Much of modern Japan is covered in unappealing concrete sprawl, but here and there in the archipelago, carefully preserved old towns or historic districts can still be found. These are known in Japanese as kyu-shigai (旧市街, "old towns"), rekishiteki-na machinami (歴史的な町並み, "historical townscapes") or just machinami (街並み or 町並み, "townscapes").
Roughly speaking, an "old town" in Japan means its buildings either predate the Meiji Restoration (1868) or have been reconstructed in pre-Meiji styles. The majority date from the Edo period (江戸時代, Edo jidai) between 1600 and 1868, when the Tokugawa shogunate ruled from Edo (today's Tokyo) and the country was strictly closed off to foreign visitors.
Designations
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Important Preservation Districts for Groups of Traditional Buildings (重要伝統的建造物群保存地区, Jūyō Dentōteki Kenzōbutsu-gun Hozon-chiku) is a category of historic districts that have been given a special mandate of protection by The Agency for Cultural Affairs, which provides guidance and funds for repairs. Districts with this designation also get preferential tax treatment. Three points must be met in order to qualify to be part of the list:
- Groups of traditional buildings that show excellent design as a whole
- Groups of traditional buildings and land distribution that preserve the old state of affairs well
- Groups of traditional buildings and their surrounding environment that show remarkable regional characteristics
As of 2025, there are 129 designated districts across 106 towns. Not all historic districts have this designation however, the historic districts with this designation are generally large and scenic, so it is advised to check the list (Japanese only) for those interested in a stroll through old Japan. Still, visiting unlisted districts can also be worthwhile.
Categorizations
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Japan's historic districts are separated into different categories based on what they were built and used for. Cities that contain multiple historic districts of different categories will have each individual district listed under its own category. For example Kyoto's Gion District is listed as a Teahouse quarter while Kyoto's Saga Toriimoto Historic Street is listed as a shrine district. Both are in Kyoto, but they are different places, so they are listed separately.
Some single districts may fall under multiple categories. For example, Tsuyama's Joto District was part of the castle town of Tsuyama Castle, it operated as a merchant district within the town, and it also served as a post town along the Old Izumo Road. These will be listed in just one category with all other categories listed in the description.
Post towns
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Post towns (宿場町 shukuba-machi) were stations along the roads that connected each province to the capital Edo (modern Tokyo) during the Edo Period where travelers could stop to sleep, rest, eat, and get needed supplies to continue onward to their final destinations.
Post towns all had honjin (本陣), inns where traveling daimyo and important people stayed, and wakihonjin (脇本陣) where lesser vassals stayed, as well as daimyo when there were two staying at the same time or when the honjin was unavailable. Wakihonjin were open to the public when no one of note was staying in the area while honjin were exclusively reserved for the daimyo. Toiyaba (問屋場), sometimes written tonyaba, were administrative buildings where the daimyo could go to exchange horses or staff and do governmental work. A visit to any of these sites is recommended if they still exist and are open to the public. When they no longer exist (which is common), there will almost always be a marker or information sign indicating where they once stood. People traveling along post town routes will often locate at least the former honjin if not all of the sites, as a way to "authenticate" their visit in lieu of official stamps or goshuin available at temple pilgrimage sites.
Post towns along major roads, like the Nakasendo and Tokaido, had signboards, called Kosatsuba (高札場 Kōsatsuba), at the entrance and exit of the post towns with direct edicts from the shogun. They were one of the most effective ways to inform people about new laws and to remind people of the power of the shogun as many people traveled on these roads. For example, one of the most famous edicts were those posted in 1711 declaring Christianity illegal and offering rewards for turning in priests and practitioners to authorities. Other messages included things like prices of travel from the next post town, bans on theft and arson, and notices about "maintaining your morals".
- 1 Seki-juku (Kameyama) — The 47th station of the Tokaido Road, the Seki-juku, is one of the best preserved post towns that connected Edo to Kyoto
- 2 Narai-juku - A 1km road of dark-colored buildings, the largest historic district in the Kiso Valley. Its original signboard is also still intact.
- 3 Magome-juku -
- 4 Tsumago-juku - A well-preserved post town along the Nakasendo with its original wakihonjin and kosatsuba, along with a recontructed honjin and toiyaba
- 5 Unno-juku (Tomi) - A stop along the Old Hokkoku Road, listed as one of the "100 Most Beautiful Streetscapes", it later developed into a silkworm-raising district
- 6 Yakage-juku (Yakage) — A post town along the Old Sanyo Road, it is the only post town with both an authentic honjin and wakihonjin.
