History of Machiya
A Machiya is a traditional townhouse. Began in the Heian period (794-1185) and has been changed to suit the lifestyles and fashions of the modern day.
There are currently about 50,000 Machiya houses in Kyoto, most of which were rebuilt in the Meiji and Taisho periods and are said to be 50 to 100 years old. The number of Machiya’s are decreasing at a rate of approximately 800 houses per year, but recently there has been a growing movement towards preserving the Kyomachiya.
The unique features of Kyomachiya are their narrow frontage and long, narrow shape in the back, called “eel beds,” and their unique exterior walls with Komayose and Mushikomado and others.
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