"A traditional pre-war (?) house in Shibuya’s Oyamacho neighborhood. Several of these streets were subdivided into residential blocks in the 1930s, shortly after the nearby Yoyogi-Uehara train station opened. Despite this year’s pandemic, the recently announced Standard Land Prices (基準地価) for a residential site just along the street increased by 1.74% this year. The same site saw values jump by 18~24% in the previous 2006 and 2007 mini-bubble. Over the past seven years, annual growth has been a more sensible 2~3%. Values are still sitting at around a third of the highs seen during the absurd asset bubble of the late 1980s."

"Unagi Kiyokawa is a high-end eel restaurant located down a quiet side alley in Nihonbashi, not far from the Tokyo Stock Exchange. Founded in 1874, the same pot of ‘tare’ sauce has been developing its flavor for 147-years and counting. One special item on the menu is Unagi Cola containing eel extract.

The traditional wooden building dates from 1927, having been rebuilt following the 1923 earthquake. The first floor has the kitchen and dining, with tatami floors and private dining rooms on the second floor. It was registered as a Tangible Cultural Property in 2018.

There’s a tradition to eat eel on the midsummer day of the ox, which falls sometime between late July and early August, depending on the year (this year it is July 28). This is said to help fight off the fatigue of the hot summer days."

"Sunset alongside Matsubara-Dori Street."

"Sportswear store Columbia opened a shop in this 100-year old machiya alongside Rokkaku Street in September 2019. The traditional Kyo-machiya had previously been used as a private residence."

"An antique shop alongside Sanneizaka path."

"Gojo Kaikan. Built in 1917 as a kaburenjo theatre (a place where maiko and geisha practice and perform dances). Each geisha district had its own theatre, and this was Gojo’s. The 3-story wooden building has a total floor area of almost 800 m2 (8,600 sq.ft). It served as a kenban (geisha call-office), and had the offices of the local teahouse and geisha agency associations. The second floor had a large performance hall, while the third floor had practice rooms. Out of use and falling into disrepair, the building went up for public bidding in 2018 to find a new owner. It was sold to a Tokyo-based realtor who plans to restore the building, but these plans appear to have been put on hold due to the pandemic. Other bidders for the property planned to demolish it and replace it with a block of apartments."

"The former Echigoya Ryunosuke izakaya restaurant in Shimbashi. Opened some around or before 2013 but has recently closed permanently."

"House of Ki No Bi is the store of a local distillery and a place for gin enthusiasts to sample their wares. The 100+ year old machiya was originally built for a lumber merchant. It was restored by the distillery using local craftsmen and traditional techniques, keeping as much of the original detail as possible. Furniture was provided by a local maker, and textiles were sourced from Hosoo. Wallpaper was provided by Kira Kiracho, a 400-year old manufacturer of paper."

"A cool cafe backing onto Takase River."

"A former ochaya tea house in Gojo Rakuen, Kyoto. This one has its own front courtyard garden on one side."

"A beautiful shophouse alongside the old Nikko-Kaido Road in Kitasenju, Tokyo. This road is one of the original Five Routes that connected Edo (old Tokyo) with outer provinces from the 1600s. The 140-kilometer (87 mile) journey from Nihonbashi in Tokyo to Nikko might take 4~6 days, with weary travelers taking breaks at the various post-stations along the way. The Senju district in Tokyo’s Adachi ward was the first post-station after departing from Nihonbashi. It flourished with rest houses, shops and brothels."

"An old house sitting under the glow of Tokyo Tower. The pair might have been built around the same time. This house sits in a row of several homes of a similar vintage. They may be the last few of that era left as the 8-hectare Toranomon-Azabudai redevelopment project has wiped out several blocks of low-set homes. Five years ago a similar house just along from this one was reported to have sold for ¥2,095,000/m2 based on the land size. Land values have increased by 35~40% since then. Sorry, this one is not for sale."

