Former Yoroji Residence

Overview

The Former Yoroji Residence is a headman's house built in the early Edo period, located in Sakaita, Mogami-cho, Mogami-gun, Yamagata Prefecture. It was designated as an Important Cultural Property of Japan (building) on December 18, 1969 (Showa 44), and is owned by Mogami Town. It underwent dismantling and restoration between 1971 (Showa 46) and 1973 (Showa 48). The Yoroji family lived in this house for generations, serving as village headmen in Sakaitamura, a village that became independent around 1638-1647. The building also functioned as a Yakusha (village office), and it's believed to have also served as a wholesale merchant's storehouse and an inn. It is said that they also held a position guarding the border between the Sendai and Shōnai domains. Bashō refers to it as a 'houjin no ie' (border guard's house) in *Oku no Hosomichi*. On May 15th, Genroku 2 (July 1st, 1689 in the Gregorian calendar), Matsuo Bashō and his companion Sora, traveling from Sendai domain to Dewa Province, are said to have stayed at this house for two nights and three days due to heavy rain during the rainy season. Bashō's famous haiku poem from this stay is: "Fleas, lice, the horse's urine / beside my pillow". Before becoming part of Mogami Town in 1954 (Showa 29), this area was known as "O-kuni" (Higashi-O-kuni Village), one of the leading horse-producing regions in Yamagata Prefecture. In the Edo period, horses were kept in the main house to protect them from the cold, which is believed to be the background of this haiku. The Former Yoroji Residence has a frontage (桁行 - ketagyou) of 25.5 meters, a depth (梁間 - ryōkan) of 11.2 meters, and a gabled roof (寄棟造 - yosemune-zukuri) covered with thatched roofing. It is currently open to the public for a limited time, offering a glimpse into the lifestyles and architectural styles of the time.