Kakunodate Samurai Residences: A Designated Preservation District　

Kakunodate Samurai Residences: A Designated Preservation District

Kakunodate is home to a number of stately samurai residences called bukeyashiki, that date back to the Edo period (1603–1867). These mansions comprise a preservation district that has long safeguarded the samurai history of this former castle town.

Kakunodate was founded in 1620 by Ashina Yoshikatsu (1575–1631), the younger brother of the ruler of the Akita Domain. Surrounded by mountains on three sides, with the Hinokinaigawa River to the west and the Tamagawa River to the south, it was easy to defend from would-be conquerors, making it an ideal location for a castle town on the northern reaches of the fertile Semboku Plain.

The town’s design is noteworthy for its earthen fire wall that separated the samurai residences in the northern part of town, or uchi-machi (inner city), from the dwellings of merchants and townspeople in the southern part, or to-machi (outer city).

In the northern side of town, thick groves of trees grow around the individual samurai houses that together create a fortress-like collection of buildings. This street of samurai residences is known as Bukeyashiki-dori, and is located between National Highway 46 at the base of Mt. Furushiro and the hiyoke earthen fire wall. In September 1976, the national government added this area to the list of Important Preservation Districts for Groups of Traditional Buildings.

In addition to the samurai district, Kakunodate is famed for its cherry trees: the elegant weeping cherry trees (shidare zakura) along Bukeyashiki-dori, and the light pink blossoms of the somei yoshino cherry trees that cover a two-kilometer stretch along the Hinokinaigawa River.

Ishiguro House: City-Designated Historic Site

The Ishiguro family were stewards of the North Satake clan, the rulers of Kakunodate from the 1650s until the end of the Edo period (1603–1867) when the feudal domain system was abolished. The Ishiguro family house is thought to have been transferred to its current location in 1853.

The house and its grounds sit behind an imposing black woodenfence (called a sasarakobei) in the northern part of Bukeyashiki-dori. An observation window set into the fence allowed guards to look out onto the streets outside.

Visitors enter the grounds through a gate with a gabled roof (yakui-mon) typical of the style used in samurai residences during the Edo period. One component of the gate, a forepole, has been dated to 1809.

Past the gate is the main entryway to the house, which is decorated with a gegyo carved board attached to the roof gable. This entrance was reserved for esteemed guests, and there is a secondary side entrance for tradespeople and everyday use.

The roof of the main building is thatched and continues to be maintained in the traditional hipped roof. The garden features an artificial hill, boulders, tall fir trees, and an arbor. Though the Ishiguro family house may appear modest, it is the oldest samurai residence in Kakunodate and shows the family’s high standing in the community.

Visitors can buy a ticket to tour the house and the family’s collection of early anatomical documentation, books, samurai swords, armor, tools, and other items of historical interest. A direct descendent of the Ishiguro family still resides in the main building and provides English-language guidance to visitors.

Aoyagi House: Prefecture-Designated Historic Site

The Aoyagi family were hereditary retainers of the Ashina family, which ruled Kakunodate from 1603 until its family line died out in 1653. After that the Aoyagi entered the service of the North Satake clan, the area’s new rulers.

The Aoyagi house is located to the south of the Ishiguro residence, and also sits behind a black-painted sasarakobei wooden fence with an observation window. The main yakui-mon gate, which has a forepole dated to 1860, welcomes visitors into the grounds.

After passing through the gate, visitors will find a roofed well (ido-yakata) and rice storehouse, as well as the main entryway. A secondary side entrance is located farther north, used by tradespeople and guests whose social status precluded them from using the main entrance.

The roof of the main house is thatched and constructed in the hipped style. This style of roof, in addition to the rice storehouse, main gate, protective fence, and other features, makes the house an excellent example of samurai residences of the period.

The house is open to the public, and the entrance fee includes access to a large archive of historical items owned by the Aoyagi family over the years. The building and grounds are also used to host a variety of events and hands-on cultural experiences.

Matsumoto House: Prefecture-Designated Tangible Cultural Property

The Matsumoto family were retainers of the Imamiya family, who were themselves senior retainers to the Satake clan. From 1603 until 1653, the castle town of Kakunodate, located in the Akita domain, was ruled by the Ashina family under the Satake family. During this time, the Matsumoto family lived on the south side of Kakunodate in the Tamachi area, apart from other retainers of the Imamiya who lived in the uchi-machi (inner city) part of town.

When the Ashina family line died out in 1653 and the Kakunodate area came under the rule of the North Satake branch of the Satake clan, the Matsumoto family relocated to Kobitomachi, an area for lower-ranked samurai and foot soldiers located in the uchi-machi.

Reflecting the family’s position among the lowest class of samurai, the Matsumoto house is small and compact, with a thatched roof and brushwood(shibagaki) fence. The house is believed to have been built in the late Edo period, and in addition to the main building, also retains a bedroom from a former annex. The well-preserved house has been used as a film set for historical dramas.

While the Matsumoto family was of a lower rank, their members’ talents were in demand. For instance, Sudo Hangoro (1775–1851) not only worked as a teacher at Kyoko Kodo Shoin, an Akita domain school, but was also the author of Eboshi-Oya, a textbook on proper samurai conduct.

The Matsumoto house is open to the public, and from spring to fall hosts demonstrations of itaya wickerwork, the 200-year-old craft of weaving various objects using thin strips ofmaple wood.

Iwahashi House: Prefecture-Designated Historic Site

A mid-level samurai family, the Iwahashi family were chief retainers of the Ashina clan, the rulers of Kakunodate from 1603 until 1653. They received a yearly stipend of 75 koku—one koku was equivalent to the amount of rice a man consumed in a year, roughly 140 kilograms.

After the Ashina clan died out, the Iwahashi family served the North Satake clan, who ruled Kakunodate from the 1650s until the feudal domain system was abolished in 1871.

The Iwahashi manor house, which is open to the public, was remodeled in the late Edo period (1603–1867). The roof was originally thatched, but was changed to its current shingled style during a subsequent remodeling.

The layout of the house and grounds is typical of middle-class samurai residences in Kakunodate. The atmosphere of the Edo period lingers in the compound, with its weeping cherry tree and 300-year-old daimyo oak tree, designated by the city as a natural monument.

Kawarada House: City-Designated Historic Site

The Kawarada family were hereditary retainers of the Ashina family since before it arrived in the Akita domain in 1603. After the Ashina family line died out in 1653, the Kawarada became retainers of the North Satake clan, which ruled Kakunodate from the 1650s until the feudal domain system was abolished in 1871.

The Kawarada family moved to their current location during the Meiji era (1868–1912), but the house was constructed in a style common in the early Edo period (1603–1867). Among the features that showcase this older style are the formal tatami rooms, which are built in the Edo shoin-zukuri style of residential architecture. Beyond the buildings is a dry landscape garden and storehouse.

Over the years, the Kawarada family has been involved in various projects that have benefited the community, including building the first power station in the region. Their house was the first in the area with electricity. The family was also host to various notable visitors including the beloved poet and author of children’s books Kenji Miyazawa (1896-1933).

Note: As of fall 2019, the Kawarada house closed for renovations; to reopen in 2021.

Odano House: City-Designated Historic Site

The Odano family served the North Satake clan, Kakunodate’s rulers, through their relationship with the Imamiya family. This house belonged to descendants of Odano Naotake (1749–1780), who was the illustrator of the first Japanese translation of a Western medical textbook, Kaitai shinsho, originally a Dutch translation of the German anatomy book Anatomische Tabellen.

The current house, which is open to the public, preserves the original design of the Edo-period dwelling that burned down in 1900. Known for its elegant Kyoto-style garden, the front yard of the Odano house has tall fir trees and maples, irises, and bamboo grass. This type of garden was common in samurai residences toward the end of the Edo period (1603–1867).