Toriimoto-juku has a very long history, and was a market town in front of the gates of the Shinto shrine of Taga Taisha from the end of the Nara period onwards.

It was located on the ancient Tōsandō highway connecting the capital of Heian-kyō with the provinces of eastern Japan and from the early Sengoku period was a popular stopping point for pilgrims.

A noted local speciality was an herbal stomach medicine called Akadama Shinkyo-gan (赤玉神教丸), which was effective against diarrhea and food poisoning.

This sub-route was originally constructed by Oda Nobunaga to reach Azuchi Castle and ran close to the shore of Lake Biwa, bypassing three stations of the Nakasendō to rejoin the main route at Yasu village (between Musa-juku and Moriyama-juku).

Per an 1843 the "中山道宿村大概帳" (Nakasendō Shukuson Taigaichō) guidebook issued by the Inspector of Highways (道中奉行, Dōchu-būgyō), the town had a population of 1448 people in 293 houses, including one honjin, two waki-honjin, and 35 hatago, and was thus this largest of the stations in Ōmi Province.

These teahouses had good views overlooking Lake Biwa and were considered suitable for high-ranking travelers, as indicated by the kago (palanquin) depicted in front of the Bokodo, which is supported by a massive stone foundation, similar to that of a castle.