About a 20-minute drive from JR Kurashiki Station toward Chayamachi Station.
When we arrived in a place called Obitaka, where large rice paddies stretch one after another, golden rice ears were glowing in the sunlight on the day of our visit.
In one corner, amid a thicket of tall plants, stands a sturdy old Japanese house.
This is Tsukubo Katayama House.
Built in the 1800s, Tsukubo Katayama House is still used as a residence today, while some of its spaces are also used as a place for community exchange.
One particularly distinctive feature is the Noh stage on the grounds!
With Miho Takiguchi, representative of the NPO Tsukubo Katayama House Project, as our guide, we learned what kind of old house it is and the thinking behind how it is used.
The information presented here was current when this article was published in October 2021. Please note that it may differ from current information.
What is Tsukubo Katayama House? A 200-year-old traditional house used as a place for community exchange
The Katayama family's ancestors served the Awa Miyoshi clan.
They bought new rice fields and moved to the Obitaka area, where they built what is now Tsukubo Katayama House in 1803 (Kyowa 3) as the south branch family.
They expanded their land while farming and were apparently known as wealthy landowners at the time.
According to Ms. Takiguchi, the house where generations of the Katayama family lived had been vacant for some time around 2010.
Ms. Takiguchi and her siblings, descendants of the family, took turns maintaining it, but she says that with the house and garden both so large, it was difficult for the family alone to maintain the Katayama residence.
After that, they began considering ways to use the property with help from local people and others, and incorporated in 2017.
They launched full-scale use of the property as the NPO Tsukubo Katayama House Project, with Ms. Takiguchi as its representative.
In addition to Noh lessons on the Noh stage, they hold many events unrelated to Noh, including classical music concerts and networking events.
Features of Tsukubo Katayama House: Designed to make the most of its celebrated garden
Tsukubo Katayama House is a traditional house that is more than 200 years old.
Although repairs are made as needed, Tsukubo Katayama House itself has retained almost the same appearance it had 200 years ago.
One of its proudest features is that it has no pillars where you would expect them to support the building.
Ms. Takiguchi says that the family has passed down the story that “because our ancestor cared deeply about the garden, no pillars were put up on the guest-room side so that the garden could be seen.”
Even so, you might worry that without pillars, the eaves could sag.
In fact, a device called a hanegi is installed in the attic to keep the eaves from sagging, and apparently supports them.
The fact that buildings were constructed with such ingenuity more than 200 years ago speaks to the sophistication of the architectural techniques of the time.
Incidentally, the underside of the eaves is apparently painted with bengara.
The word “bengara” brings to mind the scenery of Fukiya Furusato Village in Takahashi City, but it is still used today as a traditional Japanese paint.
Bengara has insect-repellent and preservative properties, and is characterized by its vivid vermilion color.
Looking up, we could indeed see traces of the bengara's vermilion color.
Spaces available for rental and examples of events
Members can use Tsukubo Katayama House as an event venue.
Here are some of the spaces available for rental, along with events held there in the past.
You might assume that having a Noh stage means “only Noh can be performed here,” but many events other than Noh are also held.
Noh stage
To begin with, it must be unusual for an old house to have a Noh stage on its grounds.
The stage was built so that lessons could be held regularly, after Yasuko Katayama, Ms. Takiguchi's grandmother, was a Noh instructor.
The former retirement house was rebuilt, and the stage was completed in 1978.
Due to space constraints, there is no hashigakari walkway or boundary between the stage and audience, but the stage is much like one in a Noh theater.
A hashigakari is a walkway-like stage usually located on the left side of a Noh stage (as seen from the audience). It connects the main stage and the kagami-no-ma (a backstage area not visible to the audience) like a bridge.
The kagami-ita panel at the very back of the stage can be removed.
The kagami-ita panel had already been made around 1965, before the Noh stage was built, and was apparently taken to venues to create a stage for Noh performances.
The pine tree painted on the kagami-ita is also quite impressive.
Noh stages vary in style, with some featuring realistic paintings and others more stylized ones. Ms. Takiguchi says that “the pine here is stylized.”
Records show that it was painted by Heizo Imose, a Nitten artist and pupil of the painter who painted the pine on the Noh stage at Kanze Kaikan in Kyoto.
Ms. Takiguchi has visited Kanze Kaikan herself and said, “I thought the stylized quality was similar.”
Incidentally, the Noh stage at Tsukubo Katayama House is equipped with air conditioning.
There was no air conditioning until a few years ago, but in 2018 they ran a crowdfunding campaign and successfully reached their goal!
They used the donations to install a commercial air conditioner.
Now, Noh lessons and events can be held comfortably on the stage in any season.
There is a waiting room behind the Noh stage, which can also be used for meetings.
Events held in the past
The Noh stage at Tsukubo Katayama House is used about once a week as a practice space for local residents.
At times, they have invited Noh performers from the Hayashi family, who perform in the Kanze school and have had ties with the Katayama family for three generations, to hold Noh lectures and Noh experience workshops.
▼ “Nohgaku Night,” 2020
▼ “Enjoying Gagaku,” 2019
The Noh stage is also equipped with high-quality sound systems, making it suitable for many uses beyond Noh.
Takiguchi says, “I hope it can continue to be used in a variety of ways, not just for Noh.”
▼ “Chat and Roundtable Discussion in Mini Concert,” 2021
▼ “Ocarina Concert,” 2017
▼ “Straw Workshop,” 2019
Looking back at past events, I found that the ways the house is used are not much different from those of ordinary cultural facilities.
Of course, as it is a traditional Japanese house, some consideration is needed, but as long as the basic rules are followed, there are many ways it can be used.
Why not move a presentation or performance to the Noh stage at Tsukubo Katayama House?
Guest Room
The guest room is about eight tatami mats in size.
It can also host networking events where people gather around a table to talk or make things.
The guest room is where you can most appreciate one of the features that Tsukubo Katayama House takes pride in: the absence of pillars.
When you glance outside from the guest room, you can enjoy the garden view with nothing obstructing it.
The weather was very fine on the day of the interview, so the blue sky, green plants, and the autumn leaves of the maple trees just beginning to change color looked vivid.
A view different from the usual one is sure to get conversations with local people flowing.
Past Events
The guest room has hosted events close to everyday life, such as Hinamatsuri celebrations and restaurant events.
Be sure to check for event information each season.
▼ “Chat and Roundtable Discussion (Home Gardening Class),” 2021
▼ “Hinamatsuri,” 2019
▼ “The World's Kindest Restaurant,” 2019
All event information is posted on the Tsukubo Katayama House Project's Facebook page or website.
Considering Use as a Library
Many books remain at Tsukubo Katayama House.
There are rows of Okayama Bunko books, as well as a catalog commemorating the Ohara Museum of Art's 50th anniversary...
Some books trace the history of Okayama, while others are historically valuable.
There is also the “Tsukubo Saijiki,” published by Tsukubo Katayama House, which offers a glimpse of the events held there in the past.
For now, the books are scattered around the property, and Takiguchi says, “There may still be some rare books here.”
Once they are ready to welcome visitors—by gathering the books in one place and repairing the floors so they can bear the weight of the books—they hope to make use of the space as a library.
If you're interested, why not go and see the books that have already been gathered in one place?
From the Writer
This visit left me hoping that people would feel closer to Tsukubo Katayama House itself, while also cherishing Noh as a traditional performing art.
I imagine this is the shared wish not only of Takiguchi, but of generations of the Katayama family.
A traditional house with a Noh stage is rare, but it is also unusual to find a Noh stage that can be used for purposes other than Noh.
Even those who usually attend local events as participants might enjoy hosting a networking event or something similar for a change.
Of course, feel free to stop by as an event participant, too.
The solidly built Tsukubo Katayama House and its Noh stage are waiting for you.
Tsukubo Katayama House Information
| Name | Tsukubo Katayama House |
|---|---|
| Address | 727 Obataka, Kurashiki City |
| Contact | 080-3107-5759 |
| Parking | Available Free |
| Opening hours | Hours vary by event ※Event information is posted on the organization's website or Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/tsukubokatayamake/?ref=page_internal). ※For inquiries, please contact the organization's representative by email (project.katayama@gmail.com), via Facebook Messenger, or through the contact form on the website. |
| Closed | Open only during events and similar occasions |
| Admission (tax included) | ◆For event attendees: Admission fees vary by event ◆For event organizers: Membership required 【Full Member】Joining fee: ¥5,000 / Annual fee: ¥5,000 【General Member】No joining fee / Annual fee: ¥2,000 【Sponsor Member】Joining fee: ¥3,000 / Annual fee: ¥10,000 (corporate) or ¥5,000 (individual) |
| Payment methods |
|
| Reservations | Available For event participation, please check the details with the event organizer. |
| Smoking | Entirely smoke-free |
| Restrooms | Western-style toilet |
| Website | Tsukubo Katayama House Project, a Specified Nonprofit Corporation |
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