Naramachi.

Naramachi||Naramachi is a historic district in the southern part of Nara City, Nara Prefecture (there is no administrative place name "Naramachi"). The streets of Naramachi are narrow and densely populated with houses, including many townhouses that have existed since the Edo period. These row houses cleverly integrate shops and residences and are built on small plots. In the past, Japan levied taxes based on the width of the property's street frontage. In order to avoid high taxes, merchants gave birth to this form of townhouse architecture. Gangoji Temple, one of the seven major temples in Nara, is also located in Naramachi. The original buildings of Gangoji Temple once covered most of the Naramachi area, but over time, Naramachi gradually expanded around the temple. Gangoji Temple also has a special significance in Japanese history: the traditional Japanese summer festival-Ullambana Festival, originated from Gangoji Temple. The buildings on both sides of Naramachi Old Street are mostly decorated with unique decorative plaster or clay walls and wooden lattice windows. Walking in it, it seems to travel through time and space and return to the past. The narrow and long townhouses not only help merchants reduce taxes, but also have strong functionality, good privacy, and high comfort. The design of the courtyard and corridor allows light and air to circulate freely indoors. The lattice house is a perfect reproduction of this kind of traditional townhouse in the old age. Today, most townhouses have been converted into museums, cafes, shops, etc., allowing tourists to appreciate these characteristic designs up close. After visiting Naramachi, tourists can easily walk to Nara Park, Todaiji Temple and Kasuga Taisha Shrine for sightseeing.