Nishiki Market

This guide to Nishiki Market in Kyoto opens in 1771, when the magistrate ordered every greengrocery stall along this lane shut down in favor of a rival market. It follows Ito Jakuchu, a painter who grew up running his family's stall here, as he becomes the merchants' district head and spends three years negotiating with the magistrate. Beneath your feet runs the same cold well water that has kept the market's fish fresh for centuries.