Traditional Streets/Houses Spots in Japan

Area

Japan
- Japan
- Hokkaido / Tohoku
  
  Hokkaido
  
  Aomori
  
  Iwate
  
  Miyagi
  
  Akita
  
  Yamagata
  
  Fukushima
- Kanto
  
  Ibaraki
  
  Tochigi
  
  Gunma
  
  Saitama
  
  Chiba
  
  Tokyo
  
  Kanagawa
- Koshinetsu / Hokuriku
  
  Niigata
  
  Toyama
  
  Ishikawa
  
  Fukui
  
  Yamanashi
  
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- Tokai
  
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  Aichi
  
  Mie
- Kinki
  
  Shiga
  
  Kyoto
  
  Osaka
  
  Hyogo
  
  Nara
  
  Wakayama
- Chugoku
  
  Tottori
  
  Shimane
  
  Okayama
  
  Hiroshima
  
  Yamaguchi
- Shikoku
  
  Tokushima
  
  Kagawa
  
  Ehime
  
  Kochi
- Kyushu / Okinawa
  
  Fukuoka
  
  Saga
  
  Nagasaki
  
  Kumamoto
  
  Oita
  
  Miyazaki
  
  Kagoshima
  
  Okinawa

Category

Travel / Tourism

Other Sightseeing

Traditional Streets/Houses

Udatsu Townscape

Travel / Tourism

Tokushima Pref. Mimashi Wakimachi South town

First established as the castle town of Waki Castle, this townscape developed as center for the indigo trade. Many of the machiya (town houses) feature tile-roofed and plastered udatsu (short pillars for supporting a ridgepole) on both ends of their roofs. The streets, which retain the scenery of Japan’s early modern and modern period, are lined with 85 traditional buildings built between the mid Edo period to the early Showa period, with most being built around the Meiji period. Every October, the neighborhood holds the Udatsu Festival. The townscape has been selected as one of Japan’s 100 Best Roads as well as an Important Preservation District for Groups of Traditional Buildings.
Hagi Castle Town

Travel / Tourism

Yamaguchi Hagi-shi Gofukumachi

The Mori family, feudal lords of the Warring States period, were defeated in the Battle of Sekigahara, and Hagi Castle was completed in 1608 as their new residence. The castle flourished as a castle town of the Choshu clan for about 260 years, and was an excellent fortress combining a mountain castle and a flat castle.
Fukugen Machinami

Travel / Tourism

Fukui Fukui-shi Kidonouchicho 28-37

A castle town streetscape dating back to the warring states period, when the Asakura clan ruled over Echizen. The samurai residences used by the Asakura clan and their chief retainers have been rebuilt. This is included as part of the Ichijodani Asakura Family Historic Ruins site. It has been designated as a National Special Historic Site. The houses were restored based on unearthed cornerstones and foundations and give the idea of what houses were like back in that period. They have been used as shooting locations for various commercials. On the grounds is a spot where you can rent and dress in kimono and you can walk the townscape wearing the kimono.
Akagawara

Travel / Tourism

Tottori Kurayoshi-shi Shinmachi 1

This townscape, a symbol of Kurayoshi, follows the Tama River flowing north of Mt. Utsubuki. The elegant, 400-meter-long stretch of townscape consists of numerous white stucco buildings topped with red tile roofs. In the Edo period, the town grew and flourished around a jin'ya government administrative headquarters; today, the area has been designated the Kurayoshi City Utsubukitamagawa Important Preservation District for Groups of Traditional Buildings, and visitors can imagine what life was like here in ancient times. The buildings, originally used as sake breweries and soy sauce making workshops, are now used to host local specialty product shops, cafes, galleries, and a variety of other establishments. The distinctive red roof tiles are one of the San'in regions unique cultural features. The tiles are fired at over 1,200° C and are extremely resistant to cold weather damage.
Teramachi-dori Street

Travel / Tourism

Fukui Pref. Onoshi Nishikichou

"Teramachi Avenue is located near the JR Echizen-Ono Station on the JR Kuzuryu (Etsumi-Hoku) Line in the city of Ono in Fukui Prefecture. Ono is known as the ""little Kyoto"" of the Hokuriku region, and its Teramachi (neighborhood with many temples) was built in the Tensho period (1573-1592) as part of Kanemori Nagachika's establishment of a castle town. He laid out the area in a checkerboard pattern in imitation of the layout of Kyoto and set it up with an emphasis on religion, with temples of every sect located in one small area. Zendoji Temple and Daihoji Temple are two of the most prominent of the many temples, shrines, and samurai houses creating a townscape that evokes pre-modern Japan."
Takehara Important Preservation District

