What Nozaki Family Villa Taikado Residence Is
Nozaki Family Villa Taikado Residence is a single-storey timber building of 1896 in Kojima Ajino, Kurashiki City, Okayama Prefecture, entered on the national register of tangible cultural properties in 2000. It is understood to have housed the servants who kept the estate in order.
It begins at the east face of the north end of the main house kitchen and runs in an L toward the main gate. Coming through the gate it is on the right, facing the rickshaw shed and pullers' room on the left, and Nozaki Family Villa Taikado Residence forms one side of the enclosure around the front garden.
The roof is hipped and laid with pantiles, and the building covers 49 square metres. On an estate built for receiving guests, this is the only structure where people actually lived from day to day.
Why It Is Registered
Nozaki Family Villa Taikado Residence was registered in 2000 with the number 33-0037, under the criterion of contribution to the historic landscape of the nation, as one building within the Taikado group.
Its significance is that it shows how the estate was kept going. Holding a hundred-mat hall ready for a handful of banquets a year takes constant cleaning and maintenance, and the household built the quarters for that work into the grounds.
The placement repays thought as well. The caretaker's house sits inside the main gate and on the right-hand side, so whoever came and went was seen first by the person living here. It serves both convenience and watchfulness.
What to Look For
The L-shaped plan is what catches the eye at Nozaki Family Villa Taikado Residence. The line bending from the kitchen toward the gate traces the outline of the front garden, as though the garden had been set out first and the building fitted to it.
The roof is hipped rather than gabled like the main house, and the tiles are ordinary pantiles. No status-bearing detail was used; the specification is practical. Compared with the main house across the garden, the estate clearly grades its buildings.
The eaves sit low. Standing in the front garden with the main entrance ahead, the residence on the right is kept below the line of sight, the dimensions of a supporting part that stays out of the way.
Visiting
Nozaki Family Villa Taikado Residence faces the inner front garden, so it can be examined closely only during the Kojima Hinameguri festival. While the gate is shut there is no view from the street.
The interior is not open and cannot be entered. On an open day the thing to do is stand in the garden and read the bend of the L and the low eave line. Follow the photography notices posted on the day. Directions and the current opening dates are on the Nozaki Family Villa Taikado page.
- 📍 Plan Your Visit to Okayama
- Find tours, activities & transport passes near Nozaki Family Villa Taikado Residence
- [ Kurashiki Bikan District & Korakuen Garden Tours ]
Q&A
- Who lived in Nozaki Family Villa Taikado Residence?
- It is understood to have housed the servants who maintained the grounds, the only building on the Taikado estate lived in day to day.
- Where does Nozaki Family Villa Taikado Residence stand?
- It runs in an L from the east face of the north end of the main house kitchen toward the main gate, on the right as you enter.
- How large is Nozaki Family Villa Taikado Residence?
- A single-storey timber building of 49 square metres, with a hipped roof laid in pantiles.
- Can visitors go inside Nozaki Family Villa Taikado Residence?
- No. The interior is closed, and even on open days only the exterior can be seen.
- What is the registration number of Nozaki Family Villa Taikado Residence?
- 33-0037. It was entered on the register of tangible cultural properties on 28 April 2000.
Basic Information
| Name | Nozaki Family Villa Taikado Residence |
|---|---|
| Location | 1-8-34 Kojima Ajino, Kurashiki City, Okayama Prefecture |
| Designation | Registered Tangible Cultural Property |
| Year Designated | Registered 2000 (Heisei 12) |
| Quantity | 1 building |
| Dimensions | Building area 49 m2 |
| Owner | Naikai Salt Co., Ltd. |
| Public Access | Normally closed; opened during the Kojima Hinameguri festival |
References
- National Cultural Properties Database: Nozaki Family Villa Taikado Residence (Agency for Cultural Affairs)
- https://kunishitei.bunka.go.jp/heritage/detail/101/00001635
- Nozaki Family Villa Taikado, Main House and Twelve Other Structures (Kurashiki City)
- https://www.city.kurashiki.okayama.jp/culture/art/1007596/1007597/1011206/1007792/1007796.html
- Kojima Hinameguri (Kurashiki City, Kojima Branch Office)
- https://www.city.kurashiki.okayama.jp/culture/tourism/1001881/1011764/1008061/1011533.html
Last verified: 2026.09.13
