Current Watch Site

Kyoto, the capital of ancient Japan for over a millennium, was fortunate to weather the storm of World War II with relatively light damage. Unlike in most cities along the southern coast, the historic layout of streets and neighborhoods in Kyoto’s city center survived intact, along with many of the machiya, or traditional townhouses.

Serving as both residences and workspaces, the machiya of Kyoto date from the Edo period (1603–1867) and were born out of the city’s growing merchant class and artisan traditions. Incorporating interior gardens and abundant light and air, the machiya elegantly balanced form and function and fostered a culture that integrated urban living and commerce. However, as development in the city has intensified and increasingly separated commercial and residential uses, the machiya are disappearing. In less than a decade, 13 percent of the prewar machiya have been destroyed and replaced by new construction. Groups of concerned citizens have called for efforts to protect the machiya and create incentives for preservation. Watch listing is a first step toward rallying international support and improving local protections. The nominator, the Kyomachiya Revitalization Study Group, intends to restore a typical machiya, which would serve as a model project and resource center for preserving this cultural tradition and highlighting an important component of the city’s architectural heritage.