"A former ochaya teahouse in the Gojo Rakuen district of Kyoto. Beautifully preserved with its old wooden lattice windows on the ground floor and sliding glass windows on the second story. The curved ornamental roof above the entrance was also a characteristic feature on the larger teahouses in this neighborhood. As the older generation moves on, these historic buildings are often sold to real estate companies or developers, only to be demolished and replaced with car parking lots or apartment buildings. I hope we can enjoy them a little longer."

"Sometimes the sunniest part of a machiya is the street."

"Shimbashi Street, Gion. Developed as a teahouse district in the early 1700s, and that legacy continues today. Much of this neighborhood is a Preservation District for Groups of Traditional Buildings, with Shimbashi one of the more significant of those streets. Traditional teahouses with screens on the second floors and dark lattice windows on the ground floors line both sides of the stone-paved road. You can thank the strong preservation efforts by local residents who vehemently opposed plans for a 3-story building along this street back in 1973. Three years later it would be selected as one of the Preservation Districts under the 1950 Law for the Protection of Cultural Properties. Teahouses built from the late 1800s to early 1920s have been meticulously preserved. The stone pavers weren’t always there. They were recycled from the former Kyoto Tram tracks after the city teams ended their service in the late 1970s. Maybe one of these days the power cables will be buried underground like they have done in Hanamikoji Street."

"The machiya townhouse on the right was built in 1914. It’s a little different from the others (a) for having survived the devastating 1923 earthquake that sent firestorms spreading throughout the city, and (b) for having the traditional shophouse exterior upstairs while showing the newest trend (at the time) of a flat billboard-style facade on the ground floor."

"I don’t know how this tiny house came to be, but it’s halfway down a flight of stairs in Tokyo’s Bancho neighborhood. Nowadays you wouldn’t receive construction approval to build on land like this unless it had proper road frontage, but there was a time when anything goes."

"Fujiki Ningyocho. A restaurant specializing in tonkatsu (fried pork cutlets)."

"The old Sakai Residence in Tsukiji is always worth a walk-by. It was built in 1948 to house the staff of a nearby fishmonger. Housing was in a severe shortage in Tokyo following the fire bombings in WWII, and the employees had lost their own homes. This wasn’t your typical post-war cheaply-built house. It was described by the Chuo City homepage as being quite elaborate with decorative transom, shoji screens, and fine zelkova wood exterior. Better than some construction today!"

"Ryokan Taisenkaku sits right along the street leading into Hase-dera Temple in Kamakura. It was built in 1927 but has been operated by the same family since the late 1800s. Luckily it has remained in largely original condition. Shared bathroom."

"Kyoto Jügen Restaurant. Located in the 100-year-old villa that was owned by the Mitsui family."

"The Sugari ramen shop along Rokkaku Street. This one has no signboard and no noren shop curtain hanging outside so you could easily miss it. It’s about a 1-minute walk east of the Blue Bottle Kyoto Rokkaku shop. It opened in May 2021. Place your order and pay at the machines downstairs (they’re cashless), and bring your ticket to the upstairs dining counter. There’s a beautiful view of the white Kura storehouse and a tsubo-niwa courtyard garden to admire as you leave."

"Granpie. This store first opened in the basement of Kansatsu Hashimoto’s historic villa near Ginkaku-Ji in 1971 selling folk art and furniture imported from Spain. They opened their second shop two years later in Jingumae, Tokyo. Now they have six shops nationwide, selling various imported garments and interior goods. This one happens to be in a traditional machiya shophouse with mushiko-mado slatted windows on the second story."

"Onrin-dō Hall, containing a Buddhist altar. Inside it contains 44 sliding doors painted by woodblock artist Munakata Shikō in 1958. The hall itself was rebuilt in 1957, after the previous one was destroyed by fire in the late 1800s."

"A store selling Buddhist monk robes and altars. This machiya is designated by Kyoto City as a building with historic design. Buildings with this designation may be eligible for up to ¥4 million (US$36,000) in financial assistance towards facade repairs and exterior maintenance. Relocations or changes to the exterior require the city’s permission. There are 109 buildings with this designation in Kyoto (a small number considering there are tens of thousands of machiya), the majority of which are in Kamigyo ward to the west of the Kyoto Imperial Palace."

