Kitano-chō

Kitano-chō (北野町) or Kitano Ijinkan (北野異人館) is a historical district in Kobe, Hyōgo Prefecture, Japan, which contains a number of foreign residences from the late Meiji and early Taishō eras of Japanese history. While the term ijinkan (異人館) can refer to any foreign residence of this period in Japan, it usually refers to those of Kitano given the number and high concentration of those that remain. Ijinkan districts exist in other locales (notably Hakodate and Nagasaki), but due to war and natural disasters, these districts are not as well preserved.[1]

Weathercock House (風見鶏の館, Kazamidori no Yakata), built in 1909, overlooks the city of Kobe
Kitano Street

While some of the houses still serve as residences, many are open to tourists, making Kitano-chō one of the principal tourist attractions in Kobe.[2]

See also

References

  1. Igarashi, J. "Kobe Ijinkan," Eye-Ai, January 2002, retrieved February 15, 2007
  2. Fodor's - "Kobe Sights & Activities: Kitano", retrieved February 15, 2007

This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is licensed under Creative Commons - Attribution - Sharealike. Additional terms may apply for the media files.