Some cities in Japan managed to preserve a historical street or even a whole neighborhood featuring the old, traditional Japanese architecture. One of them is Gifu, which although was carpet bombed during the WWII, still has Kawaramachi, a small neighborhood about 15 minutes walking distance from the Gifu Castle.

The historical buildings from Gifu are today souvenir shops, stores selling traditional Japanese sweets or coffee shops. The building from my photo, Kawaramachi-ya, houses a coffee shop and a gallery, but it drew my attention because of the old red Japanese post box… one of the oldest models, originally designed during the Meiji era after the English pillar box.

Kawaramachi, Gifu City, Gifu

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Yesterday’s Japan Photo: Old Japanese customs, Nonomiya-jinja and the Imperial Princesses