Toyota

Toyota lies on the northern shore of the Inland Sea in eastern Aki. At Takehara, once an estate associated with Kyoto's Shimogamo Shrine, the Kobayakawa family held power in the Middle Ages. In the Edo period, reclaimed coastal land proved too salty for farming, and salt makers introduced techniques from Akō. The salt fields brought prosperity to the town, whose merchants accumulated wealth and supported a flourishing local culture.