What Is “Matsumoto Ame-ichi”?
A New Year’s Tradition in the Mercantile City of Matsumoto
There are several theories regarding the origins of Matsumoto Ame-ichi (the Matsumoto Candy Market).
One widely known account traces it back to the early Edo period, when a “first market of the year” was held on January 11. During this event, the priest of Miyamura Tenjin Shrine (now Fukashi Shrine), which enshrined the guardian deity of the marketplace, began selling salt. This salt market, known as the “Shio-ichi,” is believed to be the origin of today’s Ame-ichi.
Another theory, emerging from the late Edo period, connects the event to the famous legend of “Kenshin’s Righteous Salt.” According to this tale, Uesugi Kenshin sent salt to aid his rival Takeda Shingen during a time of hardship. Based on this legend, January 11—the date on which the “righteous salt” is said to have arrived in Matsumoto—was commemorated with a salt market. This “Shio-ichi” is also considered by some to be the origin of Ame-ichi.
