Shikemichi

四間道

Old merchant lane with mud-walled storehouses and cafes

Hours

Street always open; shops vary

Address

Nagono 1-chome, Nishi Ward

The street was widened to four ken, about 7 m, after the great fire of 1700 to stop flames jumping between houses. Mud-walled storehouses sit on stone foundations on the east side and merchant townhouses line the west, a layout from the days when rice, miso and charcoal came up the Horikawa Canal. Old buildings have been turned into cafes and small shops; a plate of ogura toast in a converted warehouse is the obvious stop. It is not a crowd-magnet, so you end up walking slower without trying.