城下町(じょうかまち)

じょうかまち
noun
castle town
geographybuilding
1. castle town
A town that developed around a feudal lord's castle during Japan's medieval and early modern periods. Many of Japan's modern cities, such as Kanazawa, Himeji, and Matsumoto, originated as castle towns and retain their historical street layouts.
金沢(かなざわ)は有名(ゆうめい)な城下町(じょうかまち)だ。
Kanazawa is a famous castle town.
城下町(じょうかまち)の古(ふる)い町並(まちな)みが残(のこ)っている。
The old townscape of the castle town remains preserved.
この地域(ちいき)はかつて城下町(じょうかまち)として栄(さか)え、武家(ぶけ)屋敷(やしき)や商人(しょうにん)の家(いえ)が今(いま)も点在(てんざい)している。
This area once flourished as a castle town, and samurai residences and merchant houses still dot the landscape.

Usage

Castle towns were the political, economic, and cultural centers of feudal domains during the Edo period. They were deliberately planned, with samurai districts (武家(ぶけ)屋敷(やしき)), merchant quarters, and temple areas arranged around the castle. Today, many 城下町(じょうかまち) are popular tourist destinations known for their historical atmosphere.

Common collocations

Related Words

Related: 門前町(もんぜんまち) (temple town)
Related: 武家屋敷(ぶけやしき) (samurai residence)
general
Added 2026.2.20 13:59 · Revised 2026.9.2 13:01
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