Shinmachi Street

Shinmachi Street is a nationally designated Important Preservation District for Groups of Traditional Buildings, where a historic townscape continues to survive in the modern era. It is located about 2 kilometers north of JR Omihachiman Station. Buses also run from the station, and getting off in front of the "Omihachiman City Museum" makes access convenient. A distinctive feature of the houses lining the street is the presence of "udatsu," fire-prevention walls extending above the roofline. The "mikoshi no matsu" (a pine tree viewed peeking over rooftops) adds an elegant, nostalgic atmosphere. Historically, this area thrived as a gathering place for Omi merchants, fueled by policies such as Toyotomi Hidetsugu’s rakuichi-rakuza (free markets). Some Omi merchants who started here later expanded their businesses nationwide—and even into present-day Vietnam and Thailand. The Nishikawa family, known as the origin of Nishikawa futon bedding, also began here. Merchant residences where many Omi traders once lived, including the former Nishikawa Jingoro Residence and the former Nishikawa Riemon Residence, remain well preserved. In addition, the Omihachiman City Museum, located on the former site of Nishimura Taroemon’s residence, exhibits many folk materials that reveal the daily life of Omi merchants in that era.