Watanabe-tei — Attraction in Sekikawa

A beautifully preserved Samurai farm, with loads of original features (loved the kitchen and garden). It was very quiet when we were there, but as it was freezing with a lot of snow on the ground , not surprising.

As is customary in Japanese houses, you have to take your shoes off, which in late winter/early spring was cold, so take...

元は村上藩に支えていた家臣だったが、主君の国替えの際に隠遁し、豪商家となった渡邉家の旧家で重要文化財。檜や松の巨木を使った梁組が圧巻の母屋は、他に類をない吹き抜けの大空間の構造であり、往時の財力が偲ばれる。名勝庭園は、銀閣寺の庭師でも有名な田中泰阿弥の作で国名勝となっている。

is the former home of the Watanabe family, who were originally vassals who supported the Murakami clan, but went into seclusion when their lord was transferred to a different country and became a wealthy merchant family, and is an important cultural property. The main building, with its impressive beam structure made of giant cypress and pine trees, is an unparalleled structure with a large open-air atrium, a reminder of the wealth and power of the past. The garden is a national place of scenic beauty, created by Tanaka Taiami, who is also famous as the gardener of Ginkakuji...

Huge Beautiful old Japanese house with picturesque Japanese garden. Admission at 600 yen is good enough, the combo ticket is not worth or needed as the other 2 places are small and...