Shike-michi (四間道) is a small historical street in

Nishi-ku, Nagoya is one of the 16 wards in the city of Nagoya in Aichi Prefecture, Japan. As of 1 October 2019, the ward has an estimated population of 150,480 and a population density of 8,393 persons per km². The total area is 17.93 km². Geography The ...

in central Japan.

History

The district was founded for merchants at the time when Nagoya Castle was constructed as the seat of the Owari lords in 1610 CE (

Keichō was a after ''Bunroku'' and before ''Genna''. This period spanned from October 1596 to July 1615. The reigning emperors were and . Change of era * 1596 : The era name was changed to ''Keichō'' to mark the passing of various natural disasters ...

15), following the move from the town of

Kiyosu is a city in Aichi Prefecture, Japan. , the city had an estimated population of 69,687 in 29,477 households, and a population density of 4,017 persons per km². The total area of the city is . Geography Kiyosu is located in far western Aichi P ...

. The move from Kiyosu to Nagoya was called "Kiyosu goshi". The merchants who lived and worked here in their ''

machiya are traditional wooden townhouses found throughout Japan and typified in the historical capital of Kyoto. (townhouses) and (farm dwellings) constitute the two categories of Japanese vernacular architecture known as (folk dwellings). orig ...

'' houses traded in rice, miso, sake, salt, charcoal and wood. The Hori River was used as a transportation canal and commerce began to flourish. A large fire in 1700, called Genroku-no-Taika, destroyed a large number of merchant houses and 15 temples and shrines in Nagoya. As a result, Tokugawa Yoshimichi, the 4th lord of Owari, decided to widen the back street that runs parallel to the Hori Canal. The measurements are four ''

ken Ken or KEN may refer to: Entertainment * ''Ken'' (album), a 2017 album by Canadian indie rock band Destroyer. * ''Ken'' (film), 1964 Japanese film. * ''Ken'' (magazine), a large-format political magazine. * Ken Masters, a main character in ...

'' (shike), which is around 7 metres. The warehouses were constructed with plaster walls on the east side as a protection against future fires. It took around 40 years to complete the whole area. Most houses that are standing date to 1740. The city designated the townscape as a historic conservation district on June 10, 1986. Access by public transport is Marunouchi Station on the

Tsurumai Line The is a subway line which forms part of the Nagoya Municipal Subway system in Nagoya, Japan. It runs from Kami Otai in Nishi-ku, Nagoya to Akaike in Nisshin. The Tsurumai Line's color on maps is light blue. Its stations carry the letter ''T ...

Kokusai Center Station is a train station in Nakamura-ku, Nagoya, Aichi Prefecture, Japan. The station is linked to Nagoya International Center, after which the station is named. A long underground passage links this station directly to Nagoya Station; that is, th ...

on the Sakuradori Line. Bordering directly south of the street is the Funairi-chō neighbourhood.

''Yanegami''

An interesting feature on a warehouse is the rooftop shrine, called ''Yanegami'' (屋根神). This rooftop deity honours Tsushima, Akiba and

Atsuta Shrine is a Shinto shrine traditionally believed to have been established during the reign of Emperor Keikō (71-130) located in Atsuta-ku, Nagoya, Aichi Prefecture in Japan. The shrine is familiarly known as ''Atsuta-Sama'' (Venerable Atsuta) or simp ...

s. A small altar erected on the roof is a Nagoya custom. It is a means to ward off disease and disasters, and reflects the great devotion of ordinary people.

Gojō Bridge

The Gojō bridge (五条橋) over the Hori River is located at the northern end of the street. The name is thought to date back to time of the migration of the seat of government from Kiyosu to Nagoya in 1610 CE. The original bridge was said to have spanned the Gojō River in front of the Kiyosu Castle. The wooden bridge was replaced in 1938 with a concrete one. The inscription on the ornamental metal knobs are inscribed with "Gojō Bridge, Keichō 7, Year of the Tiger, June, Lucky Day."

Fuji Sengen Shrine

Located at the southern end of the street is the Shinto Fuji Sengen Shrine.

External links

Shikemichi
History of Nagoya Tourist attractions in Nagoya {{aichi-geo-stub