A town that suits orange: A sunset stroll in Yoshina

Yoshina bricks: Supporting Japan’s modern architecture

Located on the coast of Takehara, Yoshina is famous as a brick-producing region. Even today, brick factories and their remains are scattered throughout the area, with buildings and brick-lined shores creating a landscape unique to this town.
Brickmaking in Yoshina began around the end of the Meiji era. The abundance of red clay rich in iron and the seaside location were ideal for both production and transport. As the demand for construction rose with modernization, high-quality Yoshina bricks were used across the country, and the town is said to have been incredibly lively.
During the Taisho era, mass-production “Hoffmann kilns” were introduced. The large chimneys remaining as vestiges of that time were designated as “Modern Industrial Heritage” sites in 2007, quietly preserving the memory of former industries in the twilight town.

Scenes of daily life in a port town

Yoshina is also known as a fishing town. The calm waters facing the Seto Inland Sea have supported people’s lives for a long time.
On the way from Yoshina Station to the port through winding, narrow alleys, you might encounter a cat napping peacefully or an old handcart once used for selling fish, evoking a sense of nostalgia. The octopus pots placed at the fishing port also reflect the stillness of the harbor after a day’s work.
While the port gradually comes to life in the morning, by dusk, there is only the scent of the tide and empty boats swaying quietly in the waves.

Feeling the passage of time in the sunset

Walking through Yoshina at dusk, I saw middle school students jogging through town and elementary schoolers playing catch with their families. When I spoke to them, they pointed out a nearby spot, saying, “The ruins of the brick factory are over there.”
Brick factories still in operation, the fishing industry that stays close to the lives of the townspeople, and potatoes growing in red clay fields. Yoshina has many local specialties, but it is the people living here every day who have created them. The calm atmosphere of the evening seems to offer a glimpse into those lives.

Leaving the port, I headed to the coast where beautiful sandy beaches stretch out. The sunset is quietly reflected in the shallow waters, with only the sound of the waves echoing. History, industry, and the lives of the people—walking through Yoshina in the evening makes you feel that all these elements still live on in the same place.
The colors of the red clay, the bricks, and the sunset overlap, melting the entire town into a shade of orange. That evening in Yoshina left a quiet, lasting impression on my heart.