Okidomari, Port settlement in Oda, Japan
Okidomari is a historic port settlement in Oda featuring a natural bay that extends about 440 meters inland and is surrounded by mountains. The area contains narrow streets lined with old merchant houses and storage buildings that preserve the appearance of a historic trading town.
During the Edo period, this settlement served as a major silver export port. This era shaped the town's character and established its importance as a trading hub on Japan's western coast.
The settlement preserves original two-story merchant houses along narrow paths, where storage buildings from the northern trade period line the streets. Walking through these lanes, you can see how traders and craftspeople organized their lives in these tight quarters.
This place is best explored on foot, as the narrow lanes between historic buildings are not suited for vehicles. Visitors should wear comfortable shoes to navigate the uneven streets and stairs with ease.
Two fortresses, Kushiyama Castle and Umaru Castle, have guarded the northern and southern sides of the bay entrance since the Mouri clan period. These defensive structures reveal how vital control of this port was to regional powers of that time.
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