There were Nogata settlements and Satogata settlements in Fujimi City area. Life and history in these settlements differed according to geography. See the life of the people in picture maps and miniature.
Villages such as Ōkubo, Kami-Nanbata, Shimo-Nanbata and Nanbata-Shinden were formed on natural levees along the Shinkashi River and the Arakawa River. They are referred to as Satogata settlement, where housings were built on natural levee and rice field on the surrounding alluvial flat.
Construction of levee, river improvement and development of rice paddy field were pushed in the Edo period. Nevertheless, rice farming suffered chronic water shortage. Instead farmers dug wells or reserved rainwater. On the other hand, they had to drain away unnecessary water at times.
Picture Map of drainage in Ōkubo Village, 1853, depicted levee of the Arakawa River, irrigation, a drainage and a bridgewater above the waterway.
The Flood Disaster in 1910: The largest flood in the 20th century for Kantō region hit in 1910. The flood breached levee in Nanbata Village, resulted in six deaths. Many houses were fully or partially destroyed and most of the crops were destroyed.
Satogata Residence (Scale Model): A house was built on natural levee, and Dozō (storehouse) was built on embankment. Rice paddy fields lie on the surrounding alluvial flat.
Nanbatajō Museum, Fujimi City Municipal Museum of History and Folklore