Where to see traditional but everyday Japanese architecture

Question

When travelling to Japan, I enjoy seeing things that are Japanese but everyday just as much as the big-ticket attractions such as the grand castles and temples.

However, when it comes to architecture, Lonely Planet often says when talking about a city something like "There's not much traditional architecture here because it was bombed during World War 2" (is this the real reason, or are there other factors in play?). By contrast, I strongly suspect one of the places I've lived in in Sydney was built in the 19th century.

I liked a lot of the traditional architecture in Kyoto such as the machiya, but I sometimes wonder whether it's deliberately maintained for tourism reasons.

Are Kyoto, Kanazawa, and Takayama suitable options for seeing everyday traditional Japanese architecture? Does Kitakyushu, which contains the town of Kokura, have a lot of traditional architecture because the Allies deliberately refrained from bombing it?

Answer 1

The obvious answer is Kyoto, including the famous Gion (祇園) district. You should be able to stroll through streets that mostly feature traditional Japanese architecture.

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While I never went to Kanazawa myself, from my research, it does feature many areas that feature traditional architecture, including the Higashi Chaya (東茶屋街) and Kazue-Machi (主計町) districts.

Note: While in Kanazawa, you should also visit Kenroku-en, one of Japan's three most famous gardens.

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As for Takayama, I recommend visiting Hida folk village. This is in a totally different style than Kyoto and Kanazawa, but it does feature a very well preserved village. Not quite "everyday" architecture as it's an open air museum, but interesting nonetheless.

If you can afford to spend a night there, check out Shirakawago as it is possible to rent a room in one of the traditional thatched roof houses.

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Lastly, I have a few recommendations of things you might enjoy:

The Takenaka Carpentry Tools museum in Kobe gives a very good understanding of the underlying principles that make traditional Japanese architecture what it is. Plus, it's less than 5 minutes from the Shin-Kobe shinkansen station, so it makes for a great stop. Check out this question for a more detailed explanation.

The Tokyo Edo Museum has a very nice (historically accurate) full size reconstruction of a Kabuki theater.

The Osaka museum of Housing and Living features a full indoor reconstruction of an Edo period town.