The former residence of the Nokubi family (Nokubi-ke 野首家), relocated from the Katano district (Katano-chо̄ 片野町) of Takayama (高山), Gifu Prefecture, to the Hida Folk Village (Hida Minzoku Mura 飛騨民俗村), also in Takayama, is a wrapped-hiroma type (tori-maki hiroma-gata 取巻き広間型) layout minka thought to date from the early Edo Period (Edo jidai 江戸時代, 1603 - 1868), and a Prefecturally and Municipally designated cultural property.
The zashiki (here the dei でい) and bedrooms (oku おく) are board-floored (ita-yuka 板床) and mat-spread (mushiro-shiki 莚敷), but the hiroma (here the oei おえい) is earth-living (doza-sumai 土座住まい), though it was apparently once floored with an ‘underlay’ of compacted rice husks (momi-gara 籾殻) up to the level of the sill (shikii 敷居) at the front of the oei (around 30cm above the earth floor) and spread with bulrush (gama 蒲, Typha latifolia) mats (mushiro 莚).
The battens of the sub-roof are irregular, split members, tied to the rafters with nothing more than wisteria vines (fuji-zuru 藤蔓); the partitions above uchi-nori (内法) height (lintel height) consist of chiwa-mushiro (茅莚), kunai grass (chiwa or chigaya 茅, Imperata cylindrica) mats (mushiro 莚) tied to the horizontal penetrating ties (yoko-nuki 横貫); the windows in the rear wall are all ‘cutout’ windows (kiri-mado 切窓), i.e. windows formed by simply cutting out vertical strips from the wall boards to form dinner tray-shaped (tanzara-gata 短皿型) openings. All of these elements bestow on this minka an atmosphere of great age, and give us a glimpse into the lives lived by provincial farmers in the early modern period.
Floor plan of the former Nokubi residence, Gifu Prefecture. A wrapped-hiroma type layout (tori-maki hiroma gata 取巻き広間型) similar to the Noguchi house (Noguchi-ke 野口家) presented last week, but this ita-ya (板屋, lit. ‘board (clad) house’) is somewhat larger, and the greater portion of the interior is doza-sumai (土座住まい). The earth-floored utility area consists of: the niwa (にわ) with firepit (irori, marked ro 炉), lever thresher (kara-usu からうす) and storage area for unhulled rice (momi-iri 籾入), for food storage (shokuryо̄ chozо̄ 食糧貯蔵), food preparation (shokuryо̄ chо̄sei 食糧調整), farm work (nо̄-sagyо̄ 濃作業), and handwork (te-shigoto 手仕事); the stable (maya まや) for raising livestock (kachiku shi-iku 家畜飼育) and composting (taihizо̄sei 堆肥造成); the komabeya (こまべや, possibly lit. ‘foal room’), for animal birth/husbandry (chikusan 畜産); the mayadoshi (まやどし) with hanging mats (tsuri-mushiro 吊り莚) and a , for feed preparation (shiryо̄ chо̄sei 飼料調整) and storage of farm tools (nо̄gu okiba 農具置場). The habitable part of the dwelling consists of: the earth-sitting (doza 土座) hiroma-equivalent oei (おえい) with Shintо̄ shrine (marked torii ⛩) for religious activities (shinkо̄ 信仰), ‘cupboard’ (todana とだな), partitions (majikiri 間仕切り) whose upper part (jо̄bu 上部) is of woven reed (ami-komo or henko 編菰), and separate utility area for ‘straw work’ (wara-shigoto 藁仕事, presumably making straw ropes, sandals, coats and the like), for family time (danran 団らん), courting (kо̄sai 交際), and handwork (teshigoto 手仕事); the board-floored, (ita-yuka 板床) bulrush-mat (gama-mushiro 蒲莚) spread, formal dei (でい) with Buddhist alcove (butsuma ぶつま) and Buddhist altar (butsudan 仏壇, marked 卍), for religious activities and ceremonies (gyо̄ji 行事) and receiving guests (sekkyaku 接客); the rear bedrooms (oku おく) with ‘cutout windows’ (kiri-mado 切窓), for sleeping (shūshin 就寝) and storage (shūnо̄ 収納); and the tatami (たたみ) floored ‘dining room’ (daidoko だいどこ) for dining (shokuji 食事). Also labelled are the interior/exterior urinal (shouben-jou 小便場)and ‘water house’ (mizu-ya みずや), with pipe-fed sink, for cooking (suiji 炊事).
Exterior view of the Nokubi house, with storm shutters closed.
View of the Nokubi house from the rear, showing shallow-pitched, bark-thatched or shingled roofs, secured against strong winds by ‘overbattens’ and large stones.
View of the rear of the Nokubi house, showing the cut-out windows.
Interior view of the Nokubi house looking from the ‘living room (oei) towards the ‘cupboard’ (todana) and the bedrooms (oku) beyond. The entrance to the formal room (dei) and its Buddhist alcove (butsuma) are visible to the far right. The oei is seen here with an earth floor, but apparently once had a compacted-straw and mat floor that brought the floor level up to the level of the sill at the front of the oei (‘behind’ the camera in this image).