About the Nishie Family Residence Former Stable and Menservants' Quarters
The Nishie Family Residence Former Stable and Menservants' Quarters (西江家住宅旧馬小屋及び男部屋, Nishie-ke Jūtaku Kyū Umagoya oyobi Otokobeya) is a long early Meiji building running east to west south of the gate on the Nishie family estate in Nariwa-cho Sakamoto, Takahashi City, Okayama Prefecture, registered as a Registered Tangible Cultural Property in 2003. It houses horse stalls and living space under one roof.
It is a single-storey storehouse-style building with a tiled roof and a footprint of about 198 square meters, second only to the main house among the estate's nine registered buildings. The east end, facing the valley, has a hip-and-gable roof, while the west end joins the southern corner of the main house.
Roughly the eastern two-thirds of its length holds a single row of stalls. To the west are one room and an earth-floored area with a low Tsushi-nikai loft above. The name's "menservants' quarters" most likely refers to this western part.
Why the Former Stable Was Registered
It was registered as contributing to the historic landscape. The Agency for Cultural Affairs calls it indispensable both to the front of the estate and to the setting of the forecourt before the main house.
Because it runs unbroken from the gate to the main house, it walls off the left-hand side as you enter and turns the space in front of the main house into an enclosed court. Without it the forecourt would lie open to the south.
The Nishie family were district headmen and their house doubled as an office of the shogunate's intendant; the owners list post-horse stables among the official facilities that survive. A building of 198 square meters suggests a household with a steady traffic of people and horses.
What to Look For
Begin with the east end. By turning a hip-and-gable roof toward the valley, the builders gave a long, narrow building a confident face that closes the southern end of the estate's front beside the gate and gate reception rooms.
Then walk its length. The storehouse-style walls run on, but the use changes from stalls to room and earth floor; try to spot from outside where one section gives way to the other.
Finally, note how the west end meets the main house. Joining the outbuilding directly to the house would have let people tend horses or receive callers without stepping out into the rain.
Visiting the Former Stable
The owners' visitor information lists the post-horse stables among the things you can see, but it does not say which part of the Nishie Family Residence Former Stable and Menservants' Quarters this means. The exterior can be seen along the south side of the forecourt once you are through the gate.
The estate is the Nishie family's home and visits are by reservation only. Phone photography is allowed, but exhibits may not be photographed and commercial shoots are not permitted; staff point out where the buildings can be photographed after you enter.
Directions and booking details are on the Nishie Family Residence page.
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Q&A
- What is the Nishie Family Residence Former Stable and Menservants' Quarters?
- A long, single-storey early Meiji building in storehouse style running from the gate to the main house. The eastern two-thirds hold a row of horse stalls; the west has a room, an earth-floored area and a loft.
- How big is the Nishie Family Residence Former Stable and Menservants' Quarters?
- Its footprint is about 198 square meters, second only to the main house among the estate's nine registered buildings.
- Why is the Nishie Family Residence Former Stable and Menservants' Quarters a Registered Tangible Cultural Property?
- It was registered in 2003 as contributing to the historic landscape, being indispensable to the front of the estate and to the forecourt of the main house.
- Can I go inside the Nishie Family Residence Former Stable and Menservants' Quarters?
- The owners list the post-horse stables among the things visitors can see, but how much of this building is open is not stated. Ask when you book.
- Where is the best view of the Nishie Family Residence Former Stable and Menservants' Quarters?
- From the forecourt inside the gate, looking south. Its hip-and-gable east end is best seen from outside the estate on the east, next to the gate.
Basic Information
| Name | Nishie Family Residence Former Stable and Menservants' Quarters |
|---|---|
| Location | 1604 Nariwa-cho Sakamoto, Takahashi City, Okayama Prefecture |
| Designation | Registered Tangible Cultural Property (Building) |
| Year Designated | 2003 (Heisei 15) |
| Quantity | 1 building |
| Dimensions | Building area 198 square meters; storehouse construction, single storey |
| Owner | Private (the Nishie family) |
| Public Access | Exterior seen on reserved visits (extent of interior access to be confirmed) |
References
- Agency for Cultural Affairs, Database of National Cultural Properties: Nishie Family Residence Former Stable and Menservants' Quarters
- https://kunishitei.bunka.go.jp/bsys/maindetails/101/00003714
- Cultural Heritage Online: Nishie Family Residence Former Stable and Menservants' Quarters
- https://online.bunka.go.jp/heritages/detail/116594
- Takahashi City Cultural Property Map: Nishie Family Residence Main House and others
- https://www.city.takahashi.lg.jp/bunkazai/map/0153.html
- Nishie Residence official site: Activity (opening and rules)
- https://inishiekaoru1647.wixsite.com/nishie-residence/%E6%96%BD%E8%A8%AD%E5%85%AC%E9%96%8B
Last verified: 2026.09.24
