Visit Naramachi, the former merchant district of Nara, where several traditional residential buildings and warehouses are preserved and open to the public. Boutiques, shops, cafes, restaurants and a few museums now line the district's narrow lanes. Many of Naramachi's buildings in the Edo Period and earlier were machiya, long, narrow "townhouses" that served both as shops and as the living quarters of the local merchants. And Heijo Palace, the palace that served as the site of the emperor's residence and government offices during the period Nara served as the capital of Japan . For its great historical and cultural importance, the palace site is included as one of the World Heritage Sites of Nara.