Property:Background
From Jcastle.info
This is a property of type Text.
F
One of four original houses in a row making for a scenic castle town photo. +
This is one of four remaining middle class samurai residences in Mikazuki. I cannot find any more information on it. The house does not seem to be lived in but it has nice walls around two sides of the property. +
G
The Goinden served as a retreat and retirement palace for the Shōnai Domain lords from 1864 and after their deposition as feudal lords following the abolition of feudalism in 1871. The halls were originally part of the Sakai Clan nakayashiki (middle residence) in Edo, and were deconstructed and transported by boat to be reconstructed in Tsuruoka. Originally part of a much larger complex, the remaining halls include a tea room, living spaces, and genkan (entrance parlour).
Goinden is currently located on the grounds of the Chidō Museum which is an open-air architectural museum hosting old buildings. It is joined here by the akamon (red gate), also relocated from a Sakai Clan residence in Edo. The akamon was constructed in celebration of marriage between one of the Sakai lords and the Shōgun’s daughter. The museum is just opposite the castle. Chidō is the name of the Shōnai Domain’s hankō (domain school), which also still stands, located in the castle’s outer third bailey. +
The Gotō Residence is one of two samurai homes open to the public in the former castle town of Mizusawa. +
The garden at Kokura Castle is a traditional daimyō-style garden centered upon the reconstructed shoin (drawing room) of the detatched palace called Go'Yūsho (Place of Leisure), also referred to historically as the detached villa of the Ogasawara Clan. The villa was the heart of Ogasawara-ryū Reihō (School of Etiquette), cultivated by the lords of Kokura Castle. The restored complex consists of tea rooms, a library, an exhibition hall, and the reconstructed shoin, the balcony of which hangs delicately over the garden pond. The layout of the garden dates to 1798, arranged by Lord Ogasawara Tadamitsu. All original structures were destroyed in the Chōshū War of 1866. The site was excavated and restored in the 1990s. +
H
This house was the residence of samurai who served as close advisors of the daimyo and castle guards. The house itself is in the sukiya style, which is quite rare for samurai homes. The style is more often seen in tea houses or Buddhist structures or tea ceremony houses. It is designated an important cultural property by the city. +
The Hara-bukeyashiki, located in the Kachimachi neighbourhood of the castle town of Tanba-Sasayama, includes the main house as well as an annex which fronts the road directly. +
To the south of the ruins of Kashima Castle is the bukeyashiki-dôri ('samurai house street'), which retains ishigaki (stone-piled retaining walls), dobei (clay walls with stucco), and a munamon-type gate, which is cultural property of the city. Behind the gate, which is kept barred, there is a dilapidated old residence. It is an extant bukeyashiki with an impressive genkan (entrance parlour), though now the omoya (main house) has fallen into a dire state of disrepair. I hope it can be saved.
The residence belonged to Hara Tadayuki, a samurai of Kashima Domain born in 1834. He would go onto become a politician in the Meiji period. As a youth, Tadayuki was sent by the lord of Kashima Castle to study at the Shōheikō, a school in Edo. In 1872 he went to study abroad in the USA, and wrote about US politics. Returning to Japan, he entered politics, and would become the Grand Secretary of Okinawa, which Japan formally annexed in 1879, and a member of the house of peers. He died in 1894. +
The Seri-gumi Hattori Residence is one of the better preserved ashigaru homes from the end of the Edo Period. It is private property but is not currently lived in.
When I visited in October 2021, the house was used to displays exhibits of pottery excavated from around Hikone. Judging by all the boxes I could see I don't think it was just for this exhibit but is permanently used to store these artifacts. +
The Hayashi Residence is the oldest confirmed ashigaru residence in Hikone. There is a kind of prayer card dating to when the house was built in 1787.
The residence is now a gallery of locally made pottery and a small cafe. +
The Henmi Residence is one of the well preserved samurai homes that is still live in. It has obviously been modernized to some extent and the rough clay walls of the house that I've seen in other photos have now been plastered over with what looks like similar plaster (like shikkui) to the outer walls. In the back on the right of one of the photos you can barely see a 2 story building. This is actually a sericulture (silkworm breeding) school that was established by Henmi Torao in 1891 (Meiji 24). Henmi himself studied sericulture in Nagano and Gunma and brought the knowledge back to Tsuyama to help develop the local economy. The Henmi family still lives here today. +
Located adjacent to the Sanada Residence and in the middle of the area where other high ranking samurai lived, this residence belonged to one of the more senior samurai. The Higuchi were also one of the wealthiest of the Sanada retainers with 230 koku of rice at the end of the Edo Period. The Higuchi family connection to the Sanada dates back to when the Higuchi were retainers for the Takeda clan, which is also evidenced in them using a family crest base don the Takeda. On a personal note, I had a splendid time talking with the gentleman who was managing the house that day. We talked about Matsushiro, other samurai homes, and castles in the area. I missed some other sites in Matsushiro for talking too long but it was time well spent. +
This Bukeyashiki (samurai house) belonged to the Hisano family, who served as the retainers of the rulers of Akiźuki-han (domain). The house is larger than average for those in the domain, indicating that the Hisano were of a higher status. The two-storey residence is constructed of high quality sugi wood. The thatched roof part of the house is currently being replaced and so this area was off-limits during my visit, although one could see in. This part of the house has a well articulated layout with the guest hall being separated from living quarters by the entrance parlour. The two-storey northern wing was for the retired head of the family to dwell in. Strolling gardens wrap around the house in the north and in the west. Other structures include a kura (storehouse), now a museum, the Umaya (stables), the Chūgenbeya, now the ticket office, and an annex guest house. Parts of the house are off-limits to the public whilst renovations are ongoing. +
The Honma-bukeyashiki, the residence of the Honma family, was constructed in 1768 for the reception of an official shogunal entourage who were inspecting the Shōnai Domain which belonged to the Sakai Clan. The Honma, vassals of the Sakai, were then allowed to live in the residence, which they did so until 1945. The Honma family were originally merchants, not samurai, but they were promoted to bushi status following services rendered to the domain (which means they paid their way up, and the financing of the yashiki for the occasion of the Shogunal officiate’s inspection was likely part of this). Sakata was an important port and commercial hub within the domain, and the Honma were very influential in the town. From burghers to bushi, the transitional history of the Honma family is reflected in their residence, the Honma-bukeyashiki, with its unique combination of mercantile and bushi residential architecture.
The residential complex contains the main residential halls, storehouses, pocket gardens and gates, including a nagayamon (rowhouse-gate) which serves as the main entrance, indicative of bushi status. An annex is also located over the road which looks like a shop, again reflective of the mercantile activities of the caste-straddling clan. The main hall’s genkan (entry parlour) is conjoined with a beautiful red pine which hugs its elegant gable, a delicate arrangement of nature and artifice centuries in the making.
I like the idea of this family whose ancestors had never shed blood, lording it as samurai. In the Edo period, known for its rigid caste system, status was more fluid than many have been led to believe. In particular, the samurai were often sorely short on funds, and relied on generous contributions to domain coffers from local wealthy merchants. Between favours and strategic marriages, a successful merchant family could become bushi.
Interior photography of what is commonly called the Honma Family Main Villa’s main halls is prohibited.
Afternote:
According to Yogo’s blog, the Honma Clan was originally the dominant clan in Sado (Yogo-sensei is from Sado), an island and province off of Echigo, today part of Niigata, and it was raided by the Uesugi Clan in the late 16th century which forced the Honma to flee to Sakata and set up shop there.
The Hosome were upper ranking samurai who were direct vassals of the Date in Sendai. The house no longer exists but this amazing hedgerow does. It is not open to the public. +
The Hosomi-bukeyashiki, located in the Kachimachi neighbourhood of the castle town of Tanba-Sasayama, now has copper plating to protect its thatching. It otherwise appears to be in good condition. It is not open to the public and can only be glimpsed from the roadside. +
The Hyūga-bukeyashiki is a surviving samurai residence which has been relocated from the castle town of Tsuruoka in the north. The Hyūga-bukeyashiki was constructed in 1862 in the Torii neighbourhood of the town, and the patriarch is listed as Hyūga Shōnosuke, a samurai of the Shōnai Domain. The building now has copper tiling for its roof but it originally would've used straw thatching. The house is open to the public, 10:00-16:00, and I believe admission is free, though it was after four when I arrived so I couldn't check out the interior. Even though this bukeyashiki was originally in the town surrounding [[Tsurugaoka Castle]], it is now located opposite the ruins of [[Maruoka Castle (Dewa)]] in the village of Maruoka in Tsuruoka Municipality. +
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The Inōe-bukeyashiki was the family home of the Inōe, retainers of Matsushiro Domain. The last patriarch was Inōe Masao who in the Meiji period helped found Kwansai University, lectured at Meiji University, was a professor at Tōkyō Imperial University and served as the chief judge at the Ôsaka Criminal Court (as well as in various other legal capacities in Ôsaka). He is credited with helping to develop Japan's industrial era legal code. The sign outside his birthplace tells us all of this but doesn't say much about the actual house. The home is still lived in and not open to the public. The remaining structures, the omoya (main house) and omotemon (front gate), date to the Bakumatsu period or early Meiji period (the exact construction date is unknown), and are listed as important cultural properties. The omoya is a single storey wooden building with a hipped roof. It measures 7間 by 4間. The rafters are made from bamboo. The roof is thatched, but is presently covered in iron sheeting. The walls are earthen with a medium finish (nakanuri shiage). The omotemon is a gabled udekimon (armbar-style gate) with a width of 10尺 and a gate-opening of 5尺. +
This samurai residence dating to the late 18th century once belonged to the Irimajiri family. It is part of the Iga-Ueno Castle-Town. It features the Omoya (main residence), kura (storehouse), garden, and nagayamon (rowhouse-gate). There is a tea room with circular window. Parts of the roof, which is kayabuki (thatched), were leaking when I visited and a bucket had been put out to collect rain water. These pictures are mine so I'm sharing them but you can find nicer ones online. Along with the Akai Residence, the Irimajiri Residence is one of two bukeyashiki (samurai homes) in Iga-Ueno. +
This home was moved here from it's original location so only the home is original. The surrounding gardens are from the Shibata lord's detached palace. In the 70's five other samurai homes were dismantled and put into storage but unfortunately none of them have been rebuilt yet.
I'm not sure if the inside is regularly open to the public. On this day, the inside was reserved for some tea ceremony event. +
