Machiya is a style of residential and commercial townhouse. A Kyo no Machiya is a unique form of machiya found only in Kyoto. In the Nishijin area, the silk-weaving district of Kyoto, the front part of the house is used for weaving or selling silk. The back part of the house is where the family lives. Machiya means “townhouse,” but they aren’t exactly similar to what Americans call a townhouse. Machiya always have a shop or some sort of commercial business in the front room. Machiya have a history of being adapted for new uses as new enterprises are undertaken by the residents, so it is entirely fitting that one was adapted for its new use as an educational exhibit in Boston Children’s Museum.