Nakanojo Town has many area names that have been preserved only through oral tradition. Unfortunately, these names are being lost due to various factors, such as municipal mergers, population decline, generational change, and lifestyle changes.
Using the book “Area Names in Nakanojo Town” published by the Nakanojo Town Board of Education in 1994 as a guide, I walked around Iwamoto Kamigumi, where Yamase is located, following the oral tradition of the area names. This work is composed of
photographs of the present location, the oral tradition related to the area’s name, and stories shared by the local residents about
the area.
I would like to thank Takeshi Nakazawa and Shinya Shimamura for sharing their stories.