Imaicho Town is an unusually large preserved historic district located near Asuka in Nara Prefecture. While preserved districts in Japan are usually limited to a few buildings or perhaps a street, a visit to Imaicho allows visitors to wander through the many alleys of an entire small town. However, Imaicho is not maintained entirely in its original state, and telephone wires and vehicles may occasionally intrude on the historical atmosphere.
Imaicho began as a temple town centered around Shonenji Temple, which is still standing after being burnt down and rebuilt many times over its history. During the Azuchi-Momoyama Period (1573-1603) the town was initially opposed to the powerful warlord Oda Nobunaga, who was trying to limit the power of the larger temples. Imaicho was surrounded by a moat and heavily armed, but through negotiations armed confrontation was avoided and the town was allowed some degree of autonomy.
During the following years, the town was able to flourish as a merchant town, engaging extensively in trade with other towns such as Osaka and Sakai, and the citizens became very wealthy. Every household was able to use tile for their roof, instead of the more common and inexpensive straw, and they even began to lend money to the samurai. Unfortunately, after the samurai system had been terminated in 1868, the town was not able to recoup its money and fell into decline.
The Yonetani Residence
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Hanairaka Information Center
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In addition to walking through the streets and visiting Shonenji Temple, a few of Imaicho's preserved buildings can be entered. There are two residences that are open throughout the year: the Imai Machiya-kan near the temple and the Yonetani residence, both of which double functioned as shops and residences of merchant families specialized in hardware products.
Dating back to 1650, the Imanishi Residence is the oldest and most impressive of Imaicho's residence, as it belonged to the town's most powerful family. For many generations the Imanishi family acted as the town's administrators. Unfortunately, it is open only during two months of the year. Tourists can also visit the Hanairaka information center just southeast of the preserved area, where there is a model of the town and a few old photos on display.
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