Jinai-machi: A townscape where time seems to have stood still

Tondabayashi Jinai-machi District

(Tondabayashi City, Osaka) 

【Jinai-machi (寺内町)】 refers to a type of town that developed around a Buddhist temple during Japan’s Warring States period, 15th–16th centuries. Believers, merchants, and craftsmen gathered there and managed the town autonomously. As the name suggests, it was literally “a town (町) inside (内) a temple (寺).” Because wars and uprisings were frequent at the time, some of these towns were surrounded by moats or earthen walls, and their gates were closed at night to protect the residents. There were once about 40 such temple-centered towns, mainly in the Nagoya and Osaka regions, but few have retained their original appearance today.

Among them, Jinai-machi in Tondabayashi City, Osaka Prefecture, is a rare and precious place that still preserves the atmosphere of old Japan. The streets are neatly arranged, and traditional townhouses with white plaster walls and black wooden facades line both sides of the roads, creating a beautiful scene that feels as if you’ve traveled back in time. It has been designated as Osaka’s only Important Preservation District for Groups of Traditional Buildings.

Jinai-machi was established in 1558, when land was purchased from a local lord for 100 kanmon in bronze coins—equivalent to about 1.15 million yen today—to build a branch temple of Kōshō-ji in Kyoto. The town’s layout features a clever defensive design known as atemage, in which the streets are slightly offset to prevent enemies from seeing straight through. This not only made it difficult for invaders to attack, but also allowed defenders to lie in ambush—an ingenious feature unique to towns built during wartime.

When peace was restored in the Edo period, Jinai-machi came under direct control of the Tokugawa shogunate and flourished as a commercial center, known also for sake brewing. Today, visitors can enjoy craft beer made with fresh spring water from Mount Kongō at a brewery housed in a former sake storehouse. The space combines the warmth of a traditional Japanese house with the openness of a Western-style beer hall, and large windows at the back offer a view of the shiny brewing tanks lined up in the production area.

Many cafés, general stores, and boutiques now occupy renovated old townhouses, making the area perfect for a relaxing stroll. Simply walking through the quiet, nostalgic streets provides a sense of calm and peace. The charming scenery of Tondabayashi Jinai-machi has also been featured in popular productions such as the NHK morning drama “Come Come Everybody” and the movie “Baragaki: Unbroken Samurai”.

Please visit the Tondabayshi Koshoji Betuin website.