Shikemichi, Historic merchant district in Nishi-ku, Nagoya, Japan.
Shikemichi is a historic merchant district along the Horikawa River, where white warehouses line a 7-meter-wide street with stone foundations. The buildings display traditional architectural features from the early 1700s, built to serve traders in their daily business.
After the great fire of 1700, Tokugawa Yoshimichi ordered the widening of streets to about 7 meters, which gave the district its present name. This reconstruction marked a turning point in urban planning and helped prevent similar disasters.
The district reflects how merchants once conducted business with rice, miso, sake, and salt, with buildings showing traces of their everyday working lives. Walking through the streets, you sense the economic importance these traders held in the city's development.
The area is accessible by the Nagoya Sightseeing Route Bus at the Me-guru stop or a 15-minute walk from Nagoya Station. The flat path along the river makes it easy to explore on foot at a leisurely pace.
Small shrines called Yanegamisama sit on the roofs of merchant houses, meant to protect buildings and residents from illness and harm. These tiny religious structures are easy to miss but reveal a layer of everyday spirituality in the district.
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