Travel / Tourism

Hiroshima Pref. Takeharashi Honmachi 3

This Important Preservation District for Groups of Traditional Buildings is located in Honmachi, Takehara City. Long ago, Takehara prospered as a manor of Kyoto's Shimogamo Shrine. It would later experience great economic growth during the Edo period with the development of the salt farm and cargo vessel industry. Visitors can truly feel the atmosphere of this ancient town from the Edo, Meiji, Taisho, and Showa-period buildings that still line its streets.
Uda-Matsuyama Historic District

Travel / Tourism

Nara Pref. Udashi Oudahirou

Uda-Matsuyama originally developed as a castle town after the construction of Akiyama Castle by the Akiyama Clan during the warring states period. The area was selected as an Important Preservation Districts for Groups of Traditional Buildings in 2006 for its well-preserved scenic townscape. Its rows of vintage townhouses have made Uda-Matsuyama a popular spot to walk and explore.
Hanazawa no Sato

Travel / Tourism

Shizuoka Pref. Yaidushi Hanazawa

This community remains just as how it was described by poems in the Manyoshu (Collection of Ten Thousand Leaves). The road that passes through it, which once connected Shizuoka and Yaizu, was a major mountain pass in the Nara and Heian periods. Old Nagayamon (one of the styles of Japanese traditional gate)-style folk homes and temples still line the mountain path that follows along the Hanazawa River. The community serves as the starting point for three hiking courses including the Mt. Mankanho course, which offers scenic views of Shizuoka City, Yaizu City, and Suruga Bay.
Saga Toriimoto

Travel / Tourism

Kyoto Kyoto-shi Ukyo-ku Sagatoriimotosennocho
Shikemichi

Travel / Tourism

Aichi Nagoya-shi Nishi-ku Nagono

"This former castle town merchant district developed alongside the construction of Nagoya Castle in the early Edo period. After a great fire occurred in the area in 1700, the width of the roads was expanded to four ""ken"" (about seven meters) to help prevent the spread of future fires, giving rise to the area's name, which literally means ""four 'ken' road town."" The area's distinctive townscape is comprised of groups of kura storehouses standing on stone basis, rows of merchant homes, and rooftop shrines. During Japan's period of rapid modernization, many of the kura storehouses in the area were demolished, but today those that remain are now being uses as-is to host cafes, restaurants, and bars."
Imaicho Town Historic District

Travel / Tourism

Nara Pref. Kashiharashi Imaichou

This historic district in which a majority of the townhouses have been carefully preserved still appears as it did during the Edo period. It was selected as an Important Preservation Districts for Groups of Traditional Buildings in 1993. Taking a walk through the town will make you feel like you've stepped back through time to when the town was so prosperous that it was said that 70% of the money in Yamato is gathered in Imai.
Mariko-juku

Travel / Tourism

Shizuoka Pref. Shizuokashi Suruga-ku Mariko

This former Edo-period post station is located in modern-day Mariko, Suruga Ward, Shizuoka City. It retains much of its old townscape and features a number of historical sites dating back to the time of the Genji, Imagawa, and Tokugawa clans. It was the 20th and smallest of the 53 stations of the Tokaido Road. Chojiya, a restaurant portrayed in an ukiyoe painting by Utagawa Hiroshige, still serves tororojiru (grated yam soup), a local delicacy.
Kamishichiken

Travel / Tourism

Kyoto Kyoto-shi Kamigyo-ku Shinseicho Hoka
Kaneyama Townscape and Ozeki

4.0

1 Reviews

Travel / Tourism

Yamagata Mogami-gun Kaneyamamachi Kaneyama

The entire area of Kaneyama in Kaneyama Town, Mogami County is known as a uniquely charming townscape filled with “Kaneyama-style houses” with white walls and gabled roofs. There is a promenade alongside the agricultural irrigation canal called the “Oozeki” that runs through the center of the town. You can enjoy strolling along the promenade while looking at the koi carp.

