洞口家住宅, Traditional samurai residence in Natori, Japan
The Doukuchi Family Residence is a traditional wooden house with a thatched roof and stone foundation, featuring multiple connected buildings on the grounds. The main structure contains a spacious earthen floor with supporting pillars, plus separate structures for storage, livestock, and food production.
Prayer cards dated between 1751 and 1764 suggest the house was built around the mid-18th century. These artifacts help date the construction and show how rural samurai families lived during that era.
The room layout reflects how people organized their daily lives, with the large earthen floor serving as the main work and gathering area for household activities. You can see how the family moved between formal and informal spaces depending on what they were doing.
You can visit the property year-round and explore multiple buildings spread across the grounds. Before heading out, check the opening hours ahead of time since they may vary seasonally.
The earthen floor includes six independent supporting pillars rather than a single column, creating an unusual and spacious interior layout. This arrangement was surprisingly generous for a rural family house and hints at the household's relative prosperity.
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