Formation process and urban morphology of the early modern period port towns

Focusing on the costal area of the Pacific Ocean located on Tokai Region

Abstract

Studies of early modern towns are conducted in Japan to grasp their history and culture. However, there are fewer studies of early modern port towns compared to castle towns. While it seems to be there were early modern port towns which had characteristic urban morphology in Tokai Region because trade at port has been done in Tokai Region since the Middle Ages, the fact of those urban morphology is not clear. The purpose of this study is to uncover formation process and urban morphology of early modern port towns focusing on the coastal area of the Pacific Ocean located on Tokai Region. As a result of the analysis, there is a tendency that the town structure of the harbor side was rationally planned, and on the other hand, the inner side was unregulated.