Journeys in Japan

Omi-hachiman: Historic Merchant Town on Sacred Lake (11x20)

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Omi-hachiman is an old castle town that flourished as a transportation hub on Lake Biwa. It retains the remnants of the olden days, including grand merchant homes and the Hachiman-bori moat, which served as a logistics base. William Merrell Vories, who came to Japan from the United States before World War II and designed 1,600 significant buildings across Japan, made Omi-hachiman his home for over half a century. His residence in Omi-hachiman has been converted into a museum. On this episode of Journeys in Japan, James Kohlman, a musician and actor from the United States, traces the footprints of Omi Merchants, who crisscrossed Japan from their base in Omi-hachiman, as well as the remarkable William Merrell Vories. And he meets people in whom their spirits live on.