"Hachiman-bori Ishi-datami no Komichi," a machiya-style commercial facility (Osugi-cho, Omihachiman City, Shiga Prefecture)

A commercial facility for tourists named "Hachiman-bori Ishi-datami no Komichi" or stone-flagged street at the Hachiman-bori moat, opened on the banks of the moat, a tourist attraction, in Osugi-cho, Omihachiman City. It has reproductions of "Machiya," or traditional Japanese tradesmen's houses. Their white-walled facades are harmonious with the surrounding scenery and are likely to be popular with tourists as they are located in "Juyo Dentoteki Kenzobutsu-gun Hozon-chiku," or a preservation district for groups of traditional buildings, which is lined with traditional merchants' mansions and others.

The location is where a merchant's mansion once stood. Its main building was demolished after the World War II, and the warehouse and the outbuilding were the only traditional buildings left. A real-estate company in Hikone City bought the location and built two store buildings, reproducing a machiya-style facade with lattice, full two stories, etc. The warehouse and the outbuilding were also converted into stores.

At one of the two new store buildings, Sennaritei, a meat-packing company headquartered in Hikone City sells croquettes, ham and sausage made of Omi beef, a local specialty of Shiga Prefecture. At the other store, Kimura Suisan Corp., also from Hikone City, sells "Tsukudani," or fish from Lake Biwa boiled in soy sauce and cooking sake, and "Funazushi," or fermented crucian carp sushi.

At the warehouse in the back space which leads to the moat, Kawasaki Co., a wooden rosary maker in Omihachiman City, sells accessories made of rare red and green wood. Watayo, a time-honored Japanese-style confectionery famous for "Decchi Yokan," or a type of sweet red bean paste jelly, opened a cafe in the outbuilding.