The Teppo-machi district of Shimabara is a very well preserved samurai town, but unlike other preserved historical districts, it wasn’t a neighborhood for high-ranking samurai. It was a town of low ranking ashigaru, foot-soldiers who were fighting with firearms called teppo in Japanese, hence the name of the district: Teppo-machi, “Gun town".

A very interesting characteristic of this place is the perfect preservation of the drinkable water channel running through the middle of the street, used for domestic purposes. The water comes from a spring located 2 kilometers away, inside the Sugiyama Gongen Kumamo Shrine.

Teppo-machi, Shimabara, Nagasaki

EXIF Info:

Yesterday’s Japan Photo: Shika deer in Nara