Masuda City Tourist Information Center

Cuisine from the Medieval Era

Masuda City’s Hospitality Strategy

In 1568, Masuda Fujikane, who was lord of Masuda, and his son, Masuda Motoyoshi, visited Yoshida Koriyama Castle (in present-day Akitakata City, Hiroshima Prefecture). The castle was the base of Mori Motonari, an influential warlord during Japan’s Medieval　(Sengoku) period. There, the Masudas presented many gifts and a lavish feast. With this gesture, the father and son succeeded in leaving Mori with a strong impression of their power.

Masuda, a city with the flavor of medieval culture

The Masuda family’s documents include a record of the list of dishes served to Mori Motonari and their ingredients. The Masuda Medieval Cuisine Reproduction Project aimed to reproduce those dishes based on the record. Local historical documents, represented by the Masuda family’s documents, have revealed reliable facts concerning the historical background against which those dishes were prepared for the leading warlord.

Masuda retains various historical buildings: the remains of the Masuda family’s Nanao Castle and the Miyake-odoi residence building (collectively designated as an historic site entitled The Remains of the Masuda Family Castle and Residence), the remains of the port town, old Shinto shrines and Buddhist temples. This is why Masuda is known for clearly displaying what a medieval castle town was like, and it retains the flavor of medieval culture.

Reproducing Masuda’s medieval feast

A replication of the feast that Masuda Fujikane served to Mori Motonari was prepared using local specialty products. Especially featured were rare ingredients from the sea, mountains and rivers, including flying fish, sweetfish, and salt-pickled sweetfish roe. It is believed that the lavishness of the feast amazed warlord Mori Motonari.

   Among such fine ingredients, the most noteworthy were herring roe and kombu kelp produced in Hokkaido. These suggest, along with the tiger fur from the Korean Peninsula included among the gifts, that the Masuda family was active in trade across the Sea of Japan. Some historians have pointed out that the family had a disposition similar to that of sea lords.

Price	\2,000(1,900) Admission Fee inclusive ( ):fees for groups more than 20
Place	Manpukuji Temple
Limit of the number of attendee	15-40 persons
Requied Time	60 - 20 min.
Inquiry	masuda.shimane@gmail.com

 

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