A few blocks away from downtown Korinbo, there still remain a few samurai houses surrounded by mud walls. The intricately winding paths of this area were designed to protect the castle from enemies. During the Edo period the dimensions and structure of the houses and the height of the mud walls differed according to the samurai's salary and rank.   Most of the houses are still inhabited; the interiors are open for viewing in only two places in Nagamachi: Saihitsu-an and Nomura Family Samurai House. You can tell that the Nomuras were high ranking samurai by looking at the cypress ceilings and glass-fitted sliding doors. Its garden with elaborate lanterns and bridges is a splendid sight.