- 7 Ouchi-juku (Shimogo) - A street lined with over 300 years old thatched-roof buildings. It was a stop along the Old Shimotsuke Road.
- 8 Kumagawa-juku (Wakasa) - The wealthiest post town on the Old Saba Road. It's an attractive preservation district with the magistrate's office being a unique preserved building. It is also lined with irrigation canals that were used for drinking water by those who lived here, as well as travelers.
- 9 Akasawa-shuku (Hayakawa) - A stop along the pilgrimage route to Minobusan Ikuoji Temple
Castle towns
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Castle towns (城下町 jōka-machi) are towns constructed around the castles of local lords. They first appeared in the Muromachi Period and were built and maintained throughout Japan's feudal period with their construction and functions ceasing in the Meiji era. Samurai quarters (listed below) were part of castle towns. Many of the modern preservation districts were castle town merchant districts or became merchant districts as time passed. Japanese classifications typically only list them as "merchant districts" in these cases, giving the false impression of fewer castle towns. Castle towns are actually among the most prevalent historic districts and looking into places with castles or former castles is a good way to find historic districts.
- 1 Izushi Castle Town (Toyooka) - Built around Izushi Castle, it is known for its clock tower, originally a drum tower, and preserved theater
- 2 Tamba-Sasayama Castle Town (Sasayama)
- 3 Joto Historic District (Tsuyama) — A merchant area of Tsuyama Castle's town and a post town along the Old Izumo Road
- 4 Obi Castle Town (Nichinan)
- 5 Tsuwano Castle Town (Tsuwano)
- 6 Inuyama Castle Town (Inuyama)
- 7 Takayama Old Town (Takayama) — The district served as a merchant district in the old castle town and is also famous for its preserved Jinya, the government office of the Hida Region
- 8 Akizuki Castle Town (Asakura)
Samurai quarters
[edit]Samurai quarters (武家町 buke-machi) are sections of castle towns where the samurai residences were located.
- 9 Chiran — A former samurai district with a handful of houses that can be entered
- 10 Horiuchi and Hiyako Districts (Hagi) — Listed as a World Heritage Site, the samurai districts in this former castle town feature the homes of future prime ministers and other important historic figures.
- 11 Kakunodate — A preserved samurai district lined with black walls, famous for the weeping cherries that line most of the district
- 12 Nagamachi (Kanazawa) — The samurai district in Kanazawa
- 13 Shimabara Samurai Residences (Shimabara) — An attractive street of samurai residences with a small canal of water running down the center that was used for daily life as well as by firefighters
Merchant districts
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Merchant districts (商家町 Shōka machi) developed in the Edo Period. They were places where merchants gathered to sell their wares and trade with other regions. Goods were most easily moved by boat, so they were commonly built around rivers and canals.
- 1MISSING WIKILINK Arita Uchiyama Old Town (Arita) — Historic Arita pottery buildings in the Uchiyama district from the Edo and Showa periods
- 2 Sawara Historic District (Katori) — A historic Edo Period business town along a canal that was once used to transport goods
- 3 Kawagoe Kurazukuri Street (Kawagoe) — An old Edo Period castle town that has the actual castle palace building from that time
- 4 Kurashiki Bikan Historic Quarters (Kurashiki) — The Bikan Historic Quarter is a former merchant district. It's one of the largest preservation districts in the nation.
- 5 Kurayoshi White Wall Warehouses (Kurayoshi) - Kurayoshi Kasuri textiles were sold here and are still produced today
- 6 Mino Udatsu Historic District (Mino) - A town known for Mino-washi paper production, and many shops along the streets still sell it today
- 7 Gojo Shin-machi (Gojo)
- 8 Murata Storehouse District (Murata) — Grew in wealth from safflower trading in the late Edo Period.
- 9 Omihachiman Merchant Quarters (Omihachiman)
- 10 Gokasho (Higashiomi) — A historic district built by the famous Omi merchants
- 11 Kiryu Shin-machi (Kiryu) — A former weaving town
- 12 Takehara Historic District (Takehara) A former salt-producing town
- 13 Yanai Furuichi Kanaya District (Yanai) — A major area of commerce of the Iwakuni Domain where merchants gathered to sell locally and to buyers from other regions
- 14 Wakimachi Udatsu Old Town (Mima)
- 15 Uchiko Yokaichi Gokoku Historic District (Uchiko) — a wax-making town
Mining towns
[edit]- 1 Fukiya — An Edo Period copper and bengara mining town known for its unique red-hued buildings
- 2 Omori Town (大森, Ōmori) surrounding the Iwami Ginzan silver mines
Zaigo town
[edit]Zaigo towns (在郷町, zaigō-machi) were areas in the countryside where artisans, merchants, and farmers lived under the administration of a nearby village's magistrate during the Edo Period. They are distinguished from other types of villages in that they were not constructed around any central facilities (castles, ports, temples, etc.).
