While many of Japan's historic buildings and districts have been lost due to fires, earthquakes, wars and city redevelopment over the centuries, some cities and towns have managed to preserve a street block or whole district of traditional buildings for residents and tourists to enjoy today. The list below introduces some of Japan's best preserved historic city districts and towns:
Many Japanese cities, including Tokyo, Osaka and Nagoya, have developed as castle towns, where the local feudal lord resided in the centrally located castle, and his retainers, the samurai, lived in the districts surrounding the castle.
As the highest social caste during the Edo Period, the samurai were allowed to construct elaborate residences with earthen walls and elegant homes. Among the best preserved former samurai districts are the ones of Kakunodate, Hagi and Kanazawa.
A few lanes, lined by the white walls and wooden gates of former
mansions are beautifully preserved in the Jokamachi district of Hagi today. Some houses are open to the public.
A beautifully preserved samurai district with several former
mansions open to the public. Kakunodate's samurai district is famous for its many weeping
Narrow lanes and old mansions are preserved in Nagamachi, Kanazawa's former
district. Kanazawa used to be the capital of the
's second wealthiest feudal domain.
Kitsuki is unique for having two samurai districts on hills sandwiching a merchant district in the valley in between. They are among the most pleasantly preserved samurai districts in Japan.
's old town is the Tonomachi district where one street block of the former samurai district is particularly nicely preserved with earthen walls, historic buildings and a water canal filled with carps.
Some of Matsue's former samurai mansions have been preserved along the busy road north of
. Among them is the former residence of Lafcadio Hearn.
The preserved area of Usuki's samurai district is small but photogenic. Referred to as Nioza Historical Road, it is about 200 meters long.
Former Merchant Districts
In theory the lowest of the four social castes during the Edo Period, many merchants actually grew very wealthy. Like all the social castes, the merchants lived in assigned city districts. Merchant districts are characterized by shop lined streets and warehouses (kura). Among the cities with the most beautifully preserved former merchant districts are Takayama and Kurashiki.
The narrow streets in Takayama's old town are lined by traditional buildings, shops and
breweries. A few former merchant homes are open to the public.
Numerous warehouses are preserved along a willow lined canal. Many of the warehouses have been converted into museums, souvenir stores, boutiques and cafes.
A 600 meter long street lined by preserved buildings from the era when the small town of Uchiko on Shikoku gained international fame and wealth as wax producer.
Rather than just a district, Imaicho is a whole town whose machiya town house lined streets have been preserved. A couple of merchant houses are open for tourists to enter.
Naramachi is the former merchant district of Nara, where several traditional warehouses and residential buildings have survived. One old residence is open to the public for free.
More than a dozen massive warehouses, reminiscent of the
, are preserved along Kawagoe's main street. Many of them are now housing stores and restaurants.
A former transport hub for rice shipments into the capital, Sawara's historic center lies along a canal lined by a few preserved and restored traditional residences, merchant shops and warehouses from the Edo Period.
Nakamachi-dori is a street lined by several nicely preserved, old buildings, including a number of warehouses. Some of them house small shops, restaurants and ryokan.
Traditional geisha districts are characterized by the wooden tea houses, in which the geisha perform during banquets. The most beautiful, traditional geisha quarters are found in Kyoto and Kanazawa:
Gion's Hanami-koji Street is lined by beautiful old buildings, tea houses and restaurants. In the evenings, you may be able to spot a
Kanazawa has multiple geisha districts with several old tea houses, where
are still performing at banquets today. Two tea houses are open to the public.
Post towns were built along the country's major highways, such as the Tokaido and Nakasendo, to accommodate and cater to travelers. Only a small number of former post towns have preserved their Edo Period appearance. The best among them is Tsumago in the Kiso Valley.
A beautifully preserved post town along the old Nakasendo with most of the town's buildings dating back to the
, when they served as lodgings and restaurants.
Another nicely preserved post town, about 10 kilometers south of
along the old Nakasendo. The two towns are connected by a nice
Ouchijuku is a post town along the Aizu-Nishi Kaido trade route, which connected
. It is located about 20 kilometers south of Aizu.
The wealthiest former post town in the
, Narai stretches over a whole kilometer. Unfortunately, vehicular traffic is not banned along the street.
For centuries, Japan's most important temples and shrines have attracted crowds of pilgrims and tourists, resulting in street blocks, city districts and whole towns, providing visitors with lodgings, food and souvenirs.
The narrow streets ascending the slopes to
, are lined by many old buildings, shops and restaurants.
Oharaimachi is the old street leading to the
style buildings, some of which are originals while others are reconstructions.
The vast majority of Japan's population in the Edo Period and before was made up of farmers who typically lived in simple, thatched roof buildings. While single old farm houses are preserved at open air museums, there are a few remote villages that have preserved an appearance of past centuries.
The largest village in the mountainous
preserves many massive gassho-zukuri farm houses in its village center and an adjacent open-air museum. The best way to experience the village is to
overnight at one of the farm houses
is a remote small village in
with several gassho-zukuri farm houses. Some of the houses serve as
where tourists can experience an
is a small collection of gassho-zukuri farm houses in the remote
is a rural town in the mountains north of
. It features over two hundred thatched roof houses scattered across its idyllic countryside. Miyama's Kayabuki no Sato village records the highest percentage of thatched roof buildings of any town in Japan.
Port towns have been accommodating the fishing and trading industries for centuries. Over time, some grew into large cities with major international ports, such as Yokohama or Kobe, while others remained remote, small fishing villages. A few of them have preserved an atmosphere of bygone times.
Tomonoura is a picturesque port town situated at a bay in Hiroshima Prefecture facing the
. It features an endearing fishing townscape and an old town center of many photogenic alleys lined by rustic old houses. In the past, merchant ships traveling along the Seto Inland Sea would dock at Tomonoura while waiting for a favorable tide.
preserves several buildings from the
. Honjima's former inhabitants controlled trade traffic across the Seto Inland Sea from the strategically well situated island.
is now a pleasantly old-fashioned
town along the calm Sea of Japan coast. A few centuries ago the town's port saw large amounts of silver from the nearby
silver mines shipped out.
An independent kingdom for several centuries, the Ryukyu Islands became part of Japan as Okinawa Prefecture in 1879. Despite past assimilation efforts, the distinct Ryukyuan culture is proudly surviving today and has become one of Okinawa's main tourist attractions.
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