Property:Background
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A
This samurai residence in the town of Ômori, location of the famous silver mines of Iwami, was built in 1789 and belonged to the Abe family, who were hereditary officials based at the Ômori-daikansho. The residence is now an inn, ran alongside the Katō-bukeyashiki, now also an inn. +
Aizu-Bukeyashiki (Aizu Samurai Mansion), historically known as the Karō-yashiki (Karō 家老 = chief retainer), is a reconstructed opulent residence in the city of Wakamatsu. Bukeyashiki refers to the residential structures of the bushi (warrior) class. Most bukeyashiki in castle towns, at least of those that have survived, are much smaller than this one, comparable to large cottages. The Aizu-Bukeyashiki was the home of no regular retainer, however, but of one of the most powerful men in the daimyate of Aizu-han, an advisor to the daimyō. This was probably the largest residence besides the daimyō’s in the fiefdom (and the daimyō’s “house” was of course the castle, specifically the palaces within the castle). The Karō earned an annual stipend of 1,700 koku. The patriarch of the yashiki was, as mentioned, the chief retainer of the Lord (the Aizu-Matsudaira ruled Aizu-han), a hereditary position held by the head of the Saigō family.
The original manor, located closer to the castle, was destroyed during the Boshin War, but not before most of the Saigō women committed suicide (other Aizu women died in arms on the battlefield). In the Bakumatsu Period Saigō Tanomo lived here. Although he advocated surrender to Imperial forces, the Aizu-Matsudaira Clan ended up fighting with the Tokugawa Loyalists (not surprising considering their lineage). Saigō participated in the defence of the castle town and escaped with other loyalists when the castle was surrendered, continuing to fight on in Hokkaidō. Saigō survived the eventual defeat of the loyalists at Hakodate and went on to become a famed martial arts teacher and shintō priest in the modern era.
The Yashiki stands as it did in the late 18th century, as its layout was recorded at that time. The manor contains some 38 rooms, including bedrooms, offices, weapons stores and multiple reception rooms for guests of differing rank. Today the site is an outdoor museum centered around the manor and further contains two relocated structures: a teahouse built originally at the castle by Sen Shōan, son of Sen Rikyū, the famous tea master, and the (large) thatched-roof residence of a village magistrate, originally erected at Nakahata-jin’ya in Yabuki (the smaller thatched-roof cottage is the tea pavilion).
There is also a workshop with a fantastic contraption whirring away inside: an Edo Period automated rice-polishing plant, powered by waterwheel! It was first built over two centuries ago in Shirakawa (it was known as hanmaiseimaijo 藩米精米所). Turning cogs drive huge stakes up and down to pound rice. It can process 960kg of rice in a single day, which is enough rice to feed six men for an entire year (or over 1,000 people two meals in one day (the Japanese ate two meals per day)). I suppose the rice mill is a forerunner of the many automated Seimaiki vending machines one sees throughout more rural areas of Japan today.
One more noteworthy thing is the grave marker dedicated to Sasaki Tadasaburō, an Aizu man famous as the assassin of Sakamoto Ryōma. Sasaki Tadasaburō and Imai Noburō were both members of the Kyōto Mimawarigumi, a secret police force of the Tokugawa Bakufu. Along with the Shinsengumi (which was primarily made up of Rōnin whilst the Mimawarigumi were “gentlemen” of high-standing), they fought with political opponents in the streets of the Imperial Capital and operated as a paramilitary organisation. The Mimiwarigumi was officially disbanded in 1867 but they kept on fighting into the Boshin War. Imai Noburō was hauled before a military tribunal in 1870 where he confessed he and Sasaki had assassinated the young revolutionary. The veracity of this confession is uncertain, however.
This bukeyashiki (samurai house) once belonged to the Akai family who served Iga Domain; it is part of the castle town of Iga-Uenojō. Unlike the Irimajiri-bukeyashiki, the other bukeyashiki still extant in Iga-Ueno, the Akai-bukeyashiki has a roof of ceramic tiles; parts of it are painted red, true to the name perhaps? Features include the Omoya (main building), kura (storehouses), garden, tea room, dobei (earthen walls) and nagayamon (rowhouse-gate / row-gatehouse). Parts of the house have been modified for modern living. +
There was a large fire in the samurai quarter of Sasayama in 1830 that burned down most houses. The Anma Residence appears on a map from 1837 so it was likely built between the time of the fire and 1837. It was designated a Municipal Historic Site in 1994 and is part of the nationally recognized historic district of Sasayama.
