Kawara roofs ,Board walls and Shikkui walls - Historic streetscape , Seki-juku along the old Tokai-do Road ,Kameyama City, Mie Prefecture, Japan 照片檔

Summer view from a rooftop observation platform , Sekijuku, Kameyama city ,Mie Prefecture, Japan : Sekijuku is the 47th post town from Edo (present-day Tokyo) out of the 53 post towns along the Tokaido Road established during the Edo period. Bustling with wayfarers along the road, Sekijuku prospered as a base for sankin-kotai (alternate attendance system) and pilgrimages to Ise Shrine during the Edo period. The old townscape and traditional buildings from that time are still preserved, retaining a historic atmosphere, and it has been designated a national Important Preservation District for Groups of Traditional Buildings. These buildings are almost all made of natural materials commonly used in traditional Japanese houses, such as wood, roof tiles, plaster, tatami mats, and washi sho-ji paper. These materials are highly durable and designed to be recycled and reused, contributing to reducing environmental impact.