Imaicho Town

What to know

Imaicho Town (今井町, Imaichō) is an unusually large preserved historic district near Asuka in Nara Prefecture. While preserved districts in Japan usually consist of just a few buildings or a single street, Imaicho lets visitors explore the alleys of an entire small town. However, it is not kept entirely in its original state, and telephone wires and vehicles occasionally intrude on the historical atmosphere.

Imaicho began as a temple town centered on Shonenji Temple, which still stands after being burned down and rebuilt many times. During the Azuchi-Momoyama Period (1573–1603), the town initially opposed the powerful warlord Oda Nobunaga, who sought to limit the power of large temples. Imaicho was surrounded by a moat and heavily armed, but through negotiations armed conflict was avoided, and the town gained some autonomy.

In the following years, Imaicho flourished as a merchant town, trading with Osaka and Sakai. Its citizens became wealthy; every household could afford tile roofs instead of the common straw, and they even lent money to samurai. However, after the feudal era ended in 1868, the town could not recover its loans and fell into decline.

Besides strolling the streets and visiting Shonenji Temple, visitors can enter several preserved buildings. The most notable is the Imanishi Residence, the oldest and most impressive, dating to 1650. It housed the powerful Imanishi family, who served as town administrators.

The Imai Machiya-kan near the temple and the Yonetani Residence are also open to the public. Both served as shops and homes for merchant families specializing in hardware. Tourists can also visit the Hanairaka information center just southeast of the preserved area, which displays a model of the town and old photos.

Imaicho is a short walk west of Yagi-Nishiguchi Station and less than ten minutes from Yamato-Yagi Station. It can also be reached by rental bicycle in about 15 minutes from Kashiharajingu-mae Station.