Muromachi Street
Muromachi Street is a street in Kyoto, Japan. Originally a path called Muromachi kōji in Heian-kyō, the ancient capital that preceded Kyoto, it lies to the west of Karasuma Street and runs north-south from Kitayama Street in Kita-ku to Kuzebashi Street in Minami-ku. En route, it is blocked by Higashi Hongan-ji Temple and Kyoto Station.
site marker.
In 1378, near where Imadegawa Street now intersects Muromachi Street, the third shōgun Ashikaga Yoshimitsu established the Hana-no Gosho, a luxurious palace that became the political and cultural center of the country. Today, its location is commemorated by a stone marker in what was its southwestern corner and relics from excavations in the area are held in the of Dōshisha University. The Ashikaga shogunate prospered until the Ōnin War, during which Kyoto disintegrated into the two areas Kamigyō and Shimogyō. After the war, Muromachi Street was the only road between them.
During the Edo period, Muromachi Street saw the growth of kimono wholesalers, some of which survive today. Each July, districts centered on the intersection between Muromachi Street and Shjiō Street in Shimogyō build floats to parade during the Gion Matsuri festival.Establishments
