🗺️ Arimatsu Old Street有松の古い町並み

Along the old Tōkaidō near Arimatsu Station, there are many residences and townhouses of wealthy merchants from the Edo period. In 1784, a great fire destroyed much of the village. During the reconstruction, these townhouses replaced their roofs with tiled roofs to protect the buildings from fire hazards and installed short columns on the beams as fire prevention structures. Today, the streets lined with townhouses still retain the appearance of the Edo period. Within the street preservation area, there are historical buildings such as the large residence of a shibori (tie-dye) merchant, the "Oka Family Residence" (open to the public only on Saturdays and Sundays). It is believed that the "Oka Family Residence" was built in the late Edo period. You can see the lattice doors and windows on the first floor, the sea cucumber walls, the insect cage windows, and the fire prevention structure of the second floor, as well as the distinctive wave-shaped eaves. Additionally, the residence of a wealthy merchant, "Hattori Residence (Igeya)," and the townhouse of a shibori merchant, "Takeda Family Residence (Takeda Kabei Store)," are also very famous historical buildings. Arimatsu has been designated as the production area for the national traditional craft "Arimatsu Narumi Shibori." Due to the scarcity of arable land in the area, this dyeing technique known as "shibori" was vigorously developed as a side business, marking the beginning of Arimatsu Narumi Shibori. It is said that Arimatsu Narumi Shibori was a popular souvenir at the time, and in the humorous novel "Tōkaidōchū Hizakurige" by Japanese novelist Jippensha Ikku, there is a scene where the protagonists Yajirōbei and Kitahachi buy towels during their pilgrimage to Ise. Furthermore, the "Arimatsu Narumi Shibori Hall" displays valuable historical materials that provide insights into the history of Arimatsu shibori, and visitors can watch live demonstrations by shibori artisans and purchase souvenirs made from Arimatsu Narumi shibori.

Preserving the streetscape from the late Edo period, you can visit the residences of wealthy merchants such as indigo dye wholesalers. Along the way, there are charming and unique shops and cafes.