Yagyu Karo Yashiki: Difference between revisions

Revision as of 22:01, 31 August 2025

This was the residence of the karō (chief retainer) of the Yagyū Domain. Oyamada Shurei, chief retainer of the Yagyū, was awarded the plot of land for his efforts in reforming the domain’s finances. The stone walls were constructed in 1841 by a mason from Owari, and the garden was laid out by the no

Background

This was the residence of the karō (chief retainer) of the Yagyū Domain. Oyamada Shurei, chief retainer of the Yagyū, was awarded the plot of land for his efforts in reforming the domain’s finances. The stone walls were constructed in 1841 by a mason from Owari, and the garden was laid out by the noted tea ceremony master Kizu Rosen. The residence includes a nagayamon gate, earthen walls, and a garden. It is a beautifully preserved an example of the lifestyle of a high-ranking retainer in a small rural domain.

In 1964, the house came into the possession of writer Yamaoka Sōhachi. It is said that the concept for the NHK historical drama Spring Slope (Haru no Saka), featuring Yagyū Munenori, was written here. After Yamaoka’s death, the property was donated to Nara City. Today it is maintained as a museum, with displays on the Yagyū clan and Edo-period samurai culture.

Gallery

Yagyu Karo Residence Profile
English Name	Yagyu Karo Residence
Japanese Name	旧柳生藩家老屋敷
Year	Mid Edo Period (17th–18th century)
Residence Type	Upper Class
Designations	Local Historic Site
Features	Gates, Garden, House
Visitor Information	9am - 5pm (closed for New Year's holidays); 350 yen admission
Website	https://www.city.nara.lg.jp/site/yagyuu/
Location	Nara, Nara Prefecture
Castle	0
Coordinates	34.7348, 135.9892
0 and nearby Samurai Homes

Admin
Visits	February 11, 2025
Added Jcastle	2025
Contributor	Eric

5.00

(one vote)

Loading comments...

@@ Line 1: / Line 1: @@
 {{Samurai Homes
-|Castle=Yagyu Jin'ya
+|Castle=0
 |English Name=Yagyu Karo Residence
 |Japanese Name=旧柳生藩家老屋敷
@@ Line 7: / Line 7: @@
 |Samurai Residence Designations=Local Historic Site
 |Samurai Residence Features=Gates, Garden, House
+|Visitor Information=9am - 5pm (closed for New Year's holidays); 350 yen admission
 |Website=https://www.city.nara.lg.jp/site/yagyuu/
 |City=Nara
 |Prefecture=Nara Prefecture
-|Background=The Karō Residence (家老屋敷) was the home of the chief retainer of the Yagyū Domain (10,000 koku), located just a short walk from the Yagyu Jin’ya. Built in the mid-Edo period, it served both as a private residence and as an administrative office for the domain’s top-ranking samurai official.
+|Background=This was the residence of the karō (chief retainer) of the Yagyū Domain. Oyamada Shurei, chief retainer of the Yagyū, was awarded the plot of land for his efforts in reforming the domain’s finances. The stone walls were constructed in 1841 by a mason from Owari, and the garden was laid out by the noted tea ceremony master Kizu Rosen. The residence includes a nagayamon gate, earthen walls, and a garden. It is a beautifully preserved an example of the lifestyle of a high-ranking retainer in a small rural domain.
-The residence is a single-story hiraya structure with plaster walls and a tiled roof, arranged around formal reception rooms (zashiki) that face a dry-landscape garden. The architecture reflects the elevated status of the karō, more refined than an ordinary samurai home yet modest compared to a daimyō’s mansion.
+In 1964, the house came into the possession of writer Yamaoka Sōhachi. It is said that the concept for the NHK historical drama ''Spring Slope'' (Haru no Saka), featuring Yagyū Munenori, was written here. After Yamaoka’s death, the property was donated to Nara City. Today it is maintained as a museum, with displays on the Yagyū clan and Edo-period samurai culture.
-The residence includes a nagayamon gate, earthen walls, and a garden. It provides rare insight into the lifestyle of high-ranking retainers in a small rural domain. Today it is preserved as a museum, displaying artifacts from the Yagyu clan and Edo-period samurai life. The house was bequeathed to the city when Oyamada XX passed away in XXX. The city restored it from x to y.
 |GPSLocation=34.7348, 135.9892
 |Visits=February 11, 2025