Samurai Street: Shimabara, Nagasaki Prefecture

The Samurai Street commemorates the old samurai section of Shimabara City on the Shimabara Peninsular.  This famous street is lined with stone walls and a spring water canal running down its center. Three samurai houses have been restored and opened as exhibits to the public to restore the image and the traditions of this old Samurai town.  It is an extremely picturesque setting and perfect for a great photo shoot as images of feudal Japan came racing back into your consciousness from many of those movies and books you have read from your youth.

There aren't too many places left in Japan where one can step back in time and literally feel what it was like to live in these exciting yet dangerous times in Japan where the Samurai yielded ultimate power and demanded total respect.  The houses are basic and it is evident that living was quite antiquated and very traditional.   The kitchen too was very rudimentary and of course a lot on ingenuity was needed to cook and prepare the food for the huge number of immediate family as well as extended family, guest and of course acquaintances that visited the house every now and then.

The canal was used by all of the district and the water source was controlled and looked after communally.  A great example of group dynamics where everyone within the community helped each other unlike today's society that is built on greed, destroying the natural resources around us and lacking compassion of our fellow man.  Sometimes i think it wouldn't have been too bad to live in these feudal times especially when comparing to the issues that we face today.

This site always rates highly on our Private Nagasaki Tours.

Check out the Shimabara Samurai Street in Nagasaki here:

 

Click on the photos below to enlarge:

A restored Samurai House

Samurai Kitchen

Natural Spring water running 

Family setting

Traditional Samurai setting

Taking a closer look

Typical Samurai Pose

Water for the community

Old thatched roofs

From the outside

About the family


Please take a look at the Shimabara Samurai Street here on this video: