji-numa, the marsh of prayer, survives beside Morinji, a 600-year-old temple famous for the Bunbuku Chagama tale of a tanuki that turned into a tea kettle; reeds from the marsh roof its thatched halls. Tatara-numa, the marsh of harvest, watered fields of rice and wheat, making Tatebayashi a wheat town known for udon and soy sauce. Jonuma, the marsh of protection, guarded Tatebayashi Castle, and legend says a girl named Otsuji entered its waters, so people planted azaleas on the hill above in her memory.
What to see
- Morinji and Morinji-numa: the thatched tanuki temple and a rare lowland wetland.Google Maps 茂林寺 館林 (opens in a new tab)
- Tatara-numa: a long marsh lined with pines planted 500 years ago by the pioneer Otani Kyuhaku.Google Maps 多々良沼 (opens in a new tab)
- Jonuma and Tsutsujigaoka: the castle marsh and its famous azalea hill.Google Maps つつじが岡公園 (opens in a new tab)
- Tatebayashi Castle site: the castle town that the marsh protected.Google Maps 館林城跡 (opens in a new tab)
Plan your trip with the Gunma prefecture guide and see more gardens and parks.
Good to know
- Come in winter to see swans flying between the marshes at dawn and dusk.
- Try Tatebayashi's wheat foods, such as udon, and marsh dishes like catfish tempura.
- Walk part of the way around Jonuma, about 5 km around, to see the castle marsh and the azalea hill.
Questions travellers ask
What is a sato-numa?
A 'village marsh' close to where people live, kept healthy by everyday use, like satoyama hills.
What is Bunbuku Chagama?
An old tale told at Morinji of a tanuki that turned into a tea kettle.
Where it comes from
More heritage stories from the same area
Crafts from the same area
Sources
We checked the facts on this page against these sources.