Rekishimachi (Historical town) (歴史町)

Rekishimachi was one of Japanese city forms. It was also referred to as historical settlement.

Summary
It was a general term for a city form developed in a historical background and social conditions during the Medieval and the Early Modern periods, mainly in Japan. Alternatively, it meant towns and the rows of houses and buildings in present day Japan that originated under the aforementioned historical factors, and especially those that have conserved the atmosphere of those days.

Especially the history towns which conserved the rows of houses and buildings were of great value in the historical and cultural sense so, they were designated as World Heritage sites or Important traditional building Preservation Area, or they were considered tourist destinations. If not in the aforementioned state, many of them had their rows of houses and buildings conserved by the efforts of their residents.

Categories:

Jokamachi (town below the castle)

a town formed around a castle

Jinyamachi (town formed around a feudal lord's residence)

the town formed around jinya (feudal lord's residence) or daikansho (district office)

Shukubamachi (post station town)

the town formed around a post station on a Highway

Monzenmachi (a town below temples and shrines)

town formed around a temple; in the case of a shrine, it was sometimes called Toriimaemachi (town below a shrine gate)

Bukemachi (residential quarter for a feudal domain's retainers)

town inside the Jokamachi and Jinyamachi, formed with those samurai houses like bukeyashiki (samurai mansion) and samurai yashiki (samurai resident) gathered

Teramachi (temple district)

town formed with many temples, many of teramachi were in Jokamachi or in the vicinity of Jokamachi during the Edo period

Minatomachi (port town)

town formed around the whole area of a sea port or river port (including a fishing village which is a settlement with residents engaged in fishery)

Zaigomachi (local town)

town formed with those engaged in commerce and industry in a farming village

Jinaicho (also referred to as Jinaimachi; temple town)

town formed with temple priests, people involved in temples, and where devotees gathered

Shakemachi (shinto priest town)

town formed where shinto priests of a shrine gathered

Shokamachi (merchants town)

town formed with residents and mansions of the wealthy class who succeeded in business

Industrial town

town formed with artisans engaged in traditional industries and those engaged in industries such as mining industry, civil engineering, and the construction industry, or a town that prospered as a result of trading related products

Shokuninmachi (artisans town)

town formed with artisans engaged in traditional industries, or a town that prospered as a result of trading their products, which is a kind of the aforementioned Industrial town

Ichibacho (market town)

town that prospered around a relatively big market

Kagai (licensed quarters)

It was also referred to as Hanamachi, a town with licensed quarters

Onsengai (hot spring town)

town formed around a hot spring

Shitamachi (neighborhoods of merchants and artisans)

general term for districts and towns where many of those engaged in commerce and industry and lower class samurai live, and the districts and towns with a friendly atmosphere

[Original Japanese]