What Is the Former Inaba Family Villa Living Quarters?
The Former Inaba Family Villa Living Quarters (旧稲葉家別邸御居間, Kyū Inaba-ke Bettei On'ima) is a residential wing built around 1902 in Usuki City, Oita Prefecture, where the head of the former Inaba lords' family is thought to have lived during his stays, and it was registered as a Registered Tangible Cultural Property on July 8, 2008. It is a single-storey timber building with a pantiled roof and a building area of 112 square meters.
The Living Quarters sit east of the Daishoin reception hall, joined to it by a tatami-floored corridor. The roof is hipped (Yosemune-zukuri) with its ridge running east to west, and eaves (Hisashi) project on the south, east and north. There is no entrance of its own. The only way in is along the corridor, which says a lot about what the building was for.
The Private Heart of the House
Usuki City describes the Former Inaba Family Villa Living Quarters as the core of the oku, the private side of the house. The Daishoin was the omote, where guests were met. Here the family lived day to day, and the head of the household probably spent most of his stay in this wing, with the main room serving as his own seat. The city singles out the alcove and the Nageshi beams as details that keep the formality of a samurai household.
Set the two buildings side by side and the contrast is plain. The Daishoin raises a gable toward the gate and thrusts out a large porch. The Living Quarters keep a low hipped roof and make no gesture to the outside. Within one estate, the roof shapes already tell you which building was for show and which was for living.
Four Rooms and a Bright Main Room
The Former Inaba Family Villa Living Quarters use the ta-no-ji plan, four rooms arranged like the character 田. The main room in the north-east corner has a decorative alcove and staggered shelves, with the second room to its south. On three sides runs a Kure-en veranda, its boards laid lengthwise along the building.
The detail the Agency for Cultural Affairs dwells on is above head height. Sliding paper screens (akari-shōji) are fitted above the lintel line, in the band of wall that would normally be solid plaster. Light comes in from high up as well as from the veranda, so a wing tucked at the back of the house does not feel dim. The agency's summary calls the result a bright and gentle living space.
Why the Former Inaba Family Villa Living Quarters Were Registered
The Former Inaba Family Villa Living Quarters were registered as a building that serves as a model of design. They keep the dignity expected of a former lord's rooms, with alcove, shelves and nageshi, while the four-room plan and the high screens aim at everyday comfort.
The way the Former Inaba Family Villa splits guests and family into separate buildings linked by a corridor is worth noticing in its own right, and this wing is the clearest example of the family side.
Seeing the Former Inaba Family Villa Living Quarters
The Former Inaba Family Villa Living Quarters are part of the main block Usuki City opens as the Former Usuki Domain Lord Inaba Family Shimoyashiki. With an admission ticket you reach them by walking east along the tatami corridor from the Daishoin, and those few steps take you from the public front of the house into its private back.
Inside, look for the shelves and alcove in the main room and the screens set above the lintels. On a sunny day you can watch light from those high screens reach well into the room. The main block is also hired out for events, and viewing is restricted on those days. We found no official guidance on photography (checked September 2026).
Q&A
- When were the Former Inaba Family Villa Living Quarters built?
- Around 1902.
- What are the Former Inaba Family Villa Living Quarters like?
- A single-storey timber wing with a hipped, pantiled roof and a building area of 112 square meters. Four rooms are arranged in a ta-no-ji plan, the main room has an alcove and staggered shelves, and a veranda runs round three sides.
- Who used the Former Inaba Family Villa Living Quarters?
- Usuki City says this was the heart of the family's private rooms, where the head of the Inaba family is thought to have lived during his stays, with the main room as his seat.
- When did the Former Inaba Family Villa Living Quarters become a Registered Tangible Cultural Property?
- On July 8, 2008, registered as a building that serves as a model of design.
- How do I get into the Former Inaba Family Villa Living Quarters?
- There is no separate entrance. Walk east from the Daishoin along the tatami corridor. It is included in admission to the Former Usuki Domain Lord Inaba Family Shimoyashiki.
Basic Information
| Name | Former Inaba Family Villa Living Quarters (旧稲葉家別邸御居間) |
|---|---|
| Location | 6-6 Gionsu, Oaza Usuki, Usuki City, Oita Prefecture |
| Designation | Registered Tangible Cultural Property (Building) |
| Year Designated | 2008 (registered) |
| Quantity | 1 building |
| Dimensions | Building area 112 m² (single-storey timber) |
| Owner | Usuki City |
| Public Access | Open to the public (admission charged, as the Former Usuki Domain Lord Inaba Family Shimoyashiki) |
References
- Database of National Cultural Properties (Agency for Cultural Affairs): Former Inaba Family Villa Living Quarters
- https://kunishitei.bunka.go.jp/bsys/maindetails/101/00007327
- Cultural Heritage Online: Former Inaba Family Villa Living Quarters
- https://online.bunka.go.jp/heritages/detail/198319
- Usuki City: Former Usuki Domain Lord Inaba Family Shimoyashiki (Japanese)
- https://www.city.usuki.oita.jp/docs/2014013000108/
- Usuki City: Inaba Family Shimoyashiki leaflet (PDF, Japanese)
- https://usuki-kanko.com/cms/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/inabakeshimoyashiki.pdf
Last verified: 2026.09.29
