【穴場・ノスタルジック】地図に残らない「幻の鉄道」どこか懐かしい古い町並み / 奈良・五條新町

【穴場・ノスタルジック】地図に残らない「幻の鉄道」どこか懐かしい古い町並み / 奈良・五條新町

Hello. I’m Ikenoueno, a lover of old townscapes. Today, I’d like to introduce you to a town where a “railroad that was supposed to run” still remains. Along with the old townscape, historical heritage remains, as if time has stopped. Gojo Shinmachi, located in Gojo City, Nara Prefecture, was established approximately 400 years ago, in the early Edo period. It flourished as a strategic location on the Kishu Kaido road connecting Osaka and Wakayama. A large river flows alongside Shinmachi Street. Gojo is located upstream of the Yoshino River and served as a transit point for the transportation of timber and other products from Yoshino. The town was developed and built by Matsukura Shigemasa, the lord of the Futami Domain in Yamato. The area was developed as a castle town for Futami Castle. At the time, castle towns typically had complex, winding roads in preparation for war. However, Gojo Shinmachi was designed with a single, straight street running along the old Kishu Kaido road . It measures approximately 700 meters east to west. The straight, straight road, Shinmachi-dori, is said to have been a rare example of urban development for its time. Townhouses and merchant houses built from the Edo period to the early Showa period still stand quietly side by side. Mochisho Hitotsubashi, the symbol of Shinmachi-dori, is a historic shop founded in the Taisho era . Its popular baked mochi (rice cakes) and fried manju (fried buns) sadly closed its doors in 2018. It is now an unmanned shop run by Sakamoto Poultry, with its iconic sign still intact . This shop offers sweets made with eggs from its own poultry farm. They use carefully selected eggs, including winning the top prize at the Nara Prefecture Egg Competition. Their pudding looks delicious. Gojo is home to a “phantom railway.” Toward the end of the Meiji period, plans were made for the “Goshin Railway,” which would run from Gojo via Totsukawa to Shingu in Wakayama Prefecture. This railway would transport lumber, including Yoshino cedar, from the mountains to the port. Construction began in 1937, with excavation of the bridge foundations and tunnels underway. However, construction was halted due to the war. It resumed after the war, and in 1959, the roadbed from Gojo to Nishiyoshino and Kido was completed. All that remained was to lay the tracks. However, times change. Due to the shift toward a car-oriented society and changes in social conditions, the Goshin Railway never ran, and the plan itself came to an end. It began as a castle town, harboring dreams of industry, and today, it remains a town where people continue to live quietly. Gojo is a town that has embraced not only its history of prosperity but also its unfinished historical heritage. It also has a magnificent temple (Homanji). This is a side of Nara that has not become a tourist destination. I took a leisurely stroll through Gojo. As a commercial town along the highway, many people and goods have come and gone. What struck me was that instead of demolishing the old buildings, they have preserved them as historical heritage and are now conducting business. There were also many accommodations. While hot spring towns bustling with tourists are great, quiet historic towns like this are also wonderful. Halfway down Shinmachi Street, there is a building that blends seamlessly into the townscape. This is the Townscape Heritage Museum, which also serves as a free rest area. Built between the Meiji and Taisho periods, this townhouse once served as a clinic, supporting the people. It has been opened to the public as a place to pass on the memories of the townscape to future generations. You can still see traces of it in the “Operating Room” sign, and you can imagine what life was like back then. It also serves as a gallery, making it a great starting point for learning about the charms of Gojo. As you’d expect from a doctor’s home, it is luxurious. It’s said that the doctor’s wife at the time rode in this palanquin. Listen carefully to the footsteps as you walk. This is a unique way to enjoy this old townscape that hasn’t become too touristy. Please do visit. Thank you for watching until the end.

奈良県五條市の五條新町を歩きます。
大阪から約1時間、奈良・五條には、走るはずだった鉄道「五新鉄道」の痕跡と、江戸時代から続く町並みが今も残っています。

線路はあるのに、列車は来なかった。
それでも町は、その時間を拒まず、静かに受け入れてきました。

五條新町は、江戸時代初期、大和二見藩の藩主・松倉重政によって城下町として整えられた町。旧紀州街道に沿って一直線に伸びる新町通りには、江戸から昭和初期にかけて建てられた町家や商家が並び、今も人々の暮らしが続いています。2010年には、国の重要伝統的建造物群保存地区にも選ばれました。

通りの途中にある「まちなみ伝承館」では、五條新町の歴史や文化に触れることができます。
観光地化されすぎていない、“本当の奈良”の一面。
完成した歴史と、完成しなかった時間が重なる町を、ぜひ映像で感じてみてください。

⏱ チャプター
00:00　オープニング
00:59　五條新町とは
02:55 今はなき「餅商一ツ橋」
03:53　幻の鉄道「五新鉄道」
05:20　五條の古い町並みを歩く

▼旧国鉄五新線遺構（新町高架橋）
〒637-0043 奈良県五條市新町１丁目１０
https://maps.app.goo.gl/1H8VA6qBeE3gqRWKA

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