About 13km north east of Naha on the eastern coast of Okinawa is the fascinating Nakamura House, which is a completely originally 18th century Okinawan farmhouse.
The head of the house was once the local village headman. Members of the Nakamura family, who can trace their ancestry back to the 15th century when they were retainers of Lord Gosamaru, still live in parts of the property.
The five buildings are set around a stone courtyard and include a number of fine, tatami-floored rooms with some exquisite wooden tansu (chests of drawers) and other furniture. Other rooms include the kitchen with upright stones where prayers were said to the fire god and a clay kamado stove. Out in the garden area are stone enclosures for pigs, horses and cattle.
The house also has a number of excellent clay shisa ornaments on the tiled roof and scattered around the property.
An attached souvenir shop/ticket office has a collection of Okinawan souvenirs in a pleasant environment to rest and have a cup of tea.
The entrance to the house includes a traditional Okinawan barrier or hinpun to ward off evil.
If you are coming by public transport take Ryukyu bus #21 to Ishihara. Nakamura House is close to Nakagusuku Castle ruins.
Nakamura House
106 Oshiro Aza Kitanakagusuku
Tel: 098 935 3500
Hours: 9am-5pm; Daily
Admission: 500 yen
Book a hotel in Japan with Bookings
Tags
Ryukyu Nakamura House Okinawa Naha
0 comments:
Post a Comment