戦国時代の末期に農業用として開削されたという歴史ある水路です。昭和期後半には約2.5キロメートルの改修工事により本水路に沿って遊歩道が設けられ、桜も植樹されるなど美しい景観になっています。水路にはコイが優雅に泳いでおり、隣接して公園があるなどのんびりとするところでした。
Kawaraya Yokocho

3.0

1 Reviews

Travel / Tourism

Wakayama Shingu-shi Funamachi 1-2-1

This atmospheric townscape adjacent to the Kumano Hayatama Taisha Grand Shrine is located a 15-minute walk from JR Shingu Station. From the Edo period to Showa period the neighborhood bristled with hundreds of temporary restaurants, blacksmiths, inns, and other businesses called kawaraya that served visitors to the riverbed of the Kumano River. This recreation of a row of kawaraya has a number of shops offering souvenirs, drinks, snacks, and more. It also hosts a variety of events every weekend and holiday. One of these is the Kumano Mandala Etoki, in which local storytellers use picture scrolls to explain subjects such as the history and legends of Shingu.

熊野速玉大社の駐車場横にあるお土産と軽食のお店が並んでいます。昔は船着場として栄えたのでしょうが、今はマイカー時代。あまり人が立ち寄るようには見えませんでしたが、みかんの専門店があり、清見や不知火をはじめ、柑橘王国和歌山のスペシャルな特化で買うことができました。
Sanmach Preservation District for Groups of Traditional Buildings

Travel / Tourism

Gifu Pref. Takayamashi Kamisannomachi other

This historic district in Takayama City maintains the ambiance of an old merchant town. Sanmachi refers to the three streets running through the upper and lower parts of the district. It's also referred to as Sanmachi-dori. Commerce was essential to Takayama's growth as a castle town, and a distinctive street lined with traditional townhouses with black latticed doors developed in the Sanmachi area. It's been designated a National Important Preservation District for Groups of Traditional Buildings and is a popular tourist spot. Today the charming traditional kominka houses along the street host establishments like souvenir shops, restaurants, and Japanese style cafes.
Izumi-Fumoto Samurai Residences

Travel / Tourism

Kagoshima Pref. Izumishi Fumotochou 10-39 Fountain at the foot History Hall

Approximately a five-minute drive from JR Izumi Station, these samurai residences cover an area of around 46 hectares in the central part of Izumi City. It is a nationally-designated important traditional architecture preservation district. One of the outer castles set up by the Satsuma clan in the Edo period (1603-1868), it was constructed first and was the largest because it was a major defensive location near the Higo Domain. Remnants such as the divisions resembling go board pieces and stone walls remain, and two of the restored samurai residences are now open to the general public. The Takezoe residence is used as for the location for historical dramas. In addition, services such as the Izumo ox carriages and kimono wearing experiences are also on offer.
Traditional Townscape of Unomachi

Travel / Tourism

Ehime Pref. Seiyoshi Uwachounomachi

This classical post-town along the Uwajima Highway has been designated as one of Japan's Important Preservation Districts for Groups of Traditional Buildings. The town grew out of the castle town of Matsuba Castle, ruled by the Saionji family in the Muromachi Period. Shops built from the middle of the Edo Period to the beginning of the Showa Period line the streets and traditional architectural styles such as white plaster walls, udatsu (firewall built at both ends of a roof), and latticed bay windows still remain. Famous Edo-Period western scholars including Takano Choei, Ninomiya Keisaku, and Japan's first female doctor Kusumoto Ine used to traffic this neighborhood. Amongst the Japanese style architecture, you'll notice churches and western style arch windows among the buildings, allowing you to experience the changing of the times.
Akama-juku / Karatsu-kaido

Travel / Tourism

Fukuoka Pref. Munakatashi Akama

This area, located in Munakata City, Fukuoka Prefecture once prospered along the Karatsu Kaido (a series of main roads built throughout Japan during the Edo period) as one of the 21 post station towns of Chikuzen (Fukuoka). Much of the area's old townscape remains untouched and visitors can view historic sake breweries as well as the childhood home of the founder of the Idemitsu Kosan company. The Daidogei (street performance) Festival, Kaido Festival, and other events are also held here, and the area attracts many locals and tourists alike.
Kitsuki Castle Town

Travel / Tourism

Oita Pref. Kitsukishi Kitsuki

This former castle town district is located in Kitsuki, Kitsuki City. This distinctive, so-called “sandwich style castle town” formed around Kitsuki Castle, built in 1394, and consisted of a merchant district sandwiched between samurai residences in the north and south high grounds. Today, the grounds of the castle are maintained as a park with a reconstructed faux castle tower in the center, and the former castle town surrounding it still contains a townscape consisting of numerous preserved samurai residences and merchant homes.