Walking Around Omihachiman
Lunch at OZEN Omihachiman
Omihachiman’s sights are clustered into a compact area, so it’s easy to explore on foot. The weather was beautiful that day too, perfect for a leisurely stroll.
The building I visited was designed by William Merrell Vories, who left many buildings across Japan and is often called the father of modern architecture in the country. The cafe is known for its parfaits made with fresh fruit, but at lunchtime you can also have an obanzai set meal.
I was happy to be able to enjoy a little of many different side dishes. It was satisfying, though a bit on the pricey side.
Hachiman-bori Canal
Hachiman-bori Canal, which runs through the town, is a wonderfully relaxing place.
It was originally developed as the moat of Hachimanyama Castle, but the castle itself existed for only a brief period of 10 years. After that, it was used as a canal supporting Omihachiman as a commercial city.
It connects to Lake Biwa, and from there it is possible to reach Osaka Bay via the Uji River and other waterways. This geographical setting was also one reason the Omi merchants prospered.
Exploring Modern Architecture
Hakuunkan
I headed back down and continued my walk. This is Hakuunkan, a pseudo-Western-style building originally constructed in 1877 as a school.
Among schools built in this pseudo-Western style, the Kaichi School in Matsumoto (the former Kaichi School building) is especially famous, but Hakuunkan was built one year later. Today, the interior is used as a tourist information center.
Former Hachiman Post Office
The last stop on my walk was the Former Hachiman Post Office. This building was designed by Vories and was built around 1921.
The first floor had a hall and the postmaster’s office, while the second floor was used as a telephone exchange room. It seems the second floor is sometimes rented out as a gallery, but when I visited there was no exhibition on, so I was able to appreciate the building itself.
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