Shimo-Tokikunike Residence

Overview

The Shimo-Tokikunike Residence, located in Wajima City, Ishikawa Prefecture, is an early Edo period farmhouse designated as an Important Cultural Property of Japan. It has been handed down through generations as the branch family residence of the Tokikunike family, who relocated to the Kaga domain. It is said that the 12th generation of the Tokikunike family, Tozaemon Tokiyasu, established a branch family and moved to this location in the Kaga domain in 1670 (Kanbun 10). They reportedly served the clan as mountain officials and salt inspectors. While the construction date of the current residence is said to be 1670 (Kanbun 10) when the branch family was established, there is no definitive proof. However, based on its structure and techniques, it's believed to have been built not long after the branch family was established. The residence is large in scale, measuring 13 ken (approximately 23.4 meters) in depth and 8 ken (approximately 14.4 meters) in width. It faces south, with a gable roof, a hipped and gabled style (irimoya-zukuri), and a large thatched roof. A tiled roof overhang surrounds the building on all four sides. The layout is characteristic of a large Oku Noto farmhouse. The formal rooms are arranged facing the garden, with an inner guest room, a middle guest room, and an outer guest room. The entrance area is called the 'Oen-zasiki' (veranda guest room), featuring a covered veranda, and the storeroom still shows traces of a 'cho-dai-kumi' (a type of shelving unit). These features offer a glimpse into the lifestyle of wealthy farmers of the time. The earthen floor is exceptionally wide, occupying about half of the main building's width. The three independent columns and the massive layered beam structure evoke the image of large-scale construction using hired workers, reflecting the lifestyle of wealthy farmers of the era. The Shimo-Tokikunike Residence is a precious building that conveys the lifestyle of wealthy farmers during the Edo period and is a sightseeing spot where you can experience the history and culture. If you visit Wajima, be sure to visit this site.