The Machiya Boom and Neighborhood Changes in Urban Central Kyoto:

Abstract

This article aims to explore the role of the machiya boom in central Kyoto’s urban regeneration through an analysis of the Nishijin area. Over the past 20-30 years, there has been an increasing interest in preserving machiya (traditional wooden townhouses) in Kyoto. Nishijin, a famed and historic weaving district, has undergone one of the most dramatic examples of neighborhood change in Japan with regard to commercial renovation of traditional townhouses. Since the late 1990s, the machiya boom has seen multiple stages of expansion by numerous actors. Initially, it was only a grassroots movement by a few individuals, but local government and real estate developers began to champion the movement alongside the rise of machiya’s social and cultural value. Under new urban policy goals, machiya, which had previously been considered obsolete, turned into a symbol of Kyoto’s authentic landscape. Furthermore, the popularity of machiya encouraged reinvestment and conversion of use, stimulating both the real estate market and the tourist industry. Consequently, machiya was revived as an experiential art form compared with industrial housing production. Although previous researchers have emphasized the contribution of the machiya boom to Kyoto’s landscape preservation, this article discusses the risk of expanding destination culture as a result of machiya preservation and renovation. Strict building regulations under current urban policy may restrain gentrification from new building, but there is a limitation on how much control can be exerted over machiya commercialization regarding the loss of the culture and history that was part of everyday life in old Kyoto.