- 1 Kiragawa Historic District (Muroto) Built up as a place of distribution for charcoal, the buildings are known for their unique usage of multiple rows of roof tiles that protect the plaster from typhoons
- 2 Uwa Historic District (Seiyo) A town established around the production of wax and washi paper, today the district has soy sauce makers and sake breweries
- 3 Makabe Historic District (Sakuragawa) - Established as a castle town, it developed during the Edo Period as a cotton and ginning town where merchants made and sold cotton.
- 4 Yame Kurogi Historic District (Yame)
- 5 Yoshii Historic District (Ukiha)
- 6 Kauemon District (Tochigi)
- 7 Masuda Historic District (Yokote) - A town built as a market at the convergence of the Old Oyasu Road and the Old Tegura Road (just off the larger Old Ushu Road), it grew to produce raw silk, cocoons, and tobacco
Temple and shrine districts
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Monzen-machi (門前町) were built around temples and shrines, particularly those where pilgrims visited or those with high patronage. Prior to the existence of castle towns, wealthy and powerful temples and shrines expanded to create towns surrounding the religious structures. They had a high degree of governing power, offering protection to those who resided within their realm of influence, and the towns were often considered to be a part of the temples and shrines.
Temple districts
[edit]Jinai-machi (寺内町) are the names given specifically to towns that sprung up around temples. Many of the temples are of the Jodo sect.
- 1 Teramachi (Kanazawa)
- 2 Sannei-zaka (Sannen-zaka) (Kyoto) The historic road leading to Kiyomizu Temple.
- 3 Jinai-machi (Tondabayashi) - A town built around the Shinshu sect Koshoji Temple.
- 4 Yatsuo (Toyama) — A historic district built around Monmyoji Temple
Shrine districts
[edit]Shake-machi (社家町) or Torii-mae-machi (鳥居前町) are names given specifically to the towns built around shrines and their torii gates. Most buildings in shake-machi served as the homes of the shrine's priests.
- 5 Kamigamo (Kyoto) — built in the Kamo area of the city outside of Kamigamo Shrine
- 6 Saga Toriimoto Historic Street (Kyoto) — A torii-mae-machi, built around Atago Shrine's torii gate
- 7 Imai-cho (Kashihara)
Tea house quarters
[edit]Tea house quarters (茶屋町, chaya-machi), also known as Geisha districts or pleasure quarters, are former entertainment districts centered around tea houses where maiko and geiko (geisha) performed.
- 1 Higashi Chaya District and Kazue-machi District (Kanazawa) — The city's 2 former geisha or "tea house" quarters
- 2 Gion District (Kyoto)
Mountain villages
[edit]- 1 Miyama Village {Nantan)
- 2 Shiiba — A remote village in Miyazaki
- 3 Maezawa Farmhouses (Minami-Aizu)
- 4 Kuni Akaiwa (Nakanojo) — A farming and silkworm town
- 5 Aoni (Hakuba)
- 6 Hanazawa no Sato (Yaizu)
- 7 Higashi-Iya Ochiai Village (Iya Valley)
- 8 Shirakawa-go
- 9 Gokayama
Port towns
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Port towns (港町) were historically the most important places for trade and commerce. As Japan modernized and railways provided better means of transporting goods, port towns slowly began to disappear. The historic districts here contain some that have survived since their heyday.
- 1 Tomonoura (Fukuyama)
- 2 Mimitsu (Hyuga)
- 3 Sado Ogimachi (Sado)
- 4 Sado Shukunegi (Sado)
- 5 Sakishi (Ako)
- 6 Mitarai (Ōsakishimojima) — in its heyday a Vegas-like pleasure palace in the Seto Inland Sea
- 7 Hizenhama Historic Districts (Kashima) — A sake-making port town
- 8 Honjima's Kasashima District (Marugame)
Island villages
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The Rural Island Villages (島の農村集落) designate islands whose buildings are almost entirely a designated area of historic preservation. Only two Okinawan islands qualify for this distinction. Islands that contain historic districts, such as Sado and Honjima, are typically categorized as port towns.