"This machiya converted into an overnight rental is listed for sale for ¥150 million (US$1.37 million) as of August 2021. The house is 98 sqm (1,054 sq.ft), including some unregistered extensions, and sits on 82 sqm of land. To be sold vacant.

Note: Hotel operating licenses are attached to the operator, not the property, and are not automatically transferred to the buyer.

If you plan to buy an existing guesthouse or ryokan in Japan, you will need to go through the license registration process again (an exception may be when you are acquiring a company with the licenses, which involves a different set of procedures)."

"An old house in the quiet backstreets in Nishiazabu. This one has a front yard AND and backyard. Sorry, not for sale!"

"Hekkelun (Heckeln?) Coffee, Toranomon. It has been open for 50 years and is famous for its crème caramel. Highly rated on Google with 4.3 out of 5 stars and 280 reviews. This is your traditional ‘kissaten’ old school coffee shop."

"Italian restaurant Arbol in Kagurazaka. Tucked down one of Kagurazaka’s most famous cobblestone alleys called Hyogo Yokocho. The restaurant has its own rooftop garden providing fresh vegetables. Much of the historic and traditional Kagurazaka district has local bylaws that stipulate signage color, placement, materials, awnings, lighting etc to keep everything in harmony."

"The Namiki Yabu-soba restaurant in Asakusa. First opened in 1912. This particular neighborhood was originally named Asakusa-Namiki-Machi, which is where the restaurant’s name came from. The address was changed to Kaminarimon in the 1930s. It is highly regarded as one of the top three yabu-soba restaurants in Tokyo, the others being Kanda Yabu-soba and Ikenohata Yabu-soba. The first restaurant burnt down during WWII air raids, and was rebuilt in 1950. This current building was rebuilt in 2011 almost to the exact specifications as the former one."

"The Bank. One of the coolest and coziest bars in Kamakura. Built in 1927 as the Yuigahama Branch of Kamakura Bank. In 2000 it was converted into a bar by Van Jacket art director Kaoru Watanabe. After Watanabe’s passing in 2015, long-time friend Masamichi Katayama and his interior design firm Wonderwall took over operations, reopening in 2016. Inside, the original marble bank counter is now the bar counter, while the upstairs has a lounge space with artwork by Tomoo Gokita."

"This old house in Shirokane went up for sale in February for ¥198 million (approx. US$1.8 million). It sits on 172 sqm of land (158 sqm after the road setback). In this particular case, the land is leasehold under the old, renewable system. Most land in Tokyo and across Japan is freehold, but sometimes there are lots that are leasehold. The landowner might be a nearby temple, old landowner, or even a developer. Given the age of this house, a buyer would usually tear it down and build something new."

"Hakujitsudo (白日堂), Kamakura. This shophouse was built sometime around 1940 as a workshop and residence of a Kamakura-Bori lacquerware dealer. The facade is a blend of castle and temple styles mixed with a more modern glass show window with Teppei-Seki (andesite) stonework. It’s considered a valuable surviving example of Kamakura’s lacquerware shops. The same builder did a similar lacquerware shop a few streets away called Sanshodo just a few years prior to this one."

"This house in Kamakura was built in the late 1920s for a lumber merchant. Like many of the grand holiday villas built in the seaside city in those days, it included several western-style elements such as stained-glass and a hinged front door (rather than the traditional sliding door). It’s currently used as the Ishiwatari photography studio and is available for events and exhibitions. Sorry, it’s not for sale."

"Beautiful lattice-work on this machiya townhouse just behind Kiyomizu-Gojo Station in Kyoto. Sorry, it’s not for sale."

"A private residence in Gion, Kyoto."

