Shiga Prefecture

"why did so many Omi merchants emerge who left their region and went to other provinces from Omi, Shiga Prefecture? Why was it from Shiga Prefecture, and not urban centers like Kyoto or Osaka? Several sources give three reasons. (1) It was a key transportation route. (2) The region was rich in products. (3) There was an accumulation of commercial activity. From looking at a map, it’s clear it was a key transportation route. Major highways such as the Nakasendo, Hokurikudo, and Tokaido passed and intersected from the east to the southern tip of Lake Biwa. And there was water transport. The water transport on Lake Biwa, which takes up one-sixth of Shiga’s area, had been utilized since medieval times. Both land and water made it a key transportation route."

"[たち](private://read/01k0zrfkq8xdny7vjg48yyc8en/nav.xhtml#ch1_sigil_toc_id_7) “Omi merchants are those who had their main residence (headquarters, main house) in Omi Province (present-day Shiga Prefecture) and traveled to other countries as itinerant merchants. Along with Osaka merchants and Ise merchants, they are counted among the three great merchant groups of Japan.”"