Home of Silkworm Culture - Osugi & Kuragaki Route｜Hiking / Cycling｜Things to Do

Your route begins at the memorial hall and silkworm cultural center Kaiko-no-Sato, facility honoring the good deeds and services of Morikuni Uegaki who’s said to be the god of sericulture. Here you’ll see a silk farming town that was Hyogo prefectures most prosperous one from the Edo to the Showa period. In July 2017 the central area of Osugi town was designated a traditional architecutral preservation district. Its many 3-storied silkworm houses are unique and hard to find anywhere else in the country. Enjoy the townscape and village landscape with its preserved silkworm houses where they weaved silk, a beautiful place that conveys the sericulture and industry well.

Giant Silkworm Monument

Kaiko no Sato Culture Center

Uegaki Morikuni Memorial Hall

House Irori

Route map

Route directions and land marks

1) Uegaki Morikuni Memorial Hall: Starting at Uegaki Morikuni Memorial Hall, said to be the god of sericulture, near the river where you can see processed goods and join workshops. Buy silkworm cocoon figures, try mulberry leaf udon or tea (leaves used to feed silkworm) in Kaiko-no-Sato Culture Center. Uegaki Morikuni Memorial Hall was built with traditional architecture of silkworm houses (a 3-story residential building with a middle floor). Here you can experience a little sericulture farming.

2) Giant silkworm monument: Walk from the memorial hall along the prefectural road, after about 1km you will come across a giant silkworm monument. This 5m high silkworm is the town’s guide. It looks like giant short legged and white bug flying through the sky.

3) Illustrated signboard and bridge: About 2km down from the giant silkworm there’s a signboard with pictures drawn by local elementary kids, cross the nearby bridge (大町橋). About 1km from there you will see the town’s cultural center and house Irori (Furusato Koryu-no-Ie Irori), a three-story silkworm house that utilizes the first floor. You are welcome to bring outside food and drinks.

4) Distribution art gallery “Yousan Nouka”: A little ways from there is the distribution gallery “Yousan Nouka” on the right. A three-story silkworm house turned art gallery where paintings and sculptures are on exhibit and some for sale. Originally a two-story thatched roof farm house built in the late Edo period but rebuilt into a three-story tiled roof silkworm house in 1913. There is also a cafe and people are welcome to come and just look around.

5) Cultural Exchange Facility Wood Carving Exhibition Hall: Down from there is a woodcarving art museum in the former Tochio Clinic, two-story building from the late Meiji era. Here you can see excellent works of succession from Japan’s only wood carving contest (started in 1994) “Public Exhibition of Wood Carving Folk Art Oya”

Route: Kaiko-no-Sato Culture Center > Uegaki Morikuni Memorial Hall > Giant silkworm monument > Furusato Koryu-no-Ie Irori > Distribution art gallery “Yousan Nouka” > Wood Carving Exhibition Hall

Difficulty: ★☆☆

Route Category: In town

Type of Activity

★☆☆　Flat course（Elevation gain less than 100m）or less than 5km.
★★☆　Slightly undulating course（Elevation gain less than 500m）or less than 10ｋｍ.
★★★　Rugged course（Elevation gain more than 500m）or 11ｋｍ.

Distance	About 5km
Required Time	Walking time of about 3 hours to allow for sightseeing and participation in workshops if desired.
Starting Point	Start point: Kaiko-no-Sato Culture Center End point: Wood Carving Exhibition Hall
Getting Here	By Bus: From JR Yoka Station take a local bus and get off at Kuragaki bus stop. By Car: Go to Kai-no-Sato Parking Lot
Road Conditions	Asphalt
Resting Place	Public restroom: Kaiko-no-Sato Culture Center, distribution gallery “Yousan Nouka”, wood carving exhibition hall (during regular opening hours) Rest area: Kaiko-no-Sato Culture Center, distribution gallery “Yousan Nouka” Shops: Kaiko-no-Sato Culture Center, distribution gallery “Yousan Nouka”, Shop & cafe Gabu
Signpost Presence	Present
Guide Availability	Available Send guide request to: Osugi Traditional Architectures Preservation Group Phone: 079-669-0026(Tel.no. for the distribution art gallery “Yousan Nouka”) Fee/charge: Contact for Pricing
Notes	Kaiko-no-Sato Culture Center: Open only on Saturdays from March to December. The sweeping of the silkworm can be observed around June. Uegaki Morikuni Memorial Hall: Open Wednesday to Sunday. You can see the traditional tools and buildings of sericulture farmers year round. Furusato Koryu-no-Ie Irori: For visitors wishing to view or use the facilities please direct inquiries to the distribution art gallery “Yousan Nouka”. Distribution art gallery “Yousan Nouka”: Closed Mondays Phone: 079-669-0026 Wood Carving Exhibition Hall: Closed Mondays & Tuesdays. Entrance Fee: Junior high student and older 200yen, children 100yen. Phone: 079-663-8070
Contact	Contact: Yabu City Tourism Association Phone: 079-663-1515

Things to Do

Home of Silkworm Culture - Osugi & Kuragaki Route 養蚕のふるさと～大杉・蔵垣～ルート

Home of Silkworm Culture - Osugi & Kuragaki Route

養蚕のふるさと～大杉・蔵垣～ルート