"The Hata-ke Residence. This was the shophouse of a pharmacy that had been operating since 1700. The previous building was destroyed by a fire that broke out during a riot in 1864. The current building dates from 1869. It’s a style of machiya called omoteya-tsukuri (表屋造り) where the shop takes up the street-side portion, with the residence at the rear. The two are separated by an internal courtyard."

"The steps of Sannenzaka (or Sanneizaka) in Kyoto. This hillside street has been around since the 800s. Ordinarily it is one of the most crowded tourist spots in the city. It’s lined with shops selling souvenirs, ceramics, and some high-end traditional restaurants. In 1976 this area was designated as a Preservation District for Groups of Traditional Buildings, only a year after that new category of heritage preservation was introduced. A total of 8.2-hectares in this neighborhood now falls under this preservation guideline."

"Shiraume Ryokan and Restaurant. Accessed via a small bridge over Shirakawa stream in Gion, Kyoto. Two 100-year old plum trees sit on either side of the bridge. The ryokan’s history dates back to the late 1800s when it was an ochaya teahouse for maiko to live, study, train and work."

"Blue barbershop in Kyoto. There’s an old machiya shophouse hiding behind that facade!"

"Alongside Sannenzaka Path in Kyoto. The shophouse in the center is Ninen-zaka Marun, a traditional confectionery store."

"Renkon-ya Izakaya restaurant in Kyoto. Operating for over 60 years. The old machiya townhouse is easily over 100 years old. One gourmet site suggests it might date from the late 1800s."

"Unknown Kyoto. A co-working space, restaurant, and hostel occupying two restored townhouses and teahouses in the Gojo Rakuen neighborhood. The project was funded with a crowdfunding campaign that raised over ¥40 million (US$363,000) for the renovations. Full restorations of historic buildings don’t come cheap."

"The Hachimaki tempura restaurant in Jimbocho, Tokyo. Its origins date back to a small ‘yatai’ food cart operated by the founder in 1931. A permanent restaurant opened in this spot in the 1940s and managed to escape any damage from the WWII air raids. It became immensely popular with Japan’s literary masters - after all, it is in Jimbocho Booktown. Currently managed by the 3rd generation of the founder."

"This gorgeous 1930s building will open this month as a shared office space. The heritage-listed Hori Building was built in 1932 for Hori Locks & Builders’ Hardware. It was designed by Masatsugu Kobayashi and his brother. The Hori company occupied the building up until recently, with their showroom on the first two floors and office above. The top floor originally had a private residence with a grand fireplace. Construction giant Takenaka Corporation has leased the building and carried out an earthquake retrofit and careful renovation. There will be 20 office spaces made available for lease with sizes ranging from 12 ~ 42 sqm (129 ~ 452 sq. ft). Monthly rents appear to range from around ¥209,000 ~ ¥796,400 (US$1,900 ~ $7,200)."

"The Sugawara-ya Restaurant in a former shophouse in Tsukishima, Tokyo. Opened last October."

"A traditional machiya shophouse with a Victorian bay window."

"The Hiramatsu Kyoto. This hotel opened last year. The old machiya townhouses were reconstructed as part of the hotel development."

"A classic car and a classic machiya in Higashiyama, Kyoto. These homes were often built before cars were invented, but some of them have converted their front rooms into garages."

"Another Renault. This one is outside the Ryokan Hana-ya traditional inn. This inn was built over 100 years ago as the shophouse of a dry goods dealer. It was converted into a ryokan in 1949. One of the floats from the famed Gion Matsuri festival passes directly in front of the building each year. During this pandemic, they’re only accepting two groups of up to two people at a time, with each pair having their own floor and own hand basin."

"This was the Hard Rock Cafe until it permanently closed in March, after opening in July 2019. The high privacy wall is a new addition but is somewhat similar to the old fence that stood until 2016. The previous tenant installed a low bamboo fence and beautiful traditional Japanese garden visible to passers by."

