Omi

"The second reason is the products. They had high-quality hemp cloth. Until cotton became widespread, hemp was the main clothing material for commoners and was especially valued in the warmer west of Japan. Other representative products included rice. Called Goshu rice, it was considered delicious in the Kinai area. There were also mosquito nets made from hemp (Omi mosquito nets), tatami mats, many kinds of salted fish from Obama in Fukui Prefecture… Omi’s products were items that sold well wherever they were taken."

"From the time of opening, all staff, including Chubei himself, lived in the store. Not only apprentices called ‘koyaku,’ but also veteran employees left their families in their hometown of Omi and lived a communal life to dedicate themselves to work. They could only return home during summer and winter vacations, and only during the slow season in business could they finally go back to their family homes."