Jōtō Street, Traditional machinami district in Tsuyama, Japan.
Jōtō Street is a preserved merchant district in Tsuyama with rows of wooden townhouses featuring latticed windows and tiled roofs from the Edo period. The buildings span roughly 500 meters and house shops, museums, and restored craft workshops that still serve visitors today.
The street developed as a trading hub during the prosperous Edo period, serving as a major route for pilgrims traveling to Izumo Shrine. The district flourished through commerce in the 18th century and became central to the region's economic life.
The street shows how merchants and craftspeople once lived and worked in these buildings. The preserved shops and workshops reveal the daily rhythms of a prosperous trading community from centuries ago.
The district is easy to explore on foot, and you can wander through most of the street without paying. Several buildings operate as museums or shops and charge small admission fees, while others welcome visitors freely to browse and look around.
A sake brewery from 1758 was converted into a guesthouse where visitors can experience a traditional sake bath. This unusual offering blends the building's past with a hands-on experience you would struggle to find elsewhere.
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