Ao Machiya
Iga City, Mie Pref.
Built in 1891 (Meiji era), this Machiya townhouse is about a 6 minutes walk from Aoyamacho station (Kintetsu railway) that takes you to Ise Jingu shrine in 1 hour, and downtown Osaka city in 1.5 hours. As this Machiya faces the old Hase street of the Ao post town (that connects Yamato to Ise in the Edo period), you can find many old traditional Machiya houses that were lodges or restaurants for the travelers. Besides the main Machiya house, there is a small detached tea house at the back. Enclosed for seclusion, the courtyard garden evokes tranquility, while the rear garden that opens to the back street can be used as a parking space.