Chizu-juku and Cedar Village: Visiting the Edo Period Post Town and Remnants of the Kishu Highway

Chizu Town in Yazu District, Tottori Prefecture is a historic town that flourished as a post town on the Inaba Highway (the main road connecting Tottori to the Kansai region) during the Edo period. Lying along the route of the daimyo sankin-kotai processions, it still preserves old townscapes and grand merchant houses. About 90 percent of the town is forested, and it is known as a Cedar Village where nature and history blend together.

Highlights

Chizu-juku prospered as a post town for the Tottori domain sankin-kotai and as a hub for gathering goods. Located where the Inaba Highway met the Bizen Highway, it hosted a honjin (official lodging) and saw many travelers and cargo pass through. The town retains its post-town land divisions and streetscape, and simply walking through it feels like stepping back into the Edo period.

The signature sight is the Ishitani Family Residence, a National Important Cultural Property. This grand mansion of a family that made its fortune in forestry features a main house, seven storehouses, and several gardens of differing character across a vast grounds, showcasing the refinement of modern Japanese-style architecture. Its garden is also listed as a National Registered Monument.

Enjoying the Seasons

Early summer with its fresh greenery and autumn when foliage colors the townscape and cedar forests are especially recommended. The post town under a blanket of winter snow has its own charm. In the eastern part of town, Ashizu Gorge, part of the Hyonosen-Ushiroyama-Nagi Quasi-National Park, offers a lovely contrast of clear streams and trees during the fresh-green and autumn-foliage seasons.

Access and Basic Information

The old townscape is within walking distance of Chizu Station, served by both the JR Inbi Line and the Chizu Express. It is about 40 minutes by car from central Tottori City, and accessible by limited express via the Chizu Express from the Osaka area. As the Ishitani Family Residence has set opening days and admission fees, checking official information before visiting is recommended.

Practical Travel Notes

The town walk is mostly on flat roads, but there are stone-paved sections and slopes, so comfortable walking shoes are reassuring. Cafes and inns housed in old merchant residences are dotted around, handy as rest or dining bases. A tourist information center in front of Chizu Station offers strolling maps and advice on the sights. The post-town area is compact, so you can explore it leisurely in about half a day.

A Word of Advice

Chizu is a town that has grown alongside forestry. Walking its cedar-scented streets unhurried is the way to enjoy it. Combining a visit with nearby hot springs and gorges for an overnight trip is also a fine way to savor the area.

📚 Sources

This article draws on sightseeing information published by Chizu Town and its tourism association, along with materials on town cultural properties such as the important cultural property Ishitani Residence. Signboards within the post-town streetscape were also consulted. Opening hours and admission for each facility may change, so please confirm official information before your visit.

Visitor Checklist

• Estimated time: Allow about one to two hours to stroll the old streets and merchant houses.
• Preparation: Comfortable shoes suit the cobblestones and former highway.
• Getting around: Walk the streets that retain the air of the Inaba highway post town and visit the grand merchant houses.
• Seasonal appeal: As a village of cedar where forest covers most of the town, it offers changing mountain scenery through the seasons.
• Combine with: Exhibition facilities set in historic buildings are scattered about, easy to pair with a town walk.

Practical Information for Your Visit

Opening hours and closing days

• Ishitani Residence: 10:00-17:00 (last admission 16:30).
• It is closed every Wednesday (the following day when Wednesday is a public holiday) and over the New Year period. Additional temporary closures are sometimes set, so check the official information before you visit.
• The streets of the Chizu-juku post town itself are free to walk around, but this is a place where people live. Keep quiet if you stroll early in the morning or at night.
• At the tourist information office in front of Chizu Station you can pick up a walking map and ask about the sights.

Prices and rough budget

• Admission to the Ishitani Residence: 600 yen for adults, 500 yen for high school students and 400 yen for elementary and junior high school students. Preschool children, those aged 80 and over and visitors with disabilities are admitted free of charge.
• Groups (15 or more people) pay 500 yen for adults, 400 yen for high school students and 300 yen for elementary and junior high school students.
• The annual pass, the "Shihoya no Kai," costs 1,200 yen. It is good value if you visit many times.
• Strolling around the townscape itself costs nothing. Including a break at one of the old-house cafes, reckon on about 1,500 to 3,000 yen per person.

Access

• The nearest station is Chizu Station, served by both the JR Inbi Line and the Chizu Express. It is about 10 minutes on foot from the station to the Ishitani Residence.
• By car it is about 5 minutes after leaving the Chizu Interchange on the Tottori Expressway.
• It is about 40 minutes by car from central Tottori City. From the Osaka direction you can come by limited express via the Chizu Express.

Parking

• Visitors to the Ishitani Residence may use the free car park at the Chizu-juku Tokusanmura local products village.
• The streets of the post town are narrow and are also everyday roads for local residents. Do not park on the street; always use the designated car park.

What needs booking

• Individual visitors to the Ishitani Residence do not need a reservation, but groups of 15 or more are advised to get in touch in advance.
• The special opening of the garden in autumn runs for a limited period only. If you want to go into the garden, check the dates beforehand.
• The guesthouses and cafes housed in old buildings have limited seating, so booking is recommended.

Photography rules and manners

• The official website of the Ishitani Residence does not state whether photography is allowed. Inside, be considerate of other visitors and of the exhibits and furnishings, and follow the instructions of the staff. If you wish to use a tripod or photograph for commercial purposes, enquire in advance.
• Many of the old merchant houses in the post town are private homes where people still live. Do not enter the grounds or doorways without permission; take your photographs from the street.
• Be considerate when posting photographs on social media that include laundry, cars or local residents.
• In natural areas such as Ashizu Gorge, leaving the footpaths to take photographs is dangerous.

Points to note and safety

• The Ishitani Residence is not barrier-free, and wheelchairs cannot be used inside the building. There are steps and steep staircases, so watch your footing.
• There are places where you take off your shoes to go up. Shoes that are easy to slip on and off are handy.
• Walking around town is mostly on level ground, but there are cobblestones and slopes too, so comfortable shoes are safest.
• Cars also use the streets of the old townscape. When taking photographs, take care not to stand still in the middle of the road.
• Most of Chizu Town is forested mountain country, and it snows in winter. Winter tyres are essential if you come by car in winter.
• Ashizu Gorge is a scenic spot within Hyonosen-Ushiroyama-Nagisan Quasi-National Park. The banks of the mountain stream are slippery and the water is dangerous when it rises. Avoid going deep into the gorge alone, and plan to be back before sunset.
• As this is a town in the mountains, you also need to watch out for wild animals such as bears and hornets. Carry a bear bell if you go into the forest.

* The details given here are subject to change. Please check the official website for the latest information before you set out.

(Sources: official website of the Ishitani Residence / as of July 2026)