Japanese village, Registered historic site in Ko Rian, Thailand
The Japanese Village is a registered historic site on Ko Rian in Phra Nakhon Si Ayutthaya District, where reconstructed timber buildings stand along the eastern bank of the Chao Phraya. The site includes residential houses, storerooms, and a small temple that show how the community lived centuries ago.
In the 17th century, Japanese merchants, mercenaries, and Christians settled here after escaping persecution in their homeland. The community vanished after the fall of the capital and political shifts that ended trade with Japan.
The settlement shows how Japanese immigrants built their homes along the riverbank, combining timber construction methods with local materials. Visitors today notice this blend in the reconstructed dwellings that unite both traditions.
Group tours depart several times daily from docks near the old city and explain the site during a walk through the buildings. Most visitors combine the trip with other historic places along the river, as several sites lie close together.
The settlement operated its own dock quarter, where weapons, animal pelts, and fine goods were traded between Japan and Southeast Asian kingdoms. Archaeologists found pottery fragments and coins that document exchange with distant coastal regions.
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