We are Genshosha

In 2007, the Iwami Ginzan Silver Mine was designated a World Heritage Site as the first-ever mining site in Asia that made the list.

During the first half of the 16th century, this area underwent a surge in its silver production, owing to the introduction of new technology from Yi Dynasty Korea. Soon, foreign merchant ships from Ming Dynasty China as well as Portugal and other European countries started to frequent the nearby port of Yunotsu, looking to trade silver.

Arguably, silver mined in Iwami Ginzan, or sekishu silver, upset the power dynamics of trade in East Asia at the time; it urged foreign merchants from powerful countries to directly visit a port in Japan which had held a relatively inconspicuous position by that point.

Much time has gone by, and the year is now 2023. We have established our business in this onsen (hot springs)-blessed port town of Yunotsu in Shimane Prefecture and named it “Genshosha”.

Located very close to the hot spring source, Yunotsu Onsen has long been a popular place of healing and relaxation with its hot water directly flowing from where it gushes out of the ground.

Beyond the undulating coastline is an expanse of beautiful emerald-green sea where black-tailed gulls chirp. Soaring into the sky with clouds hanging atop them, the lush mountains support all lives through the rich soil.

Just as Yunotsu once was a center of global connections, Genshosha wishes to be a place where “Yunotsu lovers” gather and connect. We hope to be the window into this town for those with cultivated minds from all over the world, and hopefully find among them a handful of people who truly appreciate and share our love of Yunotsu.

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Gen-sho-sha ゲン - ショウ・シャ【現象・舎】
All matters that humans are capable of perceiving.
An external manifestation (or its collection) of the essence produced through moderate interactions between nature and man-made things.

We carry various local products, including antique livingware, tea made of
local herbs, and precious items that have been handed down from generation to generation as nature and people lived in harmony.