A town on a hill where the steelworks' private railway runs through / Walk around the residential area near heaven, Yahata Edamitsu (Fukuoka Prefecture)
The third part of our walk around the residential area on a hill, "Heaven's residential area," in Kitakyushu City, Fukuoka Prefecture. After the opening of the government-run Yahata Steel Works in 1901 (Meiji 34), Yahata developed rapidly before and after the war, centering on the steelworks of Nippon Steel Corporation, which took over the area. The residential area, which could not be contained on the flat land alone, was formed running up the slopes of the hilly area in the south.
The steelworks, which started in Yahata, expanded into the Tobata area as well. Near Edamitsu, between Yahata and Tobata, there is an attractive residential area on a hill, "Heaven's residential area." The distinctive feature of this town is that Nippon Steel's private railway, the Kurogane Line, runs through the residential area. The railway line goes underground in a tunnel, but what's interesting is that the space above it, which remains the site of Nippon Steel Corporation, runs through the town, dividing it in places. In the residential area of Edamigaoka, there is an old district with a terraced layout of vertical and horizontal streets, which still retains the appearance of a former company housing district. For the residents, it's a lot of work to climb up and down the stairs, but the diverse shapes of the stairs are fascinating to visitors who come to walk around the town.
Village Streetscape Walker
http://www.shurakumachinami.natsu.gs/hyoshi/index.htm
Database Yawata
http://www.shurakumachinami.natsu.gs/03datebase-page/fukuoka_data/yawata/yawata.html
Database Yawata Hagoromo-cho
http://www.shurakumachinami.natsu.gs/03datebase-page/fukuoka_data/yawata_hagoromo/yawata_hagoromo_file.html