Long ago, a serving woman working at this house encountered a mysterious funeral procession when she went out to light the hearth. By some strange circumstances, she was handed the casket, and when she opened it, she found the image of Bishamonten, one of the Seven Gods of Fortune. After worshipping his image, the house became blessed with prosperity, and thus was dubbed “Bishamonya”. It is said that the statue is still worshipped in the family shrine in this home.

You are allowed to walk down the tatsumichi street leading up to the house. Compared to the path to Kikuya, this one feels much longer. The path to Bishamonya crosses a river right before the gate, but there wasn’t a river on the way to Kikuya, right? There is a river near Kikuya, though. It’s just behind the house.

Houses like Bishamonya, whose buildings lie beyond the river, were called “Hon-oshi”, or “original oshi”. Houses that lay ahead of the river were called “Machi-oshi”, or “town oshi”. Newer houses that were just opening up to travelers often became “machi-oshi”.