Nozaki's Historical Residence—what kind of place comes to mind when you hear that name?
Just hearing the name, you might think, “Is it just a house?” But it’s actually an amazing place!
Nozaki's Historical Residence is full of attractions, from seeing the Nozaki family’s salt-making culture to appreciating the beauty of its Japanese garden. There’s so much to enjoy throughout the grounds.
You can learn about the history of salt, or simply enjoy the atmosphere!
There are so many things to discover that you’ll never get tired of visiting, no matter how many times you come, so you can visit with all kinds of purposes in mind.
In this article, we, students at Okayama Prefectural Kurashiki Washu Senior High School, a high school in Kojima, introduce our favorite things about Nozaki's Historical Residence that we discovered when we visited in person!
This article was contributed by students in the “Kojima Future Studies” class, part of the second-year Integrated Studies program at Okayama Prefectural Kurashiki Washu Senior High School. The editorial team at Haretoco General Incorporated Association edited and published it.
The information in this article is as of its publication in May 2021. Please note that it may differ from current information.
Nozaki's Historical Residence, a nationally designated Important Cultural Property spanning approximately 3,000 tsubo
Nozaki's Historical Residence is a huge house spanning approximately 3,000 tsubo (about 10,000 square meters, or the size of a baseball field), built by Nozaki Buzaemon, who was once known as the “Salt Field King”.
Built in the late Edo period, it has been designated a National Important Cultural Property of Japan.
Various events are also held at different times of the year.
For example, when we visited in March 2021, a limited-time Hina Matsuri event was being held, and we were able to see beautiful, large hina dolls.
The hina dolls in the photo below are called Kyoho-bina.
At about 80 centimeters tall, they are among the largest hina dolls in Japan!
You’ll probably be amazed by their size the first time you see them.
At the entrance to Nozaki's Historical Residence, you’re greeted by the approximately 26-meter-long Nagaya-mon Gate.
We visited on January 3, 2021, so kadomatsu decorations had been placed in front of the gate.
Now, let’s head inside!
The captivating Japanese-style garden, “karesansui”
The garden at Nozaki's Historical Residence is a karesansui, or dry landscape garden.
The moss-covered look gives it a distinctly Japanese atmosphere.
It also has trees such as pine, maple, and cedar that can be seen in different seasons, so one of its charms is that the atmosphere changes with every visit.
What shape do you think the rock in the photo below looks like?
The garden at Nozaki's Historical Residence has features designed to delight visitors, and the rock in the photo above is said to depict a turtle swimming.
The part hidden by the tree is its face, and you can see its left front leg in the foreground.
Now that you’ve heard that, you can see the turtle, can’t you?
Apparently, there’s also a stone that looks like a frog, so see if you can find it!
As you continue through the garden, you’ll see a stone wall 12 meters high and more than 50 meters wide.
Believe it or not, the wall was carefully built by fitting together around 6,000 to 7,000 stones, one by one.
It was built around 1900 and has retained its shape ever since.
Up close, it was incredibly tall and solidly constructed—a truly impressive sight!
There is also one fan-shaped stone set into the wall.
It’s a hidden “Oggi” (fan), like a hidden Mickey! (laughs)
Finding the fan-shaped stone is another fun thing to do.
Explore Edo-period history at Nozaki's Historical Residence
The history museum displays a variety of items, including materials related to salt-making, household tools from the Edo period onward, and valuable footage from that time.
There’s even a rock salt this big!
You might find yourself wondering, “Just how many kilograms does it weigh?”
At the history museum, you can learn about history while having fun with quiz-style activities.
Come visit and find out the answer for yourself!
The person in the photo below is Nozaki Buzaemon, who built Nozaki's Historical Residence.
He made significant contributions to land reclamation and salt production, and was also known as the “Salt Field King.”
However, Nozaki was not originally his surname.
It is said that after developing the salt fields at Ajinohama and Akasakihama, he was given the surname “Nozaki,” combining the “No” from Ajino with the “zaki” from Akasaki.
Near Nozaki's Historical Residence is the Nozaki Memorial Monument (Nozaki Buzaemon Commemorative Monument), which was built by people in the salt-making industry to honor Nozaki Buzaemon’s achievements.
The kitchen also displays tools from that time, including items that had been used since the Edo period.
It’s amazing that things from so many years ago have been preserved in such good condition.
There are many items that make you think, “They had things like that back then?”—including an ice cream maker.
Why does Nozaki's Historical Residence make its valuable historical materials available to the public?
We spoke with curator Miyake about why Nozaki's Historical Residence opens its doors to the public and the thinking behind it.
Nozaki's Historical Residence Information
| Name | Nozaki's Historical Residence |
|---|---|
| Address | 1-11-19 Ajino, Kojima, Kurashiki City, Okayama Prefecture |
| Contact | 086-472-2001 |
| Parking | Available Free: 36 regular cars, 5 buses |
| Opening hours | 9:00 a.m.–4:30 p.m. (gates close at 5:00 p.m.) |
| Closed | Mondays (or the next weekday if Monday is a public holiday), December 25–January 1 |
| Admission (tax included) | Adults (including high school students): 500 yen Elementary and junior high school students: 300 yen Groups of 30 or more: 20% discount Free for elementary, junior high, and high school students on Saturdays, Sundays, and public holidays |
| Payment methods |
|
| Reservations | Not accepted |
| Smoking | Entirely smoke-free |
| Restrooms | Western-style and Japanese-style toilets |
| Website | Official website of Nozaki's Historical Residence |
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