KYOTO: People in Kyoto are looking to preserve traditional “kyomachiya” wooden houses, which had lined the streets of the western Japan city but are now dwindling in number.

Many are torn down due to old age, the aging of owners and high maintenance costs. People voice disappointment that the long-standing culture is disappearing.

Most kyomachiya houses were built before the building standards law was implemented in 1950.

Kyomachiya houses are often referred to as “unagi no nedoko,” or bed of eels, because of their long, narrow structure.

Many are adorned with “mushikomado” windows made of hardened dirt and “kyogoshi” lattices, which obscure the view from outside without entirely blocking the view from inside.

According to the Kyoto city government, there were about 40,000 kyomachiya houses in the city in fiscal 2016, down roughly 15 pct since surveys began in fiscal 2009.

Many owners let go of the buildings when they receive the homes as inheritance.

The “Kawaike residence,” Kyoto’s oldest kyomachiya, dating back to the Muromachi era between the 14th and 16th centuries, was sold to a real estate developer and demolished.

Amid the decline, many people are trying to preserve and revive kyomachiya.

The group that manages the “Sugimotoke residence,” a government-designated important cultural property with a history of over 150 years, began a crowdfunding drive to partially cover the costs of a 200-million-yen renovation project scheduled for autumn.

The group, struggling to secure maintenance costs, has paid for minor renovation work with subsidies from the Kyoto prefectural government.

However, the building is suffering from leaks in the roof, and the upcoming project will include replacement of the entire roof.

“We want to pass on the lifestyles and cultures of kyomachiya to the next generation,” a senior member of the organization said.

A kyomachiya house built in the early part of the Meiji period from 1868 to 1912 was revived as the “Yamorido” craft beer pub. The building interior was designed to maintain the “history” of the wooden home, reinforcing existing columns and beams.

“Once it’s destroyed, the town scenery never comes back,” said the owner, Teruya Hori, 53. “I want to preserve the history.”

JIJI Press