Old Sakai Harbor

Sakai Port, which developed as an overseas trading port in the Middle Ages,
declined with the replacement of the Yamato River, and Edo merchant
Hyoemon Yoshikawa and others built and repaired the port, which was the
prototype forSakai Old Port. The surrounding area has become a place of
recreation andrelaxation as a waterfront promenade with the old Sakai
Lighthouse and the Statue of Princess of the Dragon Place (Otohime-san).

Sakai Port developed in the Middle Ages as an overseas trading port with a good
natural harbor, but its port function declined with the replacement of the
Yamato River in the Edo period. Later, the port was built and repaired through
the efforts of Edo merchant Hyoemon Yoshikawa and others, and is the
prototype of the current Sakai Old Port. In modern times, the area was a bustling
urban resort with an aquarium, public hall, tidal baths, restaurants, and sea
bathing centering on Ohama Park, but typhoons, war damage, and the creation
of a coastal industrial zone in 1957 caused the area to lose its former charm.
However, many historic monuments remain, including the Old Sakai Lighthouse,
the oldest wooden Western-style lighthouse in Japan, which is designated as a
national historic site, and the Sakai Fort.
In recent years, the area surrounding the Old Sakai Port has become a place of
relaxation and interaction as Sakai's romantic waterfront, with the restored
statue of the Dragon Goddess built in 2000 and a water promenade.