A granite pillar marks the Zero Milestone of Japan right in the middle of Nihonbashi Bridge. This small, unadorned stone remains the official origin point for every national highway in the country. Before paved roads connected the islands,…
Nihonbashi Edo Merchant Heritage
This walking tour traces the origins of Tokyo's merchant culture through the centuries-old family businesses surrounding Japan's historic highway marker zero.
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1. Zero Milestone In Japan
2. 黒江屋
Kuroeya sits on the corner of a busy street in Nihonbashi, distinguished by a traditional shopfront that feels miles removed from the surrounding glass office towers. This is a lacquerware store that has operated in the same neighborhood…
3. Eitaro Sohonpo Nihonbashi Main Store
The Eitaro Sohonpo storefront wears a dark, wood-paneled facade topped by a traditional tiled roof that stands apart from the surrounding glass and steel. This building serves as the headquarters for a confectionery business that began on…
4. Haibara
The Haibara store features a narrow, multi-story facade topped by a distinctive, slightly curved roofline that stands out against the surrounding office buildings. Founded in eighteen oh six, the shop originally specialized in selling…
5. 山本海苔店 新本店
The Yamamoto Noriten headquarters on the corner of the Nihonbashi district features a long, smooth glass facade that wraps around the street level. This shop began in eighteen forty-nine when Yamamoto Tokujiro opened a stall near the…
6. Ninben Nihombashi Main Store
A giant wooden sign hangs above the entrance, displaying the characters for Ninben in bold, traditional calligraphy. This shop has occupied the Nihombashi area since seventeen ninety-nine, operating as a specialist in katsuobushi, or dried…
7. Ozu Washi
Ozu Washi occupies a building marked by a distinctive, dark wooden facade that stands in sharp contrast to the surrounding glass and steel. This shop has operated in Nihonbashi since sixteen fifty-three. It began as a paper wholesaler for…