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This house is a replica of the Kamiesu Family Residence, a nationally designated important cultural property located on Kume Island. It was the house of a samurai family during the Ryukyu Dynasty, and has a larger floor plan than most Okinawan houses. At that time, the roof was thatched, and after several repairs and re-thatching, it was changed to tiled in 1894, and at the end of the Meiji era, the roof became what it is today. The stepped roof and the curved eaves at the corners of the large roof is one of the features that cannot be seen in other minka, and the foundation stone of the rainbow pillar is not Ryukyu limestone but andesite from Kume Island.
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Description
This house is a reconstruction of the site and building of the Uezu Family Residence and a Nationally Designated Important Cultural Property. Today it is used as a place for culture and craft workshops and a venue for Ryukyu-style wedding ceremonies. The Uezu Family Residence of Kumejima Island is a house that belonged to a gentry family of the Ryukyu Kingdom, built around 1754. The Uezu family is descended from the lords of Gushikawa Castle, who served as leaders of the village for many generations. They are also known for promoting cotton yarn and tea cultivation, and particularly for spreading manufacturing methods for pongee fabric among the residents. At the same time, they are known for their numerous good deeds, including helping the poor and making offerings to the king. The floor plan consists of three rooms from the front right: "ichiban-za"(a guest room), "niban-za"(an altar room), and "sanban-za"(a living room), and two "ura-za"(back rooms). There is a "Fuuru" (pigsty and latrine) on the west side, a "Meenuyaa" (storehouse) to the southwest, a "Tongwaa" (kitchen) with four rooms, three ”Jiiru” (sunken hearths), and a well in front of the kitchen. The pillars that support "amahaji"(extending eaves) are made with andesite from Kumejima Island at their bases. The mansion is surrounded by a magnificent stone wall and is called "Ishigaki-dunchi", which retains the style of the time.
Houses and their layouts
Okinawan houses are roughly divided into two categories: wooden buildings called "Nuchijaa" and hut-style buildings called "Anayaa". In the days of the Ryukyu Kingdom, the size of a house or building was determined by the status of the people living in it.
Architecture of "Nuchijaa" standalone wooden houses with tile roofs
In Okinawa, the various restrictions on houses and residences during the Kingdom era were abolished in 1889 (Meiji 22 in the imperial calendar), allowing the use of red roof tiles, which had been restricted in the past, by farmers in various parts of the country, thus leading to the formation of the red tile-roofed village landscapes that can be seen today.
Houses built in Ryukyu Kingdom castle towns were typically standalone structures, with the main room and kitchen under one roof, the roofs being low and with "amahaji"(extending eaves) to provide protection from strong direct sunlight and rain blown sideways from entering the building. These houses were surrounded by stone walls and forests, which serve as both windbreaks and firebreaks, showing the wisdom of our ancestors.
Okinawa was once an independent nation called the Ryukyu Kingdom. Its people traversed the seas and traded with other countries, adopting various cultures while developing a unique culture of their own. When you come here to Ryukyu Kingdom Castle Town, you feel like you have taken a trip in time back to that bygone era. The streets are lined with beautiful old houses with red tile roofs, people in dazzling Ryukyu clothing pass by, and tropical flowers decorate the streets.
This is a place where you can step back in time and experience the Ryukyu Islands of long ago, with surroundings that include the houses and “Fuuru” ( pigsty & latrine) more than 100 years old that are registered as National Tangible Cultural Properties, buildings known as "Kami Ashagi" where community religious rituals are said to have once been performed, and traditional houses featuring masonry that uses techniques unique to Okinawa.
Cultural property information
【Opening hours】
9:00-17:30 (last admission 16:00)
【Closing day】
-
【Fee】
Adult: 2,000 yen, Child: 1,000 yen *Child is between the ages of 4 and 14; 15 and older are charged at the adult rate. Admission is every 20 minutes from Gyokusendo. Web advance tickets are available until the day before admission. On the day of admission, please purchase tickets directly at the Okinawa World ticket counter.
Back to cultural properties in Nanjo City, Okinawa Prefecture
