A part of the history of Uonuma region

History of Uonuma goes back more than 13000 years. Stone tools have been found in some places in Uonuma (Negoya, Tsukioka　根小屋、月岡 in Horinouchi　堀之内, Araya　荒屋 in Kawaguchi　川口) that are considered to be more than 13000 years old. Excavation have revealed ruines of houses, stone tools of Jomon age（縄文時代、12000 BC-400BC ）and the tombs of Kofun age（古墳時代、4 AD-7AD). Uonogawa(Uono-River) had long been used for the transportation of goods and the people. In Edo period（江戸時代、17 AD-Mid 19 AD）, timber was cut out of the woods in Irihirose（入広瀬） and Yunotani （湯之谷） and carried down to the river and then transported to Nagaoka（長岡） and Ojiya（小千谷）by boat. Locals, merchants, daimyos(feudal lords) travelled on boat between Muikamachi（六日町）and Nagaoka（長岡）-about 60km- making a few stops along the way where vendors dash to the boats and did business with the passengers selling rice cake, sake, snacks, medicines, etc. It took 6-12 hours from Muikamachi to Nagaoka, but it took 5-6 days the other way around! because the boat had to be dragged in the river by men all the way back to Muikamachi against the flow of the river.