The townhouses that one sees in the old part of Takayama are nearly all ‘Kirizuma’ style (see left) with plank roofs. In particular, they have narrow fa?ades fronting the street but continue far back beyond the fa?ade. They were originally built as open front shops, but later, lattice fronts were installed. Because the Tokugawa Shogunate of the Edo Period (1603-1868) ruled that no building could be higher than the gate of the official administration office (Jinya), the eaves of these town houses are extremely low and stick out as far as the property limits. The water flumes directly in front of the houses are to allow built-up snow to be carried away and replace the need for fire hydrants.