Marugame port was once the gate of Shikoku, and many people and goods were coming and going in this town.
The port was bustling, that brought more people, so the town was prospered.
Time passed, the prosperity has gone.
However, the port town still has a potential, and begin to change little by little towards the lively future.





The lantern has seen the history of prospering and decline.

Kompira shrine was known as the worship place from ancient times. In the Edo period, Kompira pilgrimage along with Ise pilgrimage was in fashion among common people.
Marugame port was the gate for the pilgrims and also the gate of Shikoku, so it was bustling with many people. The port lined with Inn, markets, tea houses and restaurants, and tourists were visiting here day and night. Artisans and merchants built their house one after another. Even people from outside of the town wished to move in the town because of vibrance.

In the Meiji period, salt fields were developed in the sea near the port. That brought Marugame town more profit. However, the salt industry in Marugame declined in the Showa period, due to national policy for organizing salt fields.

With passing of an era, a flow of people and goods changed, then gradually they left the town. Most of traditional houses built in the town’s peak became deteriorated, and there are quite a few houses without residents.