Abstract
Jinaimachi was a self-governing city planned intentionally as the center part around the Shinshu temple. It formed at the end of the medieval period in Japan. Jinaimachi had many variations in its development, and now, new ideas to understand Jinaimachi are needed. In this study, based on “the Tenbun-nikki”, the diary of Shonyo, extracts the areas which related to the Honganji in the medieval period, explain the organization and the transition of those areas as well as the restoration to its original form. Every area was an important part of the Honganji and helped the town of Honganji develop economically. But after medieval period, there were differences between the development of the city among the areas. Comparing the areas developed in medieval period and formed the cities, Jinaimachi, a difference is seen in the scheme of city planning. The city planned square was built in the Edo period. Medieval cities did not always develop directly into the modern style. The square shaped planning appeared in Jinaimachi in the Edo period. That suggests some intention acted to the formation of the city. The intention made the difference in the shape of the town. Jinaimachi, which developed into the urban community, formed the square sections of the town. And other areas without changed into a modem villages judging from the geographical features, the transportation by the roads and the sea. They used various methods to change the form of the cities as seen in the complex cities Jinaimachi, road based cities and post towns.
