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| People of status enter to the right, family and others to the left. |
With Stone
The Noto peninsula is lucky enough to have several examples of very good traditional Japanese folk houses. The elegant design and interesting layout of the Kuromaru Residence (covered in two posts—22/03/2019 and 28/02/2019) is really special. The same is true of the Tokikuni Residences (See post dated 16/03/2016). But there is another: the Nakatani Residence.
This large Village Headman’s house is located about a 15 minute drive from Noto-Satoyama Airport and is open to the public. The building is surrounded by forests and paddy fields and is standing on raised ground.
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| The main part of the building. |
It has large reception spaces to accommodate quite large gatherings but also has smaller rooms with real character. One is a tea room, which looks out on to a small pond and manicured garden.
In contrast to the elegant tea ceremony room is the spacious space with an earthen floor. It is here that various agriculture jobs were done, although now it is possible to partake of some artistically arranged treats.
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| A feast for the eyes and palate. |
A large storeroom with walls coated with true lacquered is of particular note. It is said that the master of the house was the only person allowed in the store where treasured pieces of true lacquerware were kept. Esteemed guests and friends would, it seems, also be allowed in the hallowed space but only with the head of the family—now not open to the public.
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| A wonderful example of how good a lacquered table can look. |
Another interesting feature is the stonework holding up an embankment from where the house can be entered. Stone has seldom been used for building in Japan. Stone paths and larger boulders feature in Japanese gardens but traditionally it was timber that was the main choice of material for the construction of buildings and bridges.
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| A wonderful jigsaw of stone. |
The ramparts of a number of traditional castles in Japan are exceptional for their use of cut and dressed stone.
In April 2016 Kumamoto Castle in Kyushu was badly damaged by a strong earthquake, which in particular wrecked the stonework supporting the main tower and turrets. Undeterred by the enormity of the task, local and national government bodies set to to rebuild and restored the castle, which is mostly original and not as some are a concrete effigy.
The stones making up the ramparts are being reused and computer technology is being employed as a means of matching stones to fit the original pattern in which they were laid. All of the work is expected to be completed in 2036!
The Nakatani Residence, however, might be smaller than a castle but it provides a wonderful opportunity to experience what can be achieved with timber—and a little stone.
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Japan Times, Kumamoto Report https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2017/04/13/national/kumamoto-castle-repairs-expected-take-decades/
Japanese: Nakatani Residence https://www.noto-nakatanike.com
Nakatani Residence, 28-13 Noto-cho, Hosu-gun, Ishikawa Prefecture
Tel: +81 0768 76 1551 (Japanese)
Open 10:00 a.m. to 5.00 p.m. Closed Tuesdays and December to March.
