I stopped by when visiting 徳山大神宮 to pray, and this place is quite good. I thought there would only be a few old stuffed animals in a corner of an unused town office, but I was surprised by how unexpectedly comprehensive it was. It exhibits history from the Jomon period through modern and contemporary times. I recommend it.

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A museum displaying pottery excavated in 松前 and 道南, ethnographic materials from 松前, materials on the 函館 War, and more. Clean the dirt off your shoes at the entrance before entering. After climbing stairs with a nostalgic school-like smell, you reach the museum entrance, where a bear welcomes you. There is plenty worth seeing: explanations about 白神岬 Lighthouse, a daguerreotype taken in 1854年, a pit dwelling, and, downstairs, Ainu culture, the body curtain of a phoenix festival float, and more (admission is free). I was the museum's only visitor, but there were quite a few people using the library housed alongside it. To get there, turn right off National Route 228号線 at the sign for central 松前, then turn right before the bridge a little farther ahead, keep going straight, and after passing the field you will find the former elementary school facility.

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I went during GW. It's a place where you can gain a good understanding of 松前's history. It is open to the public for free, making it easy to visit. It reuses a closed school, and walking around the whole school building made me feel somewhat nostalgic. It seems the gym is also available for public use. There was a library on the first floor too. Even though it was a holiday, there was only 1 group of visitors, so it was nice to look around at leisure.

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🏯 At the southern tip of Hokkaido… what kind of place is 「松前町」? 松前町（まつまえちょう） sits at Hokkaido's southern tip, facing the Tsugaru Strait. It is actually **the only “town with a castle” in Hokkaido**! During the Edo period, it flourished as the home of the Matsumae domain and was apparently quite a booming town thanks to maritime trade🏴‍☠️ Back then, merchant ships called 「北前船（きたまえぶね）」 carried goods back and forth between Setouchi, Osaka, Echigo, and other places. ⸻ 🖼️ I checked out 「松前町郷土資料館」! This is where I stopped by the other day! 松前町郷土資料館. Amazingly, admission is free✨ Surprisingly (← sorry), the exhibits are put together with incredible care, and you can really learn about the lives of the old Matsumae domain's samurai, trade, old maps, and more! 📌 Here are the highlights! • Right near Matsumae Castle • Quiet and relaxing inside • Small, but the exhibits are tastefully presented✨ • A welcoming atmosphere for a casual stop, even for just 3 minutes ⸻ 🐟 A town that lived alongside the northern sea Above all, 松前町 flourished because of its connection to the sea. Honshu and Aomori are close across the Tsugaru Strait, and people and goods bustled along the sea routes. The Matsumae domain even ruled all of Ezo (Hokkaido) at one point, making it something of a “leading player in the north”! In modern terms, think head of the northern sales division😆 ⸻ 🍣 While you're at it… the kaisendon is great too. After leaving the museum, do try Matsumae's kaisendon. Packed with the bounty of the Tsugaru Strait, including tuna, uni, and squid. “A little learning, a little eating”—the perfect sequence♪ ⸻ ✨ Summary: 松前町 is surprisingly exciting • Hokkaido's only castle town! • A mini history trip at a free museum📚 • Check out the Edo-period trade routes too🚢 • Fill up on kaisendon while you're there🦐 Why not take a little detour during your travels? **Even just 3 minutes isn't bad. Probably.** haha

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This is a red onigawara roof tile displayed at 松前町郷土資料館. This tile was used at the former 松城 Elementary School. It was transported by 北前船 from 石見 in 島根 Prefecture. The former 松城 Elementary School opened as a public school in 明治8年（1875）, converting 2 buildings on the south side of the former 福山 Castle's honmaru palace into school buildings, and was renamed Public 松城 Elementary School in 明治9年（1876）. The onigawara tile used bears a date inscription of 明治9年（1877）3月. The spatula-inscribed writing records the name 石見国那賀郡濱田　生湯住瓦師　峠勝蔵.