The crisis of disappearing Machiya

The number of Machiya is decreasing year by year due to the ageing of the building, expensive maintenance costs for owners, and stricter disaster or fire prevention regulations.

Since the Japanese economy entered a long recession about 15 years ago, Machiya have been facing serious problems and this has in turn negatively affected the traditional feeling of historical Kyoto

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1. The difficulty of preserving Machiya

According to a survey conducted in 2003, more than 50% of Machiya residents say that it is financially difficult to maintain or keep up a Machiya. Earthquake resistance and fire prevention is also a big concern. Through Machiya are a presious kind of heritage passed down from generation to generation, the psychological and financial difficulty of living in a Machiya is very challenging in reality.

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2. Decreasing Machiya

About 13% of Machiya were destroyed between 1996 and 2003. According to the same survey, after a Machiya has been torn down, over 40% of the sites are used for new residential buildings are used for high-rise apartments, commercial buildings, or car parks. (from a survey conducted in 2003)

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3. Changing Machiya

Over 80% of existing Machiya have lost some aspect of their original traditional structure (degoshi lattice, mushiko mado window, tsuchi kabe earthen wall, etc.). Many have had their outer walls plasterd with cement mortar or covered with other modern materials. Machiya where the walls have been covered like this are called kanban kenchiku. Kanban kenchiku accont for roughly 20% all the Machiya in Kyoto. (from a survey conducted in 1998)

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