About the Study and Connecting Corridor
The Former Nakamura Family Residence Study and Connecting Corridor (旧中村家住宅書斎及び渡廊下, Kyū Nakamura-ke Jūtaku Shosai oyobi Watari-rōka) is a small study and covered corridor built in the Meiji 30s (1897 to 1906) in Amami, Kawachinagano City, Osaka Prefecture, and registered as a Registered Tangible Cultural Property on August 7, 2023. It occupies the northwest corner of the Nakamura estate, and the study and the corridor that runs from it are registered together as one structure. The national database records a renovation in the Showa 50s (1975 to 1984).
The building is single-story timber with a tiled roof and a footprint of 37 square meters. The study has a hip-and-gable (Irimoya-zukuri) roof of pantiles (Sangawara-buki) and is attached on its east face to the storehouse. The corridor stands on top of the stone retaining wall along the west side of the estate.
A Former Bath and a Six-Mat Study
The study block of the Former Nakamura Family Residence Study and Connecting Corridor is divided in two from west to east. The west half is a storeroom that, according to the Agency for Cultural Affairs, was originally a bath. The east half is a six-mat tatami room, the study itself.
The veranda (Engawa) in front of the study and the corridor have no flat ceilings. Instead they use a Keshō-yaneura, an exposed roof underside, with thin laths (komai) nailed in close rows across the rafters. The national description classes this work as modern Japanese style, a lighter, more refined interior than the old-fashioned Edo framing of the main house.
Building as Boundary
The other job the Study and Connecting Corridor does is to enclose the estate. The corridor follows the top of the west stone wall, and the study anchors the northwest corner and joins the storehouse. Together with the gate row house on the south, these buildings trace the outer edge of the property.
Kawachinagano City sums it up the same way: modern Japanese style inside, and outside an element that forms the estate's perimeter. Seen from beyond the west wall, the low tiled roofs sitting directly on the stonework give the Former Nakamura Family Residence its outline on a stone platform raised beside the stream.
Why It Was Registered
The Study and Connecting Corridor was registered as a building that contributes to the historic landscape of the country. The Agency for Cultural Affairs notes that it forms part of the enclosure of the village headman's estate and matters for the landscape of the hamlet. The structure is small, but its role in defining the edge of the estate is what the registration recognizes.
The detail to look for is where building meets stone. From the west side of the estate you can see the corridor resting on the top course of the retaining wall, with the hipped gable of the study beyond it. If you are able to go inside, look up at the veranda soffit and the fine, even spacing of the laths.
Seeing the Study and Connecting Corridor
The Study and Connecting Corridor lies at the back of the estate, in the northwest corner, hidden from the courtyard by the main house and west zashiki wing. Its exterior can be seen from the west and north sides of the estate as a line of low buildings on the stone wall. There is no published information on whether the interior is open, so ask the staff of the Sansen Sozen Kyuemon cafe if you would like to see it.
There is no guidance on photography. Check with the staff before going into the back of the property or walking round the estate, and be considerate of other guests and neighboring homes. Directions and opening days are on the Former Nakamura Family Residence page.
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Q&A
- When was the Former Nakamura Family Residence Study and Connecting Corridor built?
- It dates from the Meiji 30s (1897 to 1906). The national database records a renovation in the Showa 50s (1975 to 1984).
- What is inside the study of the Former Nakamura Family Residence Study and Connecting Corridor?
- The study block is split in two: a storeroom on the west that was originally a bath, and a six-mat tatami room on the east. The study has a hip-and-gable tiled roof and joins the storehouse on its east face.
- Why is the Former Nakamura Family Residence Study and Connecting Corridor described as modern Japanese style?
- The veranda and corridor leave the roof underside exposed instead of fitting a ceiling, finished with thin laths nailed across the rafters. The Agency for Cultural Affairs classes this as modern Japanese-style work.
- Where is the Former Nakamura Family Residence Study and Connecting Corridor on the estate?
- In the northwest corner. The corridor stands on the stone wall along the west side, so the building forms part of the outer boundary of the estate.
- When was the Former Nakamura Family Residence Study and Connecting Corridor registered as a cultural property?
- It was registered as a Registered Tangible Cultural Property on August 7, 2023, under registration number 27-0890.
Basic Information
| Name | Former Nakamura Family Residence Study and Connecting Corridor (旧中村家住宅書斎及び渡廊下) |
|---|---|
| Location | 346 Amami, Kawachinagano City, Osaka Prefecture |
| Designation | Registered Tangible Cultural Property (Structure) |
| Year Designated | 2023 (registered) |
| Quantity | 1 building |
| Dimensions | Building area 37 square meters (single-story timber, tiled roof) |
| Owner | Private individual |
| Public Access | Operates as a cafe (partly open) |
References
- Agency for Cultural Affairs, Database of National Cultural Properties: Former Nakamura Family Residence Study and Connecting Corridor
- https://kunishitei.bunka.go.jp/bsys/maindetails/101/00014646
- Cultural Heritage Online: Former Nakamura Family Residence Study and Connecting Corridor
- https://online.bunka.go.jp/heritages/detail/549968
- Kawachinagano City: Former Nakamura Family Residence Study and Connecting Corridor (in Japanese)
- https://www.city.kawachinagano.lg.jp/site/history/89356.html
- Osaka Bunkazai Navi: Sansen Sozen Kyuemon (Former Nakamura Family Residence)
- https://osaka-bunkazainavi.org/bunkazai/%E5%B1%B1%E5%B7%9D%E8%8D%89%E8%86%B3-%E4%B9%85%E5%8F%B3%E8%A1%9B%E9%96%80%EF%BC%88%E6%97%A7%E4%B8%AD%E6%9D%91%E5%AE%B6%E4%BD%8F%E5%AE%85%EF%BC%89
Last verified: 2026.09.29
