Core Kyoto

Kyotoites have lived in kyo-machiya townhouses for centuries. Each year, 1,000 are demolished, but Kyo-machiya Sakujigumi, a group of craftsmen skilled in machiya restoration, use natural materials and traditional methods to preserve them. Megumi Hata, whose family kyo-machiya was built in 1869, discusses how living in a machiya means living comfortably in harmony with nature. Within their walls, the wisdom, the way of life and the spirit of Kyotoites remain unchanged through the generations.