In those days, the various goods were sent to Edo (present Tokyo) which was the Metropolitan city. The influential Kyoto dealers which had a Tokyo branch were called "Edotanamochi-Kyoakindo". The most of dry-goods dealers in Edo had their head store in Kyoto and laid in a stock and did the banking business.

A real name of Hikotaro Shirakiya was Hikotaro Omura. He was born in Omi and opened a wood dealing store, "Shirakiya" in Kyoto. After, he made a fortune by dealing notions and dry-goods. In 1667, he opened a branch at Nihonbashi, Edo and dealt notions and dry-goods. "Shirakiya" became a department store in the Meiji era.

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