This section of the Hokkoku Kaidō Road once hosted the biannual Kinomoto Livestock Market, where cattle and horses were sold. The market was first held during the Muromachi period (1392–1573) and continued until the early twentieth century. To place a bid, a potential buyer would put their hand into the seller’s sleeve and indicate a price by grasping or bending a certain number of the seller’s fingers. When a deal was struck, both buyer and seller would clap their hands, an action which constituted a binding contractual agreement.

 

※This English-language text was created by the Japan Tourism Agency.