Post by washi on Apr 19, 2015 8:01:27 GMT
Imai Chō is a district in the city of Kashihara, Nara Prefecture, Japan. Its rich history must be recounted in at least three chapters. In the period of civil wars that gripped Japan in the 15th and 16th centuries, it was a jinai chō, or fortified temple town. In the Edo Period (1603-1868) it became the most important and wealthiest commercial town in Yamato Province (now, essentially, Nara Prefecture). The third chapter must tell the story of the remarkable efforts of the national, prefectural, and city governments – and most of all, the families who have lived here for countless generations – to preserve this cultural treasure and to share it with their fellow citizens and the world.
This post contains in the first:[/p]
- An overlay map that shows the number and distribution of similar temple towns that existed in the 16th century, along with an attempt to place their existence in historical context.
- An series of overlay maps showing the development of Imai throughout the 16th century and into the early Edo Period.
- Folders of placemarks showing some of the remnants of the 16th century fortifications and the temples and shrines built during (and in the case of temples and shrines, before and after) that period.
and in the second
- An overlay of a hand-drawn map made in the late 17 century.
- A folder of placemarks showing the Edo Period homes that have been designated as important cultural assets by the national and prefectural governments. The folder's description presents information about the architectural style of these houses.
and in the third:
- An overlay of a modern map.
- A series of placemarks showing locations related to the preservation and restoration of the town historical character and relating that history to the visitor.
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Post last revised March 11, 2023.