Imaicho Visitor Information Desk at Imai Machizukuri Center
A temporary visitor-information point serving Imaicho while the historic Hanairaka exchange center is closed for safety work.
Verified site photographs are being prepared.Discover Imaicho Visitor Information Desk at Imai Machizukuri Center
Visitors arriving in Imaicho need current information before walking its narrow residential lanes. Since 18 September 2026, the historic Imai Machinami Exchange Center Hanairaka has been closed indefinitely for safety. Kashihara City's tourism association says that, from 1 October, selected visitor services moved to Imai Machizukuri Center across from Shonen-ji: tourism guidance, local pamphlets and manhole-card distribution. This is a temporary relocation of services, not a reopening of Hanairaka and not a second history museum. Use the desk to orient a visit, then check whether any particular private residence or cultural interior is actually open before walking there.
Start at the current service address
The Kashihara City Tourism Association identifies the active information point as Imai Machinami Information Desk at Imai Machizukuri Center, 3-8-8 Imaicho. It is opposite Shonen-ji. The previous visitor desk was inside Hanairaka at a different address, 2-3-5 Imaicho. Searching only for Hanairaka can therefore send visitors to a closed building; use the new Japanese name 今井まちなみ案内所 and the 3-8-8 address.
Ask for practical help, not museum entry
The association lists tourism guidance, local pamphlets and manhole cards among the services available at the temporary point. It does not say that the former Hanairaka displays, rest area, toilets or volunteer interpretation have moved here. Treat this as a concise trip-planning stop: ask for the current walking map, open interiors, route etiquette and nearby services, then confirm details with each facility.
Understand what moved and what did not
Kashihara City says Hanairaka closed from 18 September 2026 to ensure safety, and the Tourism Association says selected services moved from 1 October. The closure notice gives no reopening date. Hanairaka's Meiji-era building and historical exhibits remain a separate destination but should not be presented as visitable indoors while the closure is in effect. Check the city's latest notice before planning a return to that building.
Use the desk before a respectful town walk
Imaicho is a lived-in preservation district with narrow lanes, private homes and active businesses. The city asks visitors arriving by car to park around the district and continue on foot because roads are too narrow for comfortable two-way vehicle passage and create pedestrian risk. Ask which lanes and interiors are open, keep voices low, avoid blocking doorways and do not photograph residents or private property without permission.
Verify the temporary desk's current schedule
The Tourism Association's 7 October 2026 notice lists guidance from 9:00 to 16:30, year-end closure and telephone 0744-48-5868. Because this service exists in response to an ongoing closure, its location and availability may change before Hanairaka reopens. Call before making a special trip or relying on a particular card, brochure or staff service.
What to look for
Current alternate address for visitor guidance while Hanairaka is closed
Tourism guidance, pamphlets and manhole cards are listed as available services
Not the Hanairaka museum: its exhibits and indoor facilities have not been relocated
Photo notes
No photography policy for the temporary information desk was found. Ask staff before photographing the interior, pamphlets or other visitors. Imaicho is a residential district: avoid photographing residents, private homes or activity inside houses without permission. No third-party photograph is licensed to MyNara.
Make a day of it
Explore guides close to this map point, then check the actual route before travelling. Distances below are straight lines, not walking distances or travel times; map points may not be entrances.
Sources & editorial status
Original MyNara draft based on the linked sources. Sources reviewed 20 October 2026. Opening arrangements, prices and offers may change; use the operator's current information before travelling.
- Kashihara City Tourism Association — active temporary visitor desk, address, hours, services and phone (updated 2026-10-07)
- Kashihara City — Hanairaka history, former visitor role and official closure notice
- Kashihara City — Imai Machizukuri Center address and public-facility status
- Kashihara City Tourism Association — Imaicho walking context and preservation-district visitor guidance