Ashigaru Nagaya, Traditional row house in Shibata, Japan.
The Ashigaru Nagaya is a traditional row house in Shibata, Japan, consisting of eight connected residential units arranged in a linear configuration. The structure features simple, functional spaces with shared walls and basic facilities typical of dwellings built during the Edo period.
This building was constructed in 1842 along the Aizu Kaido highway as housing for lower-ranking samurai and their families. Its construction reflects the housing conditions and social arrangements that were common in rural areas during the late Edo period.
The wooden structure displays traditional Japanese architectural features such as tatami flooring and shared walls that reflect the social hierarchies of feudal times. The layout shows how ordinary soldiers and their families organized their daily lives in these modest spaces.
The building stands near Shibata Castle and its exterior remains accessible year-round to visitors. Interior access is typically restricted, so plan to focus on viewing the exterior and understanding the building from the outside.
The building stands as one of the few surviving original examples of soldier housing from this era, revealing what such simple accommodations actually looked like in everyday use. This makes it a rare window into the material living conditions of ordinary people during the late Edo period.
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