"Can you spot the Starbucks? This one alongside Ninenzaka Street opened in 2017. The building is a 100+ year old machiya that has retained its original ‘daibei’ fence wall. Inside, the coffee shop has tatami floors and courtyard gardens. Starbucks is far from the first international brand to utilize a traditional building for their store. There are many others in Kyoto, making for some unique dining and shopping experiences."

"This little yellow charmer was on the market earlier this year for ¥100 million (US$900,000). Appears to have sold. The land is just 42 sqm (452 sq.ft) after the road setback (a requirement if you were to rebuild). These old houses on Tsukishima Island in Tokyo Bay have been seeing a bit of demand lately, some selling within days or weeks, others taking a couple of months. Often bought to be demolished and rebuilt. Not all of the houses in this neighborhood can be legally rebuilt, however."

"The Tsukiji branch of the Toritsubaki Izakaya restaurant."

"Happy Hour restaurant in Shirokane. The interior of the old shophouse has been stripped back to its skeleton with vaulted ceilings and bright and airy space. This is the sister restaurant of Burger Mania and DAY & NIGHT, and opened in early 2020."

"A post-war house with some decorative shutter boxes."

"A few years ago this 70~80-year-old house was given a full restoration and converted into a vegan restaurant complete with a dining deck overlooking the ocean. It even made a few appearances on a popular TV drama. Unfortunately, it closed in late 2019. Sorry, it’s not for sale."

"This is a former ochaya teahouse across the street from the Takase River in Gojo Rakuen. It sat vacant for many years before being renovated into a high-end kaiseki restaurant called “San” in 2018. You can find some interior photos on their account @washoku_san"

"Tempura Endo Yasaka Gion. Located alongside Yasaka Street."

"This old machiya alongside Gion’s teahouse-lined Shimbashi Street houses the dedegumo watch store."

"A pair of decorative terraces in Toranomon, Tokyo. Pre war? Post war? There’s a small enclave of old wooden houses left in this part of Toranomon, but given all of the redevelopment going on I’m sure developers are knocking on their doors daily."

"An old, boarded up house in Higashiazabu, Tokyo. Awaiting eventual redevelopment. It might look humble, but the land could be worth somewhere in the mid ¥100 million range (around US$1.5 million, give it take), and would be especially valuable if it was joined with the neighboring lot that fronts into a major street."

"Yasuyo Building, Shinjuku. Japanese modernism at its finest. Designed by Shindo Akashi and built in 1968. It was built to honor Yasuda Yoichi, a wealthy businessman with a long history on the eastern side of Shinjuku Station.

Kyo Kaiseki Kakiden, a traditional restaurant with a history dating back 200~300 years, occupies floors 6, 8, and 9. The interiors were designed by Yoshirō Taniguchi and have been remarkably preserved.

If you’re lucky you might find an office floor for rent (not currently, unfortunately)."

"The Waseda Sanae cafe/bar. It first opened as a mahjong parlor in 1950. The upstairs parlor was still in use until 2019."

"The Hōzan Liquor Store in Mejirodai, Tokyo. Possibly built in the 1920s."

"An alley in the back streets of Ginza. Bar Lupin has been open since 1928 and is regularly patronized by numerous literary greats over the past century. With the onset of WWII in 1941, a widespread social movement saw the use of English words and English or western-style store names essentially banned, causing the store owner to change its name temporarily to Pantei. In 1944 it was shuttered by the government due to the severity of the war. Although the building itself narrowly avoided destruction, a WWII bomb blast from a neighboring building caused significant damage to the bar. A ban on alcohol sales in 1946 led to the bar being converted into a coffee shop until the ban was lifted in 1949. The old, war-torn building was demolished in 1972 and replaced with a new one, although the interiors and ash bar counter were carefully preserved and reassembled in the new building."

"A hidden part of Ginza. This old tenement of restaurants is tucked down a narrow alleyway just behind Higashi-Ginza Station. The Mihara Chinese restaurant behind that door has been in business since 1963-1964 and has a loyal following."

"Loose Kyoto. A coffee and doughnut shop just a block south of the Yasaka Pagoda."