KYOGURASHI NETWORK, a construction consortium organized by Heian Kenzai Company in the Kyoto area, proposes a new approach to preserve Kyoto's machiya houses while upgrading their ability to meet anti-earthquake and insulation standards. This project has already renovated one 50 year old house in one of Kyoto’s traditional downtown areas by using MAG-ISOVER’s products for insulation. This initiative is a first in Japan. It is an opportunity to preserve Kyoto’s heritage by improving machiya houses thermal comfort, energy efficiency, and achieve environmental sustainability. *Machiya are traditional wooden townhouses found throughout Japan and classified in the historical capital of Kyoto. Machiya housed urban merchants and craftsmen, a class collectively referred to as townspeople.