Monzenmachi

Monzenmachi in Shiogama sits at the foot of two major shrines and retains much of its merchant-town character. Walking the flagged streets, you pass businesses with centuries of history: Urakasumi Brewery (sake since 1724), Ota Yohachiro Shoten (soy sauce and miso since 1845), and Tanrokuen (tea and sweets since 1720, originally a marine supplier). The preserved Ebiya Ryokan, in continuous operation since the Edo period in a Meiji-era building, opens its downstairs cafe on most days and its upstairs to the public on weekends. The street continues to evolve, with newer cafes and kamaboko (fish cake) shops joining the older establishments.