Fun of Good Old Japanese - 江戸・明治に学ぶ　楽しむ生き方

“Chaya(teahouse)-honjin” was a resting place for daimyo lords and nobles . However, there were no rooms to stay overnight. Goryo Chaya-honjin is located at Nakasendou (highway) in mountainous area of Gunma Prefecture. The map is shown at the bottom of this article. “Chaya-honjin” were residences of two Nakajima families. The families served as a village head during in the Edo period (1603 ～ 1868) . Old utensils, historical documents and excavated artifacts are exhibited inside the buildings, so they look like history and folklore museums. I introduce Usui check point , Oginoya (famous bento restaurant) and Sakamoto post town together.  中山道を通行した大名や公家が休息した施設 です。名主屋敷であり、茶屋本陣には宿泊できる広さではありませんが、江戸時代から残る建物は風格が十分。「お東」「お西」と呼ばれる二軒の中島家が交代で名主を務めていました。屋敷内には近世の民具や古文書、古代の発掘品が多数展示されていて、郷土博物館のようです。  近くにある 碓氷関所、峠の釜めしの荻野屋さん、その先の坂本宿 も紹介します。   The reception is inside the gate.  お西の門の先に受付があります。 The residence, which was built in 1806 and used as "Chaya honjin", is called ...

Annaka is located around 110km northwest of Tokyo (see the map at the end of this article). A daimyo lord lived there in the Edo period (1603 ～ 1868); his territory was not so large. Samurai’s row house and a bugyou commissioner’s official residence remained. Both of them have thatched roofs. They led thrifty lives . 群馬県西部の安中藩は、 三万石の小藩 でした。藩主は、井伊家で始まり幕末は板倉家でした。傷んでいた武家屋敷を往時のように復元しています。 中級武士の長屋 が残っていたのでびっくりしました。 慎ましい生活 で意外でした。上級武士である 奉行の役宅 も残っています。茅葺です。   Samurai’s row house 、武家長屋   Four families of middle-class samurai lived here . There is a well and a garden, however the garden was a kitchen-garden back then. They were not rich.   中級武士が四軒 入りました。井戸と庭がありますが、 庭は畑として使っていた とのこと。楽な暮らしではありません。 A restroom and a kitchen space are connected to the house. Not only body waste but also drainage were collected and were used for fertilizing or watering . トイレと流し場が張り出しています。簡素な玄関は流し場の左側でした。 トイレだけでなく、流し場の水もリサイクル ですね。 Two rooms and an earthen floor kitchen are equipped for a ...

 Annaka is located  around 110km northwest of Tokyo (see the map at the end of this article). There were four post towns of Nakasendou ( kaidou  or highway) in the Edo period (1603 ～ 1868). The permanent exhibition room in the large building is as large as the area of one and half classroom. It shows fun things people used to do such as folk events.  安中市には、中山道の宿場町が四つ（坂本、松井田、安中、板鼻）ありました。大きな施設の中にある常設展示室は、教室一つ半ぐらいですが、民俗行事など普通の人々の楽しみが展示されています。  The exhibits of the Jomon period (more than three thousand years ago) are very interesting. More than two hundred clay pots with animal faces are excavated. It was the largest number in Japan. The face of a wild boar is realistic, so it is written that people might had bred boars.   縄文時代の展示 が見応えタップリ。 5000 年前の獣面付き土器は、中野谷松原遺跡から 200 点以上出土しました。全国で最も多い数です。イノシシの顔がリアルで、「飼育していた可能性もあります」と書かれてました。  The accessories in the ancient period are always attractive. Ladies had to make a large hole in their earlobe to wear the c...

  “ Honjin” were hotels for daimyo lords, nobles and other elites. There were also chaya(teahouse)-honjin which were resting places for them; there were no rooms to stay. I visited chaya-honjin in Kami-Toyooka, and a honjin room in Itahana-shuku (post town), Nakasendou (highway). We can see the facility for upper class in the Edo period (1603 ～ 1868).  上豊岡の茶屋本陣は、中山道の高崎宿と板鼻宿との間にあり、 大名や上級武士・公卿の休憩のために用いられました 。和宮様が宿泊された板鼻宿本陣の部屋も訪問しました。上流階級の旅を感じられます。 There is another gate inside the main gate which leads to the lounge. すぐ右手に屋敷内の門があり、休憩所へと進みます。 The lounge and the garden.  休息を取る建物とお庭です。 The back room is a resting place for VIPs, however not for VVIP such as  royalties like princesses . The floor level of VVIP had to be raised up around 15cm. 奥が上段の間 なのですが、 段を上げていないので、和宮様のような高貴のお休み場所にはできなかった とのことです。手前が、次の間です。 The VIP room has “tokonoma” space to decorate a painting scroll, a vase and so on. 上段の間は書院造りです。写真がぼけていてすみません。 The room of “honjin” in Itahana- shuku  (post tow...