富田林寺内町の探訪

I'm glad to intorduce an old town, Jinaimachi, Tondabayashi, Osaka, Japan as a national historic district and heritage site.

It takes 30 minutes from Osaka city to Tondabayashi station by Kintetsu railways. A 10-minutes walk will take you to the historic town.

ギャラリー

Former Sugiyama family residence, designated as an important national cultural heritage of Japan. The Kirie picture is produced by Mr. Yoshiyuki Kondo. All rights reserved.

A historic Preservation district and heritage site of japan

【Tourist guide to Jinaimachi town, Tondabayashi, a historic district and heritage site of Japan - historic preservation district】

History of Jinaimachi town in Tondabayashi, Osaka Pref., Japan

About 450 years ago, wasteland called Tonda, the origin of Tondabayashi, was developped to a new village as a Jinaimachi town. In the Jinaimachi town, there still remain as many as 40 old merchants' residences that were built in the mid-Edo period and later, where many generations of people have continued to live in, have been preserved and inherited as they used to be. The Jinaimachi was also characterized as a religious mission where autonomy and self-defense security by Jodo Shinshuu Sect of Buddhism was established during the Warring States Period in Japan. There still remains the initial urban planning development by dividing the area into street blocks from north to south and from east to west.

In the second half of the 17th century, while Jinaimachi had lost its initial characteristics as a medieval mission of Jinaimachi town, it largely flourished as a local trade and distribution center in Minami Kawachi region, dealing with commercial products such as rice, sake brewing, cotton, rapeseed oil and timber.

The Large-scale merchants' residences, reflecting the prosperity at that time, differ their buillding time from the mid-Edo period through early Showa period and show unique appearance each other. Among the historic buildings, the former residence of the Sugiyama family and Koushouji Betsuin Temple havae been designated as an important cultural property of the country in 1983 and 2014 respectively. The residence of the Nakamura family has been also designated as a tangible cultural heritage of Osaka Prefecture and all the other traditional buildings are extremely valuable and of high quality as cultural heritage. The area of Jinaimachi town has been fortunately escaped from war fire and a wave of urbanization and economic development of high-growth period, and the whole area of Jinaimachi district has left traditional, old-fashioned appearance.

Selected as an Important National Historic Preservation District for Traditional Properties in Group

Academic research of local government and subsequest steady movement by cooperation of the residents successfully led the Jinaimachi historic district to the selection as an Important Preservation District for Historic Buildings in Group of the country in 1997. It is, so to speak, an "important cultural property of historic townscape."

As many as 108 districts have been selected nationwide as of May 2014 and when it come to Osaka Prefecture, Jinaimachi in Tondabayashi has been solely selected as an Important National Historic Preservation District for Traditional Properties in Group.

Among approximately 500 buildings in the Jinaimachi town, 181 buidlings which were built from Edo period to early Showa period has been identified as traditional buildings. Advanced approval and authorization by the Cultural Properties Protection Division of Tondabayashi Municipality office has to be obtained when any changes of appearance of the status quo including renovation, repair, remodeling, color, new construction and demolish are planned within the preservation district. Through landscaping works for preservation and restoration, historic district has kept the old days' appearence of white wall, board fences, and lattice of quiet rustic buildings where people are even now living as a place of life.

Koushouji Betsuin Buddhist Temple (under repair)

Koushouji Betsuin Buddhist Temple, Drum Tower

１）Properties in Jinaimachi (classified by year built）

Year built	*Number of buildings*	Ratio（％）
Edo period to mid of Meiji period	123	24.3％
Late Meiji period to Taisho period	41	8.1％
Early Showa period	103	20.3％
1945 to 1965	44	8.7％
After 1965	196	38.6％
Total	507	100.0％

２）Properties in Jinaimachi （classfied by architectual style）

Architectual style			Number of buildings	Ratio（％）
Traditional style	Merchants' house	short-height second story(Tsushi style)	68	13.4%
		full-height second story	34	6.7%
		Tenement	51	10.1%
	Storehouse		84	16.6%
	Shinto shrines		15	3.0%
	Japanese style house		17	3.4%
Non-traditional style	Non-wooden structure, Western Style		238	46.9%
Total			507	100.0%

Source:
① "The townscape preservation project report of Jinaimachi town in Tondabayashi - Architectual design analysis of traditional merchants' residences and proposal for preservation and landscaping "
(published by Cultural Properties Protection Division,Tondabayashi Board of Education 1997)
② "Tondabayashi Important Preservation District for Historic Buildings in group"
(prepared by Cultural Properties Protection Division,Tondabayashi Board of Education, May 2002)

【Tourist guide to Jinaimachi town, Tondabayashi, a historic district and heritage site of Japan,Historical buildings 】

Jinaimachi Town Sightseeing Map（English)

Jinaimachi Town Sightseeing Map（Chinese）

Jinaimachi Town Sightseeing Map（Korean）

Information

Location
Jinaimachi town, Tondabayashi city, a national historic preservation district and heritage site of Japan, which is located in the south-eastern part of Osaka prefecture, the western part of Japan

Directions to Jinaimachi town, Tondabayashi
It is a 10-minute walk from the Tondabayashi Staion or the Tondabayashi Nishiguchi Station of Kintetsu Nagano line.

From Kansai International Airport
Airport Limousine Bus service available bound for Kawachi Nagano Station. (60 minutes) Please take Kintetsu railways from Kawachi Nagano to Tondabayashi.(15 minutes)

From Osaka International Airport (Itami Airport)
Airport Limousine Bus service available bound for Abenobashi Station. (30 minutes) Please take Kintetsu railways from Abenobashi terminal to Tondabayashi.(30 munites)

From JR Shinkasen Shin-Osaka station or
Osaka (Umeda) station
Please take Subway Midousuji line from Shin-Osaka station or Osaka (Umeda) station to Tennoji Station. (20~30 minutes) Please change trains at Tennoji and take Kintetsu railways from Abenobashi terminal to Tondabayashi. (30 minutes)

The site-seeing map available in English
Please stop by to the Tourist Information Cetnter or Jinaimachi Visitor Center. You can get the visitor map.

Visitor Center
(Jinaimachi Kouryuukan,
Town Community Center)

Address
9-29, Tondabayashi-cho, Tondabayashi city, Osaka, 584-0033, Japan
TEL.+81-(0)721-26-0110
FAX.+81-(0)721-26-0110
open 10a.m. until 5 p.m.
closed on Monday

Restrooms
Available at Jinaimachi Visitor Center (Jinaimachi Kouryuukan), Jinaimachi Center and Jinaimachi Tenbou Hiroba (Viewing Terrace)

Visitor Parking
Road width is very narrow in Jinaimachi town. If traveling by car, please use Tondabayashi Municipal east parking newly opened in February 2014 (Toll parking).

You can park the minibus for groups and passenger cars for general use. Only one parking lot available for minibus, you must book it in advance with Tondabayashi City Hall. A 15-minute walk to the Jinaimachi Visitor Center and 5 minute walk up to the former Sugiyama family house, an important national cultural property.

You will note that the large tourist bus for groups is requested to be parked at the Tondabayashi City Hall No. 2 parking lot alongside the old Route 170 (It must be booked in advance to City Hall). 20-minute walk to the Jinaimachi Visitor Center and 10 minute walk up to the former Sugiyama family house, an important national cultural property. Thank you in advance for your kind cooperation.