The house is an unusual L-shape for a samurai home and appears to be larger than most of the middle class samurai homes I've visited both in terms of the house itself and the property. The house is very well preserved with a nice collection of artifacts and a reconstructed warehouse. The garden also contains a ''suikinkutsu'' which was an element of some Japanese gardens where a pot is buried upside down under ground if you drip water onto the gravel layer covering it, the water drips through creating a musical ringing. Please see the Wikipedia Page on [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Suikinkutsu Suikinkutsu] for more details. +
This was the residence of an upper class samurai in the Annaka Domain. <i>Kori Bugyou</i> refers to a high ranking position held within the domain's government that determined land zoning and some agricultural issues. +
This row house, or nagaya, was built in the mid 1800's. It is a typical lower class samurai residence. The Annaka Domain, however, was not a very wealthy domain so most middle class samurai also lived in the same or similar type of quarters. This nagaya originally had 4 apartments, but only three were left in modern times. When the city took possession of the building they rebuilt it with the fourth apartment using original blueprints for the house. It was opened in 1992. Today, the nagaya opens up onto a yard or Japanese garden but originally this house likely did not have a garden for viewing but used the space to grow vegetables. When I was at this house someone was telling a group of children that people were still living in the house when he was young. +
Aoki Shūsuke was born into a family of domain physicians serving the Chōshū Domain. He began his medical studies under Nōmi Tōan, a respected domain doctor specializing in Chinese medicine, before continuing his education in Edo and Nagasaki, where he was introduced to Dutch medicine and Western scientific practices. Upon returning to Hagi, he was appointed Domain Physician to Mōri Takachika, the daimyō of Chōshū.
Although not of samurai birth, Aoki was accorded privileges of a samurai and his residence is listed as a samurai residence on contemporary Hagi maps. His expertise in both Chinese and Western medicine made him a key figure in modernizing healthcare in Chōshū, and he was instrumental in establishing one of Japan’s first systematic smallpox vaccination programs. In 1859, he expanded his residence in Hagi to accommodate medical students from across Japan, turning it into a center for medical education.
While Hagi is widely recognized for its role in Japan’s industrial modernization, Aoki’s work reflects how the Mōri clan valued modern learning in all fields, including medicine (see also [[Hagi Castle Town#Bakumatsu Period|Bakumatsu]]). His influence shaped a new generation of physicians, accelerating the adoption of Western medical practices in Japan. His brother was also a distinguished physician, and his adopted son, Aoki Shūzō, later became a diplomat who strengthened Japan’s medical and scientific ties with Germany. +
The Aoyagi were an upper class samurai family who also maintained prominence even after the Meiji Restoration and continued to live in the house until 1985. Today, the house and storehouse have been converted to museums. The property is bigger than you would expect for a samurai home, even in the upper classes. In later years they absorbed neighboring properties. Today, other buildings have been moved to the site to create an all around samurai and folk museum. This is one of the best places to understand upper class samurai life. The Aoyagi were also the head of the border guards and had an impressive collections of arms and armaments that can be seen in one of the warehouse museums. +
Although small, this dwelling is quite ornate for its size, with a large genkan (entrance parlour). It belonged to the karō (chief retainer) of Ashimori Domain, a heriditary position held by the Sugihara family who were related to the ruling Kinoshita Clan. It is known locally simply as ‘samurai-yashiki’. It is remarkably preserved, and is surrounded by persimmon trees. In addition to the main residence there is a nagayamon (rowhouse-gate) and kura (storehouses). The nagayamon hosts a cosy tea room. +
This residence, famous as the birthplace of poet Kinoshita Rigen, was the residence used by Kinoshita Toshiyasu in the Bakumatsu period. Toshiyasu was the twelfth and final feudal lord of the Ashimori Domain, and Rigen (originally called Toshiharu), a poet of the Taishō period, was his adopted son. The residence’s main hall dates to 1852. Architectually it is notable for its hip roof. The colours of the earthen walls also stood out to me. Originally it was connected to the jin'ya structures adjacent, and so the lord could go between his residence and the domain offices without going into the road outside of the moat. It looks like the house may have been restored during the Meiji period whilst it was still lived in by Rigen. The gatehouse and stone bridge over the moat are also at least partially Edo period structures. The gatehouse, a rowhouse-type gate, is quite unique, and it was originally located at a separate residence, that of the Neya family, and it was moved to the residence in the Meiji period, and alterations to the structure may have been made at this time (I say as I’ve never seen a configuration quite like this from the Edo period). The combination of rowhouse-gate and kura (storehouse) with bare earthen walls is striking.
