Yame is still home to rows of old-style houses, but as the years go by, wear and tear takes its toll.
The residents voiced their concerns and with the help of the local government, they set a new focus on conservation, designating money in the city budget and public funds for repairs.
On the other hand, with the increasing decline in birth rates, more and more house are becoming unoccupied, opening up discussions on how to effectively utilize all these vacancies. The guesthouse I stayed at during my visit was one of these vacant machiya that had undergone repairs and reopened as a guesthouse in 2014.
Staying at a house like this really gives you a feeling of what it would be like to live like a Japanese. It also gives you the chance to stroll leisurely around the streets, taking in all the sights and history that this town has to offer.