An Edo-Period Privy South of the Main House
Iwasaki Family Residence Toilet (岩崎家住宅便所, Iwasaki-ke Jūtaku Benjo) is a small single-storey timber privy of the late Edo period at Iwasaki Yatarō's birthplace in Inokuchi, Aki City, Kochi Prefecture, registered as a Registered Tangible Cultural Property on 28 April 2010. It stands south of the Main House, at what was the south-east corner of the grounds in the late Edo period.
It measures 3.3 metres by 2.1 metres, with a building area of 7.1 square metres. The gabled roof (Kirizuma-zukuri) runs north to south and is tiled in Sangawara-buki. The doors are on the west side; the other three walls have Shitami-itabari clapboard below and earthen plaster above. Inside are three compartments: one for solid waste, one a urinal, and one for storage.
As the Aki City Tourist Association points out, the Iwasaki household kept its bath and toilet in buildings separate from the house. This is one of them.
A Glimpse of Everyday Rural Life
The Iwasaki Family Residence Toilet was registered for its contribution to the historic landscape. The Agency for Cultural Affairs describes it as preserving part of the everyday facilities of an early modern farming village.
Outbuildings like this are usually the first to go once they fall out of use. Here, besides the thatched Main House, a second building of the Edo period survives, and it shows plainly where a late Edo farming family placed the privy within its grounds.
Note, too, that the Agency places it at the south-east corner of the grounds as they were in the late Edo period. Today that corner is occupied by the late Meiji guardhouse, which suggests the plot was once smaller. The privy marks the corner of the property before it expanded in the Meiji era.
What to Look For
View the Iwasaki Family Residence Toilet from the west, where the doors are. They follow the three internal divisions, one entrance per use. The clapboard and earthen plaster are plainer than the white lime plaster of the storehouses, and the building makes no pretence of being anything but practical.
Consider its distance from the house as well. Privies were set apart from the main building for smell and hygiene. Picture the walk from the Main House doma across the yard and the routine of a late Edo household comes into focus.
Visiting the Toilet
The interior of the Iwasaki Family Residence Toilet is closed and it cannot be used as a toilet. 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 Toilet built?
- In the late Edo period. It was registered as a Registered Tangible Cultural Property on 28 April 2010.
- How is the Iwasaki Family Residence Toilet built?
- It is a single-storey timber building 3.3 metres by 2.1 metres, with a building area of 7.1 square metres and a gabled tiled roof. Inside are three compartments: a toilet, a urinal and a storeroom.
- Can visitors use the Iwasaki Family Residence Toilet?
- No. It is preserved as a cultural property and its interior is closed. The exterior can be viewed free of charge.
- Why is the Iwasaki Family Residence Toilet separate from the Main House?
- Farming households often built privies and baths apart from the house for reasons of smell and hygiene, and the Iwasaki family kept both in separate buildings.
- Where is the Iwasaki Family Residence Toilet on the grounds?
- South of the Main House, at what was the south-east corner of the grounds in the late Edo period.
Basic Information
| Name | Iwasaki Family Residence Toilet (岩崎家住宅便所) |
|---|---|
| Location | 1696 Ko, Inokuchi, Aki City, Kochi Prefecture, and adjoining lots |
| Designation | Registered Tangible Cultural Property (structure), registration no. 39-0257 |
| Year Designated | Registered 2010/04/28 (Heisei 22) |
| Quantity | 1 structure |
| Dimensions | Single-storey timber building, gabled tiled roof; building area 7.1 m²; 3.3 m by 2.1 m |
| Owner | Private (Iwasaki family) |
| Public Access | Exterior free to view; interior closed |
References
- National Cultural Properties Database, Agency for Cultural Affairs: Iwasaki Family Residence Toilet
- https://kunishitei.bunka.go.jp/bsys/maindetails/101/00008204
- Cultural Heritage Online: Iwasaki Family Residence Toilet
- https://bunka.nii.ac.jp/heritages/detail/222739
- Aki City: Iwasaki Yataro Birthplace (Japanese)
- https://www.city.aki.kochi.jp/life/dtl.php?hdnKey=45
Last verified: 2026.09.25
