Suigo Sawara

Suigo Sawara in Katori preserves a stretch of Edo-period merchant townhouses along a canal network that once served as the commercial heart of the region. Willow trees line the waterways, and flat-bottomed boats carry visitors through the narrow channels between the old warehouses at a slow drift. On foot, the streets behind the canal hold sake breweries, soy sauce producers, and small craft shops still operating from buildings with black-tiled facades. The area is quieter than its reputation suggests outside of summer festival weekends, when traditional floats are launched on the water in reference to the town's centuries-old trade history.