5streets_14

If you’ve ever longed to go back to an old Japan, where samurai stayed at old ramshackle inns and merchants filled the air with the scent of food, then some of these traditional streets will be right up your alley. We take you to five of Japan’s most-loved streets, from well-worn paths in secluded valleys to bustling pilgrimage routes in scenic villages, all with an amazing history and atmosphere. Let’s take a stroll together and see what they have to offer.

This is your Throwback Thursday article of the week, your peek into the archives of RocketNews24 featuring articles from back when we were just getting started. We’d hate for you to miss any of the quality quirky news from Asia and Japan just because you recently stumbled upon our site. And if you’re a devout RN24 reader, thanks for sticking around! Enjoy this blast from the past! 

(Originally published on May 12, 2013)

三重県伊勢市 「おはらい町」  Oharai-machi, Ise City, Mie Prefecture

5streets_1

First, we visit a unique purification town in Mie Prefecture. Sitting at the entrance to Ise Jingū, the most sacred Shinto shrine in all of Japan, Oharai-machi earns its name from the Shinto purification ritual known as oharai, performed here for pilgrims before entering the torī gate entrance at the end of the main street.

5streets_2

During the Edo period (1603-1868), up to four million people visited this shrine every year, making this one of the most busy streets in Japan.

5streets_3

Today, it retains a lot of the old merchant spirit, with sake cellars, centuries-old sweet stores, and traditional street-cart vendors.

5streets_4

Traditional wooden buildings on the street use the same Tsumairi gable architectural style that’s also used in Japanese religious buildings.

5streets_6

Behind the beautiful 800 metre (497 mile) stone-paved street is a picturesque river.

5streets_7

See just how bustling this special street is in the video below:

.

長野県南木曽町「妻籠宿」 Tsumago-juku, Nagiso Town, Nagano Prefecture

5streets_10

Nestled in the mountains of Nagano, this former post-town was the 42nd of 69 stops on the Nakasendo, one of two main travelling routes connecting Kyoto with Edo (modern-day Tokyo).

5streets_11

It runs through the beautiful Kiso Valley and is situated on the east bank of the Araragi-gawa (Orchid River).

5streets_12

This was the first area in Japan to be selected as an important Historic Buildings Preservation District, back in 1976.

5streets_14

Feudal lords and their entourages travelled through the town at least once a year, and its beautiful atmosphere remains today.

5streets_15

5streets_18

If you visit in April, you can see a beautiful sakura cherry blossom tree in bloom beside the Tourist Information Centre.

5streets_16

If you visit in winter, when the town is blanketed in snow, you can sense the ghosts of travellers in the eerie stillness.

5streets_17

To get more of a glimpse into winter life here in this sleepy town, check out this beautiful video shot on the Red One:

.

岐阜県白川村「白川郷」  Shirakawa-go, Shirakawa Village, Gifu Prefecture

Exif_JPEG_PICTURE

This is one of Japan’s famous world-heritage towns, with huge gassho-zukuri (thatched, gable roof) houses. As a lot of the village is closed to visiting vehicles, streets here are more like idyllic paths.

5streets_19

The Ogimachi district of Shirakawa-go is known as the village of the A-frames. Forming a unique landscape together with the surrounding scenery, the settlement here was evaluated and selected as an important Historic Buildings Preservation District in 1976.

5streets_22

In 1995, the historic villages of Shirakawa-go and nearby Gokayama were registered as UNESCO World Heritage Sites.

5streets_23

5streets_25

5streets_27

Many people recommend visiting the town in winter, when the unique traditional landscape is specially lit up at night.

5streets_20

Visit the winter wonderland and take a peek inside a gassho house:

.

岡山県倉敷市「倉敷美観地区」  Kurashiki-bikanchiku, Kurashiki City, Okayama Prefecture 

5streets_29

Kurashiki city, an old town that flourished during the Edo period, has been designated as an area of special beauty and carefully preserved since 1969. With picturesque streets on either side of a long canal, people referred to it as the “Venice of the Orient”.

5streets_28

The town has a history as a centre for rice distribution. The name Kurashiki is actually related to the word storehouse, and you can still see many of these white storehouses lined up along the street.

5streets_31

The historical quarter, filled with traditional stores and restaurants, is a popular sightseeing spot.

5streets_32

There are many small museums, cafes and boutiques to visit. Near the canal you can find the oldest western art museum in Japan, the Ohara Museum of Art. Stop by to see one of Monet’s Water Lilies, purchased directly from Monet almost a century ago.

5streets_30

Take a look at the beautiful streetscape as you take a boat-trip on the canal:

.

沖縄県竹富町  Taketomi-cho, Taketomi Island, Okinawa Prefecture

5streets_36

Taketomi Island is in the Yaeyama island chain, 300 km south-west of Okinawa’s main island. Taketomi town is well-known for distinctive rows of traditional red-roofed houses, built using an architectural style that dates back to a time when the islands were a separate entity to Japan and ruled by the Ryūkyū Kingdom.

5streets_38

The streetscape here is one of Japan’s most unique, with roads of white sand surrounded by stone walls. There’s even a water buffalo that will take you through town.

KONICA MINOLTA DIGITAL CAMERA

The town of Taketomi has been designated as an important area of preserved historic buildings.

5streets_39

5streets_42

5streets_44

Hear the unique music of Okinawa and take a look at the gorgeous turquoise waters. And see how many people a water buffalo can pull:

.

Streetscapes. They can sometimes be taken for granted as a means to a destination but when we stop to take a look they can certainly surprise us. Which one was your favourite?

.

Source: Naver Matome