町
JLPT N4
Town
Readings
On’yomi: チョウ (chou)
Kun’yomi: まち (machi)
• まち (machi) – town, neighborhood
Structure
Composition:
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Detailed Explanation
Vocabulary
町
まち
town
町内
ちょうない
neighborhood
町長
ちょうちょう
town mayor
下町
したまち
downtown
町外れ
まちはずれ
edge of town
Example Sentences
小さい町です。
ちいさい まち です。
It is a small town.
町内を歩きます。
ちょうない を あるきます。
I walk around the neighborhood.
町長が話します。
ちょうちょう が はなします。
The mayor speaks.
下町に住みます。
したまち に すみます。
I live downtown.
町外れにあります。
まちはずれ に あります。
It is on the edge of town.
Cultural Note
🏮 町（まち） holds deep cultural importance in Japan.
• In Edo (Tokyo’s old name), towns (町) were the center of merchant and artisan life, forming the lively “町人文化” (chōnin bunka) — the urban culture of ordinary people.
• Even today, Japanese cities are divided into 町 (machi or chō) units, each with its own local identity and traditions.
• Festivals, local shrines, and shopping streets (商店街 / しょうてんがい) often form the heart of a 町 community.
• The word evokes warmth, familiarity, and connection — the feeling of “home neighborhood.”
• In Edo (Tokyo’s old name), towns (町) were the center of merchant and artisan life, forming the lively “町人文化” (chōnin bunka) — the urban culture of ordinary people.
• Even today, Japanese cities are divided into 町 (machi or chō) units, each with its own local identity and traditions.
• Festivals, local shrines, and shopping streets (商店街 / しょうてんがい) often form the heart of a 町 community.
• The word evokes warmth, familiarity, and connection — the feeling of “home neighborhood.”