Former Sasaki Family Residence (from Iwaizumi Town, Shimohei District, Iwate Prefecture)

What Is the Former Sasaki Family Residence?

The Former Sasaki Family Residence (旧佐々木家住宅, Kyū-Sasaki-ke Jūtaku) is a late-Edo-period L-shaped farmhouse of the magariya type, relocated to the grounds of Iwate Prefectural Museum in Ueda, Morioka City, Iwate Prefecture, and designated an Important Cultural Property of Japan on 31 May 1978. Its official name, Former Sasaki Family Residence (from Iwaizumi Town, Shimohei District, Iwate Prefecture), records the mountain town in the Kitakami Highlands where it was built.

According to the national database, the main block measures 16.4 m by 9.1 m, with a wing of 8.5 m by 6.9 m projecting from its east side. The roof is hipped, in the Yosemune-zukuri style, and thatched (Kayabuki). That projecting wing is the stable, and seen from above the house forms an L. This is the classic Nanbu magariya of the former Morioka domain.

The Sasaki house was dismantled in Iwaizumi and rebuilt at Iwate Prefectural Museum as an outdoor exhibit in 1980. It is owned by Iwate Prefecture.

Why the Former Sasaki Family Residence Is an Important Cultural Property

The Agency for Cultural Affairs describes the Sasaki house as a magariya farmhouse from the mountains of the old Morioka domain, and points to its spacious maya (stable) and the layout of its raised-floor rooms as typical of the region. It also notes that the building has seen relatively few alterations and is well preserved.

A magariya was designed so that people and horses could live under one roof. The Nanbu region was long famous for horse breeding, and on a farm a horse was both a working partner in the fields and a valuable asset. In a typical magariya the stable wing sits next to the earthen-floored work area and kitchen, so the family could keep an eye on the animals at all times. Iwate Prefectural Museum notes that the type is found only in the former Nanbu lands and that its origins remain unclear.

On the date, the national database gives the late Edo period, around the second half of the 19th century, while the museum estimates the end of the Edo period to the early Meiji era. Neither rests on a firm record such as a ridge tablet, so both are approximate.

What to See at the Sasaki House

Start in front of the building and find the bend in the L. As you face the Former Sasaki Family Residence, the wing projecting to the right is the stable, roughly 8 m square by the museum's measure. The thatch of the main roof turns the corner and carries straight on over the stable, which is exactly what the word magariya, "bent house," describes. The museum adds that some magariya put the stable on the left instead.

Inside, the size of the stable is the surprise. This is the "spacious maya" the national description singles out, an area given over to horses that rivals the space for people. The stable connects to the main house through the Doma, which leads in turn to the raised rooms. The plan itself tells you how a mountain household lived alongside its animals.

The museum keeps fires burning in the hearth to protect the building, as smoke dries the thatch and keeps insects away. After the museum galleries, the smell of woodsmoke inside the house is a vivid reminder of how it was once used.

Visiting the Former Sasaki Family Residence

The Former Sasaki Family Residence stands in the outdoor exhibit area of Iwate Prefectural Museum and can be seen on any day the museum is open, 9:30–16:30 (last entry 16:00). Official information does not say how far visitors may go inside, so ask at reception. The museum warns that the floor levels change often indoors.

The museum also lends the house for events such as tea gatherings and storytelling sessions, and while it is in use you may only be able to view it from outside. The museum allows still photography for personal use without permission, but that guidance covers the museum building, so check the rule for the farmhouse interior on site. Opening days, admission and directions are on the Iwate Prefectural Museum page.