The present study investigates the distributions of traditional townhouses, traditional storehouses,
and Jizo statues, which are Buddhist statues made of stone, in the central-western Nara basin, western
Japan, in order to examine the applicability of such information in geography education. Traditional
townhouses are densely distributed in areas along the old Nara road that were urbanized prior to 1922.
These traditional townhouses were stores as well as houses. Thus, based on the distribution of
traditional townhouses, students can determine old commercial areas. Traditional storehouses are
distributed in almost all of the areas that became urbanized before 1922; hence, based on the
distribution of traditional storehouses, students can determine old urbanized areas. Many Jizo statues
are distributed in areas that were urbanized before 1922, but there are also some Jizo statues
distributed outside the old urbanized areas. Thus, students may be unable to determine old urbanized
areas based on the distribution of Jizo statues.
View full abstract