Kitakata is a simple town that evokes a certain nostalgia among its visitors, even when they are visiting for the first time. This is because Kitakata Kura no Machi, or Kitakata Warehouse Town, is not an artificially created sightseeing venue, but rather, a living town with its own residents who actively use the warehouses to this day. There are over 2,600 warehouses which are scattered all around the town from the main streets to the back streets and even in small villages outside the town. One of the reasons why so many warehouses were built here is that the area is blessed with high quality water and rice and is thus famous for sake and miso production. The warehouses provide the most suitable environment for both production and storage. Another reason for the abundance of warehouses is the passion of the local residents and their desire to own their own warehouses.  A particular incident during the Meiji Period also helped to solidify the town’s identity. In Meiji 13, the town succumbed to a large fire which destroyed all buildings save the warehouses, which remained standing. The image of those warehouses standing solemnly in the smoldering, burnt-out town still remains in the minds of the people today and enhances their feeling of pride in the town.