Samani

Samani lies on Hokkaido's Pacific coast beneath Mount Apoi, where steep headlands make travel along the shore difficult. Ainu communities and Japanese traders valued the coastal waters for kelp. In 1799, amid concern over foreign ships and northern defence, the shogunate took direct control of eastern Ezo and opened a mountain path around the cliffs. A trading post at Samani became a centre for officials and exchange along this exposed coast.