On the third day of our stay in Kanazawa City we decided to have a small tour of Naga District, which is famous for its ancient houses and architecture!
These walls actually are featured on every guidebook!
The walls are protected with fresh straw against the snow which will fall soon!
It gives a great insight of the city rich quarters in feudal times with the moats and stone abutments!
Some of the properties are enormous by Japanese standards!
The entrance of “The Ancient Site of A Samurai House (Nomura Family)”/official English name!
The first thing you notice is the large kura/warehouse, a prerequisite in a rich samurai house!
The actual entrance to the residence!
Japanese and English pamphlets are available, and although the translation is amateurish, the explanations are sufficient:
These are the ruins, or more aptly said the remains of a samurai house formerly owned by the Nomura Family.
Lord Meda Toshiie took over the Kanazawa Castle in 1583, and ensured a long and prosperous reign of the Kaga clan which spanned over three centuries thanks to his followers producing 5 million bushels (one million koku) annual rice yield.
At that time , one of his high-ranked followers, Nomura Denbei Nobusada, was granted by Lord Toshiie a fief of one thousand koku which was furthermore promoted to twelve hundred koku.
His descendants also served as senor retainers, each given a 1,000 tsubo (3,305square meter) estate.
The old family estate was retained until the 12th generation by the time of the Meiji Restoration.
Past the the portal and into the real entrance.
However, because of the break-up of the feudal system. many samurai houses were destroyed, some changed into vegetable gardens or others sold out.
Only parts of old gates and walls around these ancient houses are left as they were.
The Nomura Family did not escape the same fate.
The last piece of property was bought in the early Showa period by a local industrialist, Kubo Hikobei, who lived in Hashidate Village in southern Ishikawa Prefecture and traded with people in Hokkaido.
Kubo Hikobei moved the drawing room, part of a beautifully constructed old house from Daishoji town near his native village inside the House.
Today visitors can understand the prosperity of the industrialist in olden times through the gorgeous architecture and at the same time imagine the way of life of ancestors of the city when discovering the beautiful garden attached to the formal samurai house.
in March 2009 the Michelin Green Guide Japon awarded a 2-star ranking to the garden and in 2003 the American Journal of Japanese Gardening ranked the Nomuara House garden as the 3rd best in Japan!
Past the entrance you will discover a genuine samurai full armor in the lobby!
From the side!
The skirt and greaves (hip, thigh and leg armor)!
The Nomura Family mon/crest was a fan!
A magnificent rice cake New Year offering!
The living room with the tokonoma/alcove!
Invaluable ancient wood carvings!
Antique painted partitions!
Buddhist altar!
Intricate wood and paper windows!
Halberd!
There is a whole room designed as a museum!
Old coins!
1 gold ryo old koban coin!
Samurai swords!
Antique hanging scroll!
A lacquer work inkstone box!
Antique Kutani vase!
You have free access to the garden (although you are not allowed to walk inside!)!
The snow protection straw mats were already attached!
For a fuller view!
Beautiful pond!
Another corner of the garden!
You can climb an ancient stone stair leading to the upstairs tea room!
Garden view form the stairs!
The tea room is really tiny!
And the entrance is very low!
One can catch an overview of the graren through a wide bay window!
Great details of the roofs!
The last view before departing….
A SOCIETY FOR THE PRESERVATION OF NOMURA FAMILY
(one of the Ruins of Samurai House)
Above is the”official” naming!
Kanazawa City, Naga machi, 1 Chome, 3-32
Tel.: 076-221-3553
HOMEPAGE</strong>
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