Kanzo Yashiki, Traditional mansion in Enzan, Japan.
Kanzo Yashiki is a two-story wooden mansion in Enzan with a copper-tiled roof, tatami-matted rooms, and a central wooden pillar that supports the entire structure. The building displays the typical construction methods of prosperous merchant residences from that period and stands within a surrounding historical park.
The Takano family built this residence in the early 1800s, gaining their wealth through the Chinese licorice trade during the Edo period. The house reflects the economic prosperity of this trading region and the importance of long-distance commerce to local families.
The mansion contains a traditional wood-fired hearth called irori in the main room, which reflects the way families organized their daily life around warmth and cooking. This central gathering place demonstrates the domestic customs that were common throughout the Koshu region during earlier centuries.
The mansion sits directly across from JR Enzan Station and is easy to reach on foot. Visitors can explore both floors and walk through the surrounding park to get a complete sense of the property and its setting.
The property maintains Japan's oldest licorice field on its southern grounds, continuing the cultivation tradition that once made the family prosperous. This living connection to the family's original trade shows how commercial activity shaped the land for many generations.
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