Mino City was once a lively merchant district during the Edo period that flourished from the sales of Mino washi (a traditional style of paper), a reason why there are so many beautiful udatsu walls still standing here.
"Udatsu” are raised walls that were built on either ends of a building in order to prevent the spread of fire from neighboring houses, however, only wealthy households could afford udatsu (leading to the creation of a few Japanese idioms that make reference to udatsu in that respect).
The large collection of udatsu-equipped buildings here is a rarity across all of Japan and is designated by the national government as an official Preservation District for Groups of Traditional Buildings.
The merchant houses in this area were created during the Edo and Meiji (1868-1912) periods and are built wall to wall, lining the streets and creating an age-old atmosphere. Even now one can see the past prosperity of the district in the gardens and cellars of the Kosaka Family Residence (designated as a National Important Cultural Property) and Past Imai Family Residence (designated as a Municipal Cultural Property).
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Basic Information
Address | 1959-1 Kajiya-cho, Mino City, Gifu 501-3726 |
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Access | *Train: 10-minute walk from Mino-shi Station on the Nagaragawa Railway |
Telephone Number | 0575-35-3660 |
Website | Visit Website |
Notes | ~Parking~ |