Tadotsu, town in Nakatado district, Kagawa prefecture, Japan
Tadotsu is a small port town in Kagawa Prefecture built around shipping and trade. The center holds old warehouses and residences clustered near the waterfront, with streets like Higashihama and Nishihama leading down to the harbor.
The town separated from nearby Marugame in the late 1600s and grew rapidly as a major port for ships trading goods like sugar, cotton, and salt. Specialized cargo vessels called Kitamae-bune ships made Tadotsu a key hub for maritime traffic across the Seto Inland Sea.
The town's name reflects its role as a shipping hub, and this heritage shapes how the streets and buildings are organized around the port. Walking through Higashihama, Nishihama, and Hondori, you see how sailors and merchants once moved through these lanes, leaving traces in the layout itself.
The Tadotsu Municipal Museum displays ship models and documents that explain the port's history in detail. The old town is walkable, with historic buildings like the Shiota Warehouse and Goda Family House located close together for easy visiting.
The famous writer Ryotaro Shiba compared Tadotsu to Hyogo, emphasizing its importance for shipbuilding and navigation. This comparison to such a major port shows how respected Tadotsu was in Japanese maritime history.
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