Northern Culture Museum Dairoan

A Branch Family House with a Lookout

The Northern Culture Museum Dairoan (北方文化博物館大呂菴, Dairoan) in Somi, Konan Ward, Niigata City, is a two-storey timber house of 1927, registered as a Registered Tangible Cultural Property on 28 April 2000.

The Northern Culture Museum Dairoan stands in the north of the estate and has a rooftop lookout. It covers 200 square metres, and according to the Agency for Cultural Affairs it was the home of a branch of the Ito family.

The rice storehouse and the east storehouse stand in the same compound.

Designed Around the Vertical Rectangle

The Northern Culture Museum Dairoan was registered for its contribution to the historic landscape. The agency notes that each storey is tall and that the wall divisions and fittings take the upright rectangle as their motif.

It considers the house a good example of a regional two-storey Japanese-style dwelling and an accent in the estate's landscape.

Its tall storeys and vertical motifs are easiest to appreciate when compared with the Meiji main house and storehouses on the same estate.

The Lookout and the Upright Lines

When you look at the Northern Culture Museum Dairoan, find the lookout on the roof first. Together with the two tall storeys, it gives the north of the estate a landmark silhouette.

On the walls, follow the repeated upright rectangles formed by posts and fittings. The tall storeys show up outside as vertical proportions.

Visiting the Dairoan

The museum lists the Northern Culture Museum Dairoan as a detached dining facility within the grounds, reached through a lattice gate and a small bamboo grove, but says it is not currently operating.

Nothing is published about interior access, so expect to see its exterior. Keep photos and posts to personal use.