Ine no Funaya Houses (伊根の舟屋)
The Ine no Funaya (a large cluster of traditional fishermen houses) houses are private houses, located in the Ine area of Ine-cho Town, Yosa-gun County, Kyoto Prefecture. The views of sea from the funaya houses and that of funaya houses from sea are beautiful. Therefore, the area is a well-known sightseeing spot in Ine Town and is visited by many tourists. In addition, areas in Ine Town have recently been used for locations for movies or dramas, making the name of Ine known nationally. It is considered that the funaya houses have existed since around the middle of the Edo period. It is confirmed that 238 funaya houses existed as of 2000. Features of these houses are basically as follows: They are provided with a space open to the sea and are built using the tsuma-iri (entrance is provided on the gable side) style. These features have been highly evaluated, and the area was designated as one of the national preservation districts for groups of historic buildings. Such a designation is the first for a fishing village in Japan.
Structures
A funaya house is built close to the sea surface of the Ine-wan bay. Provided with a non-sea area where a boat is to be placed, a storage room and a working space, the first floor is used for various purposes, such as for maintaining fishing gear, for drying fish and for storing agricultural products. The second floor is used for living, includes a living room and rooms for minshuku operation (providing lodging and meals for tourists in a private house).