水の森

Clutching a flickering lantern, a lone figure stumbled through the encroaching darkness. He muttered, “Almost there… Mizumaki awaits.” Mizumaki. A name whispered on the winds of time, echoing the rise and fall of fortunes, a testament to human resilience. Today, we stand before Mizumaki, not a lone traveler in the dark, but as witnesses to its enduring spirit. Mizumaki, a town nestled in the heart of Fukuoka Prefecture, cradles within its boundaries a story spanning centuries. Once a vast expanse submerged beneath the ancient Ko-Onga Bay, the relentless flow of the Onga River gradually birthed a fertile plain. This marked the beginning of Mizumaki’s transformation, a slow, patient unveiling of the land that would sustain generations. Around 3,000 years ago, the first settlers tentatively set foot on this newly formed land, cultivating rice and building a life intertwined with the rhythm of the river. Yet, the Onga River, giver of life, could also be a destructive force. The early inhabitants faced the constant threat of devastating floods, a harsh reminder of nature’s capricious power. Mizumaki’s journey through time continued through the Edo Period, under the watchful eye of the Fukuoka Domain. With the dawn of the Meiji Restoration in 1889, Mizumaki officially emerged as a village, a testament to its enduring spirit. The turn of the 20th century, 1940, saw Mizumaki elevated to town status, a beacon of growth and progress. However, this progress was shadowed by the darkness of World War II. Mizumaki became the unwilling host of the “Japan Coal Mining Company, Onga Coal Mine,” a site of forced labor for Allied POWs. The “Memorial Cross” stands as a solemn reminder of this tragic chapter, honoring the lives lost within the depths of the mine. From the ashes of war, Mizumaki rose again. The coal industry, once a source of both prosperity and suffering, eventually gave way to a new era. Mizumaki transformed itself into a commuter town, embracing its proximity to the bustling Kitakyushu City. Today, Mizumaki thrives, a blend of history and modernity. It is a town that remembers its past, honors its resilience, and looks towards a future brimming with possibilities.