Quarters for a Retired Head of House
The Fujioka Family Residence Detached Room (藤岡家住宅離座敷, Fujioka-ke Jūtaku Hanare-zashiki) is a small late Edo-period building of tatami rooms in Konnaicho, Gojo City, Nara Prefecture, registered as a Registered Tangible Cultural Property in 2006. The family called it the inkyo, the retirement quarters where a former head of the house lived after handing over the household.
It lies west of the Main House, reached by the Connecting Corridor, with the New Reception Wing attached to its south. The single-storey timber building has a roof hipped-and-gabled at one end only, in pantiles, with wings projecting to the east and north. The building area is 73 square metres.
From north to south there are three rooms: a 6-mat room with an alcove and shelves, a second 6-mat room, and a storeroom (Nando). Verandas run along both the east and west sides.
Plain, but Carefully Made
The Fujioka Family Residence Detached Room was registered as a model of architectural form. The Agency for Cultural Affairs calls it a simple building that the household knew as its retirement quarters, but notes the care in its details.
Retirement rooms had a different job from the formal reception rooms. They were for the everyday life of the previous head, so modest size and restrained decoration suited them. Two 6-mat rooms and a storeroom are exactly that scale. Yet the inner room still has its alcove and shelves: in retirement there was still a place to hang a scroll and set flowers.
The verandas on both sides deserve notice. Each looks onto garden, and light and air pass right through the rooms. It is not large, but its comfort was thought through.
The Quiet at the Back of the House
You reach the Fujioka Family Residence Detached Room by following the corridor from the Main House deep into the compound. Street noise barely carries this far, and the change of mood from the busy shop room is noticeable.
Sit for a moment in the northern 6-mat room with its alcove and look out past the veranda, and the choice of this spot for retirement makes sense. The projecting wings show in the roof shape, so check the east and north sides from the garden too.
Visiting the Detached Room
The Detached Room is open on opening days of the house museum, reached along the corridor from the Main House with a few steps on the way. Rooms are sometimes in use for events, so call ahead if you particularly want to see it.
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Q&A
- What is the Fujioka Family Residence Detached Room?
- Late Edo-period retirement quarters with a 6-mat room with alcove and shelves, a second 6-mat room and a storeroom, and verandas on both sides. It was registered as a Registered Tangible Cultural Property in 2006.
- Where is the Fujioka Family Residence Detached Room?
- West of the Main House, linked to it by the Connecting Corridor, with the New Reception Wing attached on its south side.
- Can I visit the Fujioka Family Residence Detached Room?
- Yes, on opening days of the house museum, following the corridor from the Main House. Rooms may be in use for events, so calling ahead is safest.
- Why was the Fujioka Family Residence Detached Room registered?
- As a model of architectural form. Although a simple building used as retirement quarters, its details were judged carefully made.
- Can I take photos in the Fujioka Family Residence Detached Room?
- Photography is allowed for non-commercial purposes. The collection belongs to the Fujioka family, so pictures taken for sale are not permitted, and during events visitors are asked not to capture other guests.
Basic Information
| Name | Fujioka Family Residence Detached Room (藤岡家住宅離座敷) |
|---|---|
| Location | 526 Konnaicho, Gojo City, Nara Prefecture |
| Designation | National Registered Tangible Cultural Property (structure); registration number 29-0100; criterion: model of architectural form |
| Year Designated | Registered 2006/03/02 (Heisei 18) |
| Quantity | 1 building |
| Dimensions | Single-storey timber structure, roof hip-and-gabled at one end, pantile roofing, building area 73 square metres |
| Owner | Private (Fujioka family); managed by NPO Uchinono Yakata |
| Public Access | Interior open on Fujioka Family Residence opening days (admission charged; closed Mondays) |
References
- National Cultural Properties Database, Agency for Cultural Affairs — Fujioka Family Residence Detached Room
- https://kunishitei.bunka.go.jp/bsys/maindetails/101/00005341
- Gojo City — Registered Tangible Cultural Properties in Gojo
- https://www.city.gojo.lg.jp/soshiki/kankoshinko/5_1/5/2110.html
- Nara Prefecture official tourism site (Aoniyoshi Naratabi Net) — Fujioka Family Residence
- https://yamatoji.nara-kankou.or.jp/03history/02old_house/04south_area/fujiokake/
Last verified: 2026.09.26
