A Samurai House of Hirosaki
The Former Hirosaki Domain Samurai Residence (旧弘前藩諸士住宅) is a house of a middle- or lower-ranking samurai, moved and restored in the Nakacho samurai district north of Hirosaki Castle of before the 1750s (early 18th century) in Wakadocho, Hirosaki City, Aomori Prefecture, and was designated an Important Cultural Property on February 9, 2016 (Agency for Cultural Affairs).
The Agency records a gabled house 11.5 by 5.7 metres with a projecting west wing and a copper roof; designation number 2636.
A Samurai House in Nakacho
The Former Hirosaki Domain Samurai Residence stands in the southwest of the Nakacho preservation district for historic buildings, north of Hirosaki Castle (Agency for Cultural Affairs). It is a house of a middle- or lower-ranking samurai shown on a plan of retainers' houses drawn up around 1751–1763, and was moved here from the northeast of the district and restored; according to the Aomori Prefectural Board of Education, this was done in fiscal 2012.
It is a gabled house 11.5 by 5.7 metres with a copper roof, a projecting wing 4.8 by 3.8 metres on the west and lean-to roofs around it (Agency for Cultural Affairs). It is one of a series of samurai houses built by the domain in the early 18th century.
Why It Is an Important Cultural Property
The Agency values it as a standard samurai house of the early 18th-century domain, rare nationally for its period, and important for understanding the Nakacho samurai district.
What to Look For
At the house, look for the standard plan of a samurai home and the preserved streets of the Nakacho samurai district (Agency for Cultural Affairs).
Visiting
The house is owned by Hirosaki City (Agency for Cultural Affairs). According to the Aomori Prefectural Board of Education, it is open daily from April to June; from July to October it closes on Mondays, Thursdays and August 13, and from November to March it opens only on Tuesdays and Thursdays and closes over the New Year, though it opens during the city's festivals.
Q&A
- When was it built?
- In the early 18th century.
- Who lived there?
- Middle- or lower-ranking samurai.
- Was it moved?
- Yes, within the Nakacho district.
- Can I visit?
- Yes, it is open.
- When was the Former Hirosaki Domain Samurai Residence designated an Important Cultural Property?
- On February 9, 2016 (Agency for Cultural Affairs).
Basic Information
| Name | Former Hirosaki Domain Samurai Residence (旧弘前藩諸士住宅) |
|---|---|
| Location | 72 Wakadocho, Hirosaki City, Aomori Prefecture |
| Designation | Important Cultural Property (Structure) |
| Year Designated | Designated 2016/02/09 (Heisei 28) |
| Quantity | 1 building |
| Dimensions | 11.5 m by 5.7 m, west wing 4.8 m by 3.8 m, gabled roof, copper |
| Owner | Hirosaki City |
| Public Access | Open; closing days vary by season (Aomori Prefectural Board of Education) |
References
- Former Hirosaki Domain Samurai Residence (Database of National Cultural Properties, Agency for Cultural Affairs)
- https://kunishitei.bunka.go.jp/heritage/detail/102/00004838
- Former Hirosaki Domain Samurai Residence (Aomori Prefectural Board of Education, in Japanese)
- https://www.pref.aomori.lg.jp/soshiki/kyoiku/e-bunka/jubun_kenzoubutu_32.html
Last verified: 2026.11.12