After a Decade of Preservation and Restoration, It’s Finally Complete! I Attended the Commemorative Tour of the Completed Inoue House (Bitchū no Machiya de Class, Nostalgic Future 2022)

“Bitchu no Machiya de Class (hereafter, Machiya Class),” which visits historic streetscapes remaining within nationally designated Important Preservation Districts for Groups of Traditional Buildings and across the Bitchu region, began again in 2022.

A variety of events, including tours, walks, and lectures, are planned over the course of about a month.

This article introduces the “Inoue House Completion Commemorative Tour,” held on November 5 and 6, 2022.

What is Bitchu no Machiya de Class (Machiya Class)?

“Bitchu no Machiya de Class (Machiya Class)” is an experiential event hosted by the “Bitchu Streetscape Network,” organized primarily by Kurashiki Machiya Trust, an NPO, which operates in Kurashiki City.

It is usually held for about a month starting in November, and 2022 was no exception.

The schedule is as follows.

About Inoue House

This time, we visited the “Inoue House Completion Commemorative Tour.”

The Inoue family, who worked on new land development in what is now Hayashima Town, reportedly moved to Kurashiki about 400 years ago.

Later, they became one of the 13 old families of Kurashiki Village known as the “Koroku,” taking turns with other families in serving as village elders and representatives of the farmers.

Built about 300 years ago, Inoue House is the oldest machiya in Kurashiki.

In 2002, five buildings, including the main house, were designated Important Cultural Properties of Japan. Beginning in 2012, they underwent preservation repairs over a period of ten years, involving complete dismantling (and partial dismantling of the three-story storehouse).

Some people walking along Honmachi Street in the Bikan Historical Area may have thought, “They’ve been doing construction forever.” Now, at last, all the work has been completed, and a commemorative tour was held.

Main House Exterior

The first thing that catches the eye on the exterior is the “second-floor window.”

The “Kurashiki window,” considered the oldest style and fitted with a mud-plastered door, can now only be seen at Inoue House.

It is usually left open and closed in the event of a fire to serve as a fire barrier.

Three-Story Storehouse Exterior

Visible at the back is a three-story storehouse built atop foundation stones made of Teshima stone.

It is known that Kurashiki Village in the Edo period had a giso, a system of famine relief and mutual aid run by the community.

Documents about the system have been carefully preserved inside the storehouse by the Inoue family.

Interior

There is plenty to see inside.

• Beams set to match the slope of the rafters
• An open ceiling that lets out kitchen smoke and brings in light
• A hearth enshrining “Odogu-sama”
• Tea room
• Hanging scrolls

We would like to introduce many of these features, but were told, “Please wait a little longer until it opens to the public.”

From the Writer

The house is scheduled to open to the public in spring 2023, after the exhibits have been prepared. More details are expected to be announced soon.

This was a special tour held ahead of the public opening.

In addition to Inoue House, Kurashiki’s town centre is home to residences of the “Shinroku” families designated Important Cultural Properties, including Ohara House (now “Ohara House Katalyzer”) and Ohashi House.

Not only are there museums housed in renovated storehouses, such as the Mingei Museum and the Archaeological Museum, but many machiya also remain preserved in the preservation district.

There are also quite a few Western-style buildings from the Meiji and Taisho periods.

Why not visit them one by one and discover Kurashiki’s history along the way?

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