2,559 people starved to death on Oga Peninsula during the famine of 1833, the worst famine of the Edo period. The largest number of deaths was in Funakoshi, with 625 lives lost. This memorial tower was built in 1846 to honor the dead. As there is not much elevated land in Funakoshi, they must have chosen to build on this sand dune because it was the only place high enough to overlook the town. The tower is an important part of history that serves as a warning to future generations about the devastation of famine.
