Lodging for the Menservants
The Fujisaki Family Residence (Sekishokan) Row House, in Tanoura, Ashikita Town, Kumamoto Prefecture, is a single-storey timber building completed in 1894 and listed as a Registered Tangible Cultural Property on 18 October 2000.
In Japanese it is 藤崎家住宅（赤松館）長屋 (nagaya). The word usually means a terrace of dwellings, but here it names a single small building on the front of the estate, between the miso storehouse and the central gate, where the menservants once lived. It measures 2 by 1 and a half bays, with a gabled, pantiled roof, and covers 12 square metres, the smallest of the nine listed structures.
Holding the Front Together
The Fujisaki Family Residence (Sekishokan) Row House was registered for its contribution to the historic landscape.
The Agency for Cultural Affairs acknowledges it as small and plain, and values it for matching its exterior to the miso storehouse on its west and the wall to the east. Its worth lies less in the building itself than in its place: it fills the gap between storehouse and gate so that the street front reads without a break.
Where the Staff Lived
The Fujisaki Family Residence (Sekishokan) Row House also shows where servants were housed: right beside the central gate, at the start of the everyday route to the kitchen of the main house.
Two bays by one and a half is roughly the size of a single modest room. Set on the same street front as a main house of 769 square metres, it makes the gap between the family and those who worked for it visible in the buildings themselves.
Seeing the Row House
The Fujisaki Family Residence (Sekishokan) Row House stands on the front of the estate and can be seen from outside.
The Ashikita Town Tourism Association reported that the estate was badly damaged in the earthquake of July 2026, and no reopening had been announced as of September 2026. The grounds cannot be entered.
- 📍 Plan Your Visit to Kumamoto
- Find tours, activities & transport passes near Fujisaki Family Residence (Sekishokan) Row House
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Q&A
- What was the Fujisaki Family Residence (Sekishokan) Row House used for?
- It was the lodging of the family's menservants.
- When was the Fujisaki Family Residence (Sekishokan) Row House built?
- In 1894, according to the national register.
- How big is the Fujisaki Family Residence (Sekishokan) Row House?
- It is a single-storey building of 2 by 1 and a half bays with a gabled, pantiled roof, covering 12 square metres.
- Why is the Fujisaki Family Residence (Sekishokan) Row House a Registered Tangible Cultural Property?
- It matches the miso storehouse and the wall and helps form the estate's street front. It was registered on 18 October 2000 for its contribution to the historic landscape.
- Can I see the Fujisaki Family Residence (Sekishokan) Row House?
- Yes, from outside, as it stands on the front. The estate was damaged in the earthquake of July 2026 and had not reopened as of September 2026.
Basic Information
| Name | Fujisaki Family Residence (Sekishokan) Row House |
|---|---|
| Location | 781-2 and others, Gotanda, Tanoura, Ashikita Town, Ashikita District, Kumamoto Prefecture |
| Designation | Registered Tangible Cultural Property (Structure) |
| Year Designated | Registered 2000/10/18 (Heisei 12) |
| Quantity | 1 building |
| Dimensions | Building area 12 square metres (timber, single storey, tiled roof) |
| Owner | Not listed in the ACA database (private) |
| Public Access | Apparently closed after earthquake damage; check before visiting |
References
- National Cultural Properties Database: Fujisaki Family Residence (Sekishokan) Row House (Agency for Cultural Affairs)
- https://kunishitei.bunka.go.jp/bsys/maindetails/101/00001986
- Cultural Heritage Online: Fujisaki Family Residence (Sekishokan) Row House (Japanese)
- https://online.bunka.go.jp/heritages/detail/178206
- Fujisaki Family Residence Sekishokan (Ashikita Town Tourism Association, Japanese)
- https://ashikita-kankou.com/introduce/%E8%B5%A4%E6%9D%BE%E9%A4%A8/
- Notice on the Ashikita Curry Road event, 5 August 2026 (Ashikita Town Tourism Association, Japanese)
- https://ashikita-kankou.com/2026/08/05/%e3%80%8c%e8%8a%a6%e5%8c%97%e4%bc%bd%e5%93%a9%e8%a1%97%e9%81%93%e3%80%8d%e3%81%ab%e3%81%a4%e3%81%84%e3%81%a6%e3%81%ae%e3%81%8a%e7%9f%a5%e3%82%89%e3%81%9b/
Last verified: 2026.09.25
