Kyoto's Landscape

A close look at the Meirin District

Book Chapter (2018)
Author(s)

Marie-Thérèse van Thoor (TU Delft - Heritage & Values)

Research Group
Heritage & Values
Copyright
© 2018 M.T.A. van Thoor
More Info
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Publication Year
2018
Language
English
Copyright
© 2018 M.T.A. van Thoor
Research Group
Heritage & Values
Pages (from-to)
28-43
ISBN (electronic)
978-94-8366-028-0
Reuse Rights

Other than for strictly personal use, it is not permitted to download, forward or distribute the text or part of it, without the consent of the author(s) and/or copyright holder(s), unless the work is under an open content license such as Creative Commons.

Abstract

Sanjo Street, the old road to Tokyo, is a lively street in the middle of Meirin District in the heart of Kyoto. People live, work, shop and stroll there. The street, like all others in the district, is made up of houses and shops, restaurants, workshops and kinds of activity. The neighbourhood is well known for the many kimono fabrics, but there is even a bike shop – a familiar phenomenon for the Dutch [FIG. 1]. Building types vary. Where Sanjo Street connects up with the large avenues surrounding the urban block, there are large, tall buildings, with the occasional higher block of flats at the centre. However, low-build prevails. Meirin
District is part of what is called the historical urban area, and contains buildings from various periods, from the 17th through to the 20th century, including many machiya.