Transformation and Modification of Historical Building Use, and Owner Motivation for Urban Conservation in the Nineizaka and Sanneizaka Preservation District, Kyoto, Japan

This paper is a study of the relationship between changes in building use from the aspect of the user in the Nineizaka and Sanneizaka Preservation District for historical buildings in Kyoto. Based on a field survey study in 2013 and a detailed map produced in 1977, 1999, and 2013; this study analyses the change of building use and user modifications for urban conservation in Japan. The results show that most of the buildings in the Nineizaka and Sanneizaka Preservation District have changed. They have been transformed from shop-houses (Machiya) and dwelling houses in the past to become fully functional commercial stores. Only the traditional facade was restored after the area was designated as the first preservation district in 1976. The traditional characteristics of the buildings and environment attract a large number of tourists, creating an impact on the traditional site. Motivational factors, from user scale to community (village) scale using sustainable tourism concepts are presented through the cultural conservation of traditional building design, assisted by a budget from the government. On the other hand, many changes were discovered in the building spaces, cultural activities, traditional celebrations, and the local way of life in the area.