This district of Chaya houses, traditional places for dinner parties and entertainment, was built in the Meiji Period (1868-1912). The air of secrecy creates a magical atmosphere in the open space along the Asanogawa River, tangled narrow backstreets, and "Kuragari-zaka" (dark slope), the winding step path going to the Kuboichi Jinja Shrine. The district is nationally designated as an Important Preservation District for Groups of Traditional Buildings. Kazue-machi is also the first case in Japan of restoring the old town name, which had been lost during the municipal consolidation across Japan after World War II.
