The Takakusa Family and the Role of the Wakihonjin
A Secondary Official Inn Along the Old Sanyō Highway
The Takakusa residence stands approximately 400 meters east of the main honjin. As a wakihonjin, it supported the principal inn by providing accommodation and rest facilities for feudal lords, senior retainers, and other high-ranking travelers making journeys between Edo, present-day Tokyo, and their home domains under the sankin-kōtai system.
The residence is particularly notable for its robust construction and the striking contrast between its white plaster walls and exposed roof tiles. These features reflect both the practical needs of a busy post town and the status of a family entrusted with hosting distinguished guests.
The Grounds and Historic Buildings
The property contains nine historic buildings, including the main residence, a storehouse with reception rooms, an inner storehouse, a large storehouse, a middle storehouse, and a gatehouse storehouse. Together, these structures preserve the overall layout of a wakihonjin as it existed in the early nineteenth century.
The buildings also reflect the Takakusa family’s wider influence. In addition to operating the wakihonjin, the family served as village headmen and played an important role in local administration and the economic life of the surrounding community.
Preservation and the Relocation of the Main Gate
The main gate of the Takakusa residence was relocated during the early Meiji period. Apart from this change, the buildings and grounds have retained much of the arrangement established in the early nineteenth century. This high level of preservation makes the property an especially valuable example of a secondary official inn along the historic Sanyō Highway.
The surviving buildings allow visitors to appreciate how a large, influential household organized its living spaces, reception facilities, and storage areas while fulfilling its responsibilities to travelers and the local community.
Architectural Features and Cultural Heritage Designation
Traditional Construction and the Storehouses
The Takakusa residence is distinguished by its white plaster walls and tiled exterior surfaces. Five storehouses stand within the grounds, including the inner storehouse, and their sturdy construction reflects the family’s wealth and the need to protect valuable goods.
The nine buildings, including the main residence, were largely constructed or rebuilt during the nineteenth century, particularly around the Tenpō era in the middle of the century. Some parts also preserve ink inscriptions dating to 1764, the fourteenth year of the Hōreki era. These details provide evidence of the property’s long history and successive phases of development.
The Layout and Scale of the Main Residence
The property faces the old Sanyō Highway and has a frontage of 14 