Nori seaweed attach and grow on a net called hibi woven from Japanese oak, keyaki, bamboo, or hemp palm suspended at the sea surface of a bay where fresh water mixes with seawater. Since harvested nori seaweeds spoil rapidly and so were difficult to transport in former times, unique food culture in nori was developed in Edo and Kyoto-Osaka area respectively.

When Tokujiro Yamamoto founded Yamamoto-Nori-Ten in Nihonbashi Muromachi in 1849, the quality of nori was not stable. However, the second owner, Tokujiro, innovated on the quality control of nori products. He categorized nori based on quality from one for tsukudani (salt-sweet preserves) to premium one for gifts, which led to the success in producing top-grade nori for the first time. And seasoned nori ? a flavorful treat was first prepared for the Meiji emperor to take as a gift on his visit to Kyoto in 1869. The logo derived from the Chinese character of ume (plum) means that the flavor of nori is considered to be as important as the ume blossoms, and high-quality nori seaweed was harvested in winter when ume trees are in bloom.

As it can be said that the beautiful skin of Japanese women is due to the nori grown in the sea and sunlight as well as the minerals and vitamins, it is suitable for the Nihonbashi-bijin brand. And, Nihonbashi-bijin Temakiyou Yakitate Nori (toasted nori for hand rolls) offers half-sized sheets of toasted nori, which are excellent with ham or cheese when wrapped in the nori sheets as snacks, as well as rice balls. Let's enjoy nori at the table everyday to become Nihonbashi-bijin.

Nihonbashi Muromachi１-6-3
TEL　03-3241-0290
Opening times: 9:00 AM - 6:30 PM
No closed days (Except for New Year's Day)
http://www.yamamoto-noriten.co.jp

Eitaro Sohonpo was originally a popular street stall selling kintsuba, or Japanese cake made by coating sweet bean paste with a thin layer of wheat at Uogashi (a fish market) in Nihonbashi. The third owner, Yasubei Hosoda, founded a full-fledged Japanese confectionery store Eitaro in 1857. In this store, famous products umebosi-ame (ume (plum)-flavored candy) and amananatto, the origin of amanatto (sugared beans) were created.

Among the Spanish or Portuguese articles imported via Southeast Asian countries in the previous times, there were konpeito (confetti) and aruheito (derived from Portuguese word for sugar alfeloa, taffy in English). Umeboshi-ame was made from the Aruheito in the end of the Edo period.

Thus Eitaro Sohonpo popularized Japanese confectionery, which ordinary people hadn't been able to buy it before because of too much expensive, as a treat for them, and so it was loved by many people. And this year, commemorating the 150th anniversary of its foundation, it has developed Nihonbashi-bijin Candy: Sakura.

One of the difficulties in its production was to create the mellow pink that sakura, or Yoshino-cherry blossoms have, with keeping the exquisite taste and texture of aruheito, because heating process greatly affects the color of candy. The attitude of Eitaro Sohonpo that tries to take on the challenge of innovation while protecting the old-established method of production perfectly reflects the spirit of the natives of Edo. A piece of the candy contains not only citric acid but also the amount of Vitamin C in a lemon, so the candies have the effects of improving skin condition, antioxidation, refreshment and relieving stress. Nihonbashi-bijin Candy: Sakura is such an excellent item that Nihonbashi-bijin, or fashionable and cool women would like to take several pieces with them all the time.

Nihonbashi 1-2-5
TEL　03-3271-7785
Opening hours: 9:00am - 6:00pm
Closed on Sundays and national holidays
http://www.eitaro.com

In 1690, when Kahei Yamamoto, the founder of Yamamotoyama, opened a store of green tea and paper in Nihonbashi, the method of producing green tea was different from now. It was in 1738 that the current style of infusing tea leaves by boiling in a pot was developed in Yamashironokuni-Uji. Kahei Yamamoto, the 4th, when he drank the green tea of that new style, started the tea business in the name of “Tenkaichi”. That style was penetrated into the life of ordinary people in Edo, and tearoom-like culture salons called Mizujaya also emerged there

Kahei Yamamoto, the 6th, produced much higher-quality tea in 1835, describing it as “Its taste is as delicious as honeydew when drinking it.” It is known as gyokuro now, which gained great popularity and became one of the specialties in Edo soon after it was sold in Nihonbashi. Tea contains vitamin C, catechin and minerals that are said to be able to prevent freckles and/or skin roughness, and keep skin beautiful. The “Shizuoka Green Tea Powder” developed as a good of Nihonbashi-bijin is powdered tea made from Shizuoka green tea leaves cultivated without any use of pesticides and/or chemical fertilizer and harvested first, so all ingredients contained in tea can be taken as they are. You can make green tea easily and quickly in offices using powdered tea. In addition, you can use it for desserts, such as a topping for ice cream. You will feel that you can find a new lifestyle as a Nihonbashi-bijin from this new style of enjoying green tea, just as new Edo culture emerged in those days.

Nihonbashi 2-5-2
TEL　03-3281-0010
Opening times: 9:30am - 7:00pm
* To 8:00pm on Friday only
No closed days (Except for New Year's Day)
http://www.yamamotoyama.co.jp/

Well-established Kappo (Japanese cuisine) Nihonbashi Toyoda originates in a sushi stall in Nihonbashi opened by Komekichi Toyoda, the 1st master chef, in 1863 at the end of the Tokugawa Shogunate. He then started a sushi and Japanese cuisine restaurant in Hongoku-cho and moved it to Nihonbashi Muromachi as a Japanese cuisine restaurant. The 5th master chef, Ryo Hashimoto, based on his experience as an in-house cook for the Embassy of Japan in Germany, offers a menu using both of the traditional techniques for Japanese food and his international taste.

On the 1st floor are eight counters and four tables where you can talk with the chefs face-to-face. There are tables with chairs and horigotatsu (heated table with a built-in hole underneath) on the 2nd floor.

Nihonbashi Bijin Gozen Aya (set meal available only during the lunch hours), developed for Nihonbashi-bijin, women who are beautiful in body and mind, consists of sliced raw fish, set of hors d'oeuvre, rice, dark-brown miso soup, and dessert. The set meal not only offers authentic Japanese dishes, which are beautiful and wide in variety but also has the concepts of “being well-balanced in nutrition,” “using high-quality ingredients” and “reasonable price,” and is therefore received well by women who have visited the place. Atmosphere created by seasonal scroll pictures and flowers enhances the taste of the food as well.

Kappo Nihonbashi Toyoda welcomes you with selected seasonal foods and warm hospitality and is a perfect place for beauty-conscious Nihonbashi-bijin to spend time with someone they cherish.

Nihonbashi Muromachi 1-12-3
Opening hours: 11:00 AM - 2:00 PM, 5:00 PM - 9:30 PM
Closed on Sundays and national holidays
TEL　03-3241-1025
http://r.gnavi.co.jp/toyoda/

Iseju has been known as a well-established restaurant specializing in sukiyaki for over six generations in Nihonbashi Kodenma-cho since its establishment in 1869. Sukiyaki back then was a cutting-edge fashionable food and Shokuniku Bunka Shi (Cultural History of Eating Meat) also referred to the opening of Iseju. Their method of using select high-quality Japanese beef and their own warishita sauce cooked in a cast-iron pot over charcoal fire has been handed down without change to today.

Dressed meat and gyu-tsukudani (beef boiled in soy sauce) are sold in the 1st-floor shop, and you also can enjoy the authentic taste with a take-out box lunch cooked right after the order. The 1st basement consists of separate rooms, allowing you to relax and enjoy eating while being isolated from the noises of the city.

Nihonbashi-bijin Lunch was developed by Shigeki Miyamoto, the 6th master chef of the long-established restaurant that has an unquenchable thirst for finding delicacies by daring to use pork.

Pork is low in calories but a source of good-quality protein and is said to burn excess neutral fat and maintain blood vessel elasticity and skin beauty. The set menu of grilled pork salad is well-balanced with nutritious avocado. It also includes gyuniku-no-sakurani (beef boiled with Iseju's sukiyaki flavor) and ice cream and fruits, meticulously followed by matcha green tea and Japanese cake. Such a Nihonbashi-bijin Lunch, allowing you to enjoy the after-meal time in a soothing Japanese room, can be a luxurious product bringing mental richness as well.

Nihonbashi Kodenma-cho 14-9
Opening hours: 11:00 AM - 10:00 PM (Last call: 9:30 PM)
Closed on Sundays and national holidays
TEL　03-3663-7841
http://r.gnavi.co.jp/g179900/

In Nihonbashi Bakuro-cho, there used to be the residence of Kanto Gundai (governor of the Kanto provinces under the shogunate), which was later used as Goyo Yashiki. Kanto Gundai was in charge of land-tax management, flood control, and resolution of conflicts within the area, and there were many people from rural areas for lawsuits and other reasons. Therefore, many accommodations and inns for public officials and travelers as well as Nagasaki-ya, a special accommodation for the director of the Dutch Trading House, stood in rows demonstrating the prosperity of this area.

Kazusaya Ryokan in Nihonbashi Hongoku-cho (current Honmachi) was another accommodation facility operating in the Edo period. The well-established hotel is currently known as Hotel Kazusaya and has in operation for 116 years. Tetsuo Kudo, the fourth manager, values the eternally unchanged hospitality while working to develop into a cutting-edge hotel by introducing IT.

Auberge de Nirene, a south European restaurant on the first floor, develops a new Nihonbashi-bijin Lunch each season, which aims at improving your body's internal environment and enhancing inner beauty through food. The main dish balances vitamins and minerals and is accompanied by soup, salad, baguette, and dessert. It's a set meal satisfying the heart of women who want to enjoy the many tasty and healthy foods each in a small portion.

Auberge de Nirene is French for an accommodation where you can eat. The taste of the Nihonbashi-bijin Lunch is exceptional precisely because it's provided by Hotel Kazusaya offering visitors a soothing space.

Hotel Kazusaya 1st Floor, Nihonbashi Honmachi 4-7-15
Opening hours: 11:30 AM - 4:00 PM, 5:00 PM - 9:30 PM
Closed on Sundays and national holidays (Reservations required for Saturdays)
TEL　03-3241-3846
http://www.h-kazusaya.co.jp/

Sembikiya was established in 1834 when Benzo Oshima, who ran a spear-fighting school in Saitama Prefecture, loaded a small boat with fruits and vegetables and went downriver to open a produce shop in Ningyocho, Nihonbashi. The name Sembikiya comes from the name of the town where the school was located (now part of Koshigaya City).
During the Meiji Era, Sembikiya built a three-story shop in Nihonbashi's Muromachi District. One of the finest examples of western-style architecture at the time, this shop became the first fruit specialty store in Japan, which added to Sembikiya's status, and they soon invented the first fruit parlor.
The Nihonbashi-bijin Soy Shake series was developed from hints drawn from Nihonbashi-bijin advocate Akiko Yamada's book, Thirty-four Essences to Enhance Beauty – Nihonbashi-Bijin, in which she introduces her own special drink. Using highly nutritional soymilk (soy is known as the “meat” of the fields) as the base, and mixed with select seasonal fruits and soft-serve vanilla ice cream, this healthy beauty drink is available only at Caffe di Festa, located on the first floor of the new main shop.
Soymilk contains B complex vitamins for beauty and vitamin E for the anti-aging properties. Rich in iron and oligosaccharides, soymilk is just what a woman needs. Strawberries, green apples, mangos, and other nutrition-packed seasonal fruits go well with soymilk and offer a high concentration of fruit juices that maintain a youthful appearance.
This item is a must for Nihonbashi-bijin, beautiful in body and mind, for maintaining an invigorated healthy look.

2-1-2 Nihonbashi Muromachi
Opening hours: 9:00 AM - 7:00 PM
TEL　03-3241-0877
http://sembikiya.co.jp

Yukata (summer kimono) brings to mind festivals, fireworks displays, cool evening breezes, and other features of summer. The word “yukata” comes from the name of a simple cloth worn in the bathing rooms of temples during the Heian era. Public baths became popular among the general populace during the Edo era, and many people put cotton yukata on when they got out of the bath. There are many Ukiyoe woodblock prints that show beautiful women lounging in yukata.
Horii specializes in yukata and is highly regarded for the unique designs they create by masterfully harmonizing the old with the new. In 2006, Horii presented the Nihonbashi-bijin Yukata series in order to vividly express through yukata the genuine beauty of the Nihonbashi-bijin.
The yukata chosen as candidates were all handmade by craftspeople working in traditions existing from the Meiji era, from carving the patterns into a paper template, to the dying methods and tailoring. Members of the Nihonbashi OL Club, comprised of women working in Nihonbashi, then applied their keen fashion sense to select 12 yukata for the series. All of the yukata feature floral and vegetal motifs or Japanese patterns, and they are exquisite examples of sophistication and refinement.
A properly worn yukata subtly complements the inner grace of a Nihonbashi-bijin. Why not try an elegant Nihonbashi-bijin Yukata and enjoy a fashionable time out on the town?

Headquarters: 5-3 Nihonbashi Hisamatsucho
Opening hours: 9:00 AM - 5:30 PM
Closed: Saturdays, Sundays and Holidays
TEL　03-3664-7181（代）
http://yukata.net

The fishing families that Ieyasu Tokugawa relocated from Sesshu to Tsukuda Island possessed a traditional method of preserving seafood, vegetables, laver seaweed, and other foods by boiling them in a rich broth of soy sauce, mirin, and sugar. This was the origin of tsukudani, which is today considered a highly nutritious health food and a food that enhances the beauty of women.
Enchu Foods uses only the finest domestically produced ingredients and uses traditional methods of cooking them directly in an iron pot. The company brought their know-how together for Nihonbashi-bijin in order to produce the Nihonbashi-bijin Tsukudani and Furikake (toppings for rice) series.
Nihonbashi-bijin Egoma-Okaka Furikake uses domestic beefsteak plants (egoma), containingα- linolenic acid, and fish collagen, known for its beautifying effects. Nihonbashi-bijin Edomae Temuki-Asari contains taurine, known for preventing anemia. Nihonbashi-bijin Edomae Nama-Nori is made by drying vitamin-and-mineral-rich laver in the sun to enhance its flavor and increase the amino acids.
These sensational products are made from ingredients specially selected by contracted producers and contain no artificial seasonings or preservatives.
Paying attention to your daily diet will allow you to radiate beauty from within so that you too can be a Nihonbashi-bijin.

1-30-10 Nihonbashi Kakigara-cho
Business hours: 9:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m
Closed: Sunday
TEL　Sales Office and Plant 048-988-3710
http://www.sancyo.com