Kinoshita Toshiyasu, who became lord of Ashimori Domain in 1847, fought locally on the side of the Restorationists during the Boshin War (1868-1869), fighting with and pursuing Itakura Katsukiyo, lord of Bitchū-Matsuyamajō (the castle itself was surrendered bloodlessly), in the opening stages of the conflict, and was later knighted, becoming a viscount in the aristocracy of Imperial Japan. +
B
You would not guess form this gate alone, but there is a well preserved house and garden behind. +
Buyokan is the name given to the samurai residence that was restored in the area of the castle town that was known for raising hunting hawks. The Kanji character for "yo" in the name is actually "hawk" (taka). The house was moved here from the Obikicho area of the town. The nagayamon gate is actually a Taisho Period building but it reflects Edo Period construction techniques and is the only original Nagayamon Gate in Tatebayashi. There is another house on the property next to the gate and behind the main house that was actually built in 1954 but reflects original building styles. The design blends in nicely with the gate and the main house. In 1999 the samurai house was designated an important cultural property of the city. +
C
This site, which is now called the Chishinkan, was the birthplace and villa of the 35th Prime Minister Kiichiro Hiranuma (1867) before moving to Tokyo in 1872. When Hiranuma visited Tsuyama as a child he also stayed here. At one point the house was sold but it was bought back by local citizens in 1935 and restored to the state of when the prime minister would have visited as a child and gifted to him. Hiranuma gifted the residence back to the city in 1950 to use for the public good. It served for a time as the local history museum and is now used as a small community center. it is not open to the public but it is said that the house is very typical construction for middle level samurai home of the time. +
This structure is part of a bukeyashiki (samurai house) of the old Chōshū Domain located in the jōkamachi (castle town) of Kushizakijō; it is not the omoya (main building) but a nagaya (rowhouse) which was used as an annex to the residence's gatehouse before being relocated. The bukeyashiki belonged to the Nishi family, retainers of the Mōri of Chōshū. As hereditary vassals, the Nishi served Chōshū as Umamawari. Umamawari were a type of elite mounted guard whose battlefield roles included accompanying the general's horse around the battlefield, serving as the general's body guard, serving as a messenger, or fighting as an elite trooper. Peacetime roles included acting as a mounted guard, or performing administrative duties as the lord's aide-de-camp. In this role the Nishi family earned 220 koku. The construction date of the Nagaya is not known, but it is thought to date to the Late Edo Period. +
D
The Ohnuma relocated here with the Ohmachi in 1644.
The house is the best example of a samurai home in Kanegasaki including the thick clay walls and thatched roof. +
E
Near Takatoh Castle is an Edo period house designed as a miniature prison for its lonely occupant.
In 1714, the Shōgun was the infant Tokugawa Ietsugu. Confucian scholar Arai Hakuseki, a reported genius, was responsible for much of the Shogunate's policy during this time, which included monetary reform. Ietsugu's mother, Gekkōin, was meanwhile engaged in a power struggle within the Shōgun's court with Ten'eiin, the surviving wife of the former Shōgun, Tokugawa Ienobu, Ietsugu's father.
At the end of February that year, Lady Ejima, a courtesan in her early thirties under Gekkōin, paid her respects at the mausoleum of Tokugawa Ienobu, before attending a kabuki performance by popular actor Ikushima Shingorō at the Yamamura-za theatre. Ikushima then attended a party along with Lady Ejima and others at a teahouse (dramatised illustrations of the event often show Lady Ejima heavily flirting with Ikushima). The party ran very late, and Lady Ejima missed the curfew imposed upon the courtesans of the Ôoku, the Shōgun's inner palace. This lead to her causing a scene at one of its gates, and before long everyone was aware of the transpiring fuss.
This seemingly banal happening led to a major affair. Lady Ejima became the unfortunate focus of a massive power struggle within the Shogunal court, with Gekkōin and Arai Hakuseki on one side, and Ten'eiin and the Rōjū (Council of Elders) on the other. Ten'eiin called for an investigation of the Ôoku by the Machi-bugyō (Town Magistrate), and many infractions were discovered in what what was supposed to be a highly regimented and strict institution. 1,300 people were reportedly punished in the ensuing fall-out. Actor Ikushima and the owner of the Yamamura-za were banished to remote islands. Lady Ejima's half-brother, bannerman Shirai Katsumasa, was beheaded. And all for some lollygagging!
Lady Ejima herself was also in line for execution, but she was pardoned, and instead sent to live in domestic incarceration in Takatô Domain, Shinano Province. The Ejima-kakomi-yashiki (Lady Ejima's Prison House) was built as a secured residence in which she lived out the rest of her days. The veranda facing the garden was barred with a lattice frame, and the house had a guardhouse attached to monitor comings-and-goings. The wall surrounding the residence was double-barred with shinobi-gaeshi (anti-thief spikes).
Although Lady Ejima's new life was miserable at first, and she was strictly monitored and forbidden from eating sweets (a great cruelty), she is said to have acted with great deportment, and never discussed the affairs of the Ôoku. This earned her the respect of Lord Naitō of Takatô Castle, and, by 1722, he was able to have Lady Ejima pardoned. Lady Ejima thereafter enjoyed considerably more freedom, and even had a respected position at the castle educating the domain's ladyfolk on etiquette and discipline. Lady Ejima passed away in 1741, aged 61.
Ejima-kakomi-yashiki was restored in 1967.
The Ejima Residence (Seri-gumi) is well known for the large pine tree that stands higher than the house and may be older than the house itself. Most of the ashigaru homes in this neighborhood had one pine tree in their little gardens. +
F
The Fujibayashi were a branch family of the Fujibayashi in Iga and vassals of the Mochizuki in Koka. This residence was moved from near Koka Station to the Koka Ninja village. The house looks like a typical single level house but hides a mezzanine floor and another floor above. The house also has several other tricks, including a trap in the genkan, a drop ceiling that can easily but cut and dropped on attackers, and a secret passageway hidden beneath the hearth (irori). +
This is the second largest and ornate samurai residence in Murakami, second only to the Wakabayashi Residence. The Fujii were of the upper middle class samurai and held various leadership positions. The house was preserved in place and renovated in 1998. +
Seri-gumi ashigaru residence, private residence +
