Shitamachi literally means as “downtown”, but the nuance is somewhat lost in translation. Historically, it was used to refer to the low-lying lands around the Sumida River, but the word has become an umbrella term for the way of life during the Edo period. The Shitamachi Museum showcases this shitamachi life. It also contains a reconstruction of a typical nagaya (“long house”) in which a merchant might have lived.
