Gojō was once a trading and post station on the route between Osaka and the Kii Peninsula. Along the Yoshino River lies the historic Shinmachi district, where numerous machiya houses from the Edo to early Shōwa periods still stand. These narrow, two-story merchant houses speak of the bustling activity of a town where sake brewers, soy sauce makers, and rice traders once peddled their wares.
The typical koshi-mado – delicate wooden lattice windows – allowed visitors to observe life on the street without being seen. Above them, mushiko-mado, small lattice-like openings, provide light and ventilation. Between the houses rise udatsu, ornate firewalls that once represented wealth and protected against fire.
Today, some of these buildings house small museums, cafés, and workshops. But many houses remain empty – Gojō is only at the beginning of a cautious revival, led by young people who want to revitalize the historical heritage.