A Lodge at the Corner of the Grounds
Iwasaki Family Residence Guardhouse (岩崎家住宅番屋, Iwasaki-ke Jūtaku Ban'ya) is a single-storey timber outbuilding of the late Meiji era in the south-east corner of Iwasaki Yatarō's birthplace in Inokuchi, Aki City, Kochi Prefecture, registered as a Registered Tangible Cultural Property on 28 April 2010. With a building area of 99 square metres, it is the largest building on the grounds after the Main House.
Its tiled roof combines a hipped section (Yosemune-zukuri) with a hip-and-gable section (Irimoya-zukuri). Tatami-floored living rooms lie on the south side, and an earth-floored kitchen, the kamaya, projects to the north. The walls are Shinkabe, with the timber posts left exposed, finished in Tosa lime plaster.
A ban'ya is, in general, a lodge for whoever kept watch over a property. With living rooms and a kitchen, this one was clearly built for someone to live and cook in.
Plain Building, Rural Setting
The Iwasaki Family Residence Guardhouse was registered for its contribution to the historic landscape. The Agency for Cultural Affairs calls it a plain, straightforward building in harmony with its rural setting. It draws less attention than the thatch or the white storehouses, but it holds the south-east corner and shapes the edge of the grounds facing the fields.
The roof tiles hold a small puzzle. Pantiles come in left-hand and right-hand versions, with the wave overlapping in opposite directions, and a single roof normally uses one or the other. The Agency records both on this roof, likely a trace of repairs and re-roofing over the years.
The building is dated to the late Meiji era, but the Agency's database gives only the span of the whole Meiji period in its Western-date field, and no precise year of construction is known.
Reading the Roof
The roof is the thing to study at the Iwasaki Family Residence Guardhouse. Hipped and hip-and-gable sections meet over one building, and the roofline bends where the kitchen projects to the north. The combination is clearest from the east side of the grounds.
To spot the left- and right-hand tiles, look along a roof slope at an angle and follow the direction of the waves. The exposed-post walls, alternating timber and white plaster, look lighter than the solid walls of the storehouses.
Visiting the Guardhouse
The interior of the Iwasaki Family Residence Guardhouse is closed. The exterior can be viewed free of charge during the grounds' opening hours.
Press and other filming requires the owners' permission. Opening hours and directions are covered on the Iwasaki Family Residence page.
Q&A
- When was the Iwasaki Family Residence Guardhouse built?
- In the late Meiji era; no exact year is recorded. It was registered as a Registered Tangible Cultural Property on 28 April 2010.
- What kind of building is the Iwasaki Family Residence Guardhouse?
- A single-storey timber lodge with a building area of 99 square metres, tatami living rooms to the south and an earth-floored kitchen to the north, under a tiled roof combining hipped and hip-and-gable forms.
- Can you go inside the Iwasaki Family Residence Guardhouse?
- No. The interior is closed, but the exterior can be viewed free of charge during opening hours.
- Where is the Iwasaki Family Residence Guardhouse on the grounds?
- In the south-east corner of the property, south-east of the Main House, at the corner facing the fields.
- What is unusual about the roof tiles of the Iwasaki Family Residence Guardhouse?
- The Agency for Cultural Affairs records both left-hand and right-hand pantiles, with waves overlapping in opposite directions, on the same roof.
Basic Information
| Name | Iwasaki Family Residence Guardhouse (岩崎家住宅番屋) |
|---|---|
| Location | 1696 Ko, Inokuchi, Aki City, Kochi Prefecture, and adjoining lots |
| Designation | Registered Tangible Cultural Property (structure), registration no. 39-0256 |
| Year Designated | Registered 2010/04/28 (Heisei 22) |
| Quantity | 1 structure |
| Dimensions | Single-storey timber building, tiled roof combining hipped and hip-and-gable forms; building area 99 m² |
| Owner | Private (Iwasaki family) |
| Public Access | Exterior free to view; interior closed |
References
- National Cultural Properties Database, Agency for Cultural Affairs: Iwasaki Family Residence Guardhouse
- https://kunishitei.bunka.go.jp/bsys/maindetails/101/00008203
- Cultural Heritage Online: Iwasaki Family Residence Guardhouse
- https://bunka.nii.ac.jp/heritages/detail/167508
- Aki City: Iwasaki Yataro Birthplace (Japanese)
- https://www.city.aki.kochi.jp/life/dtl.php?hdnKey=45
Last verified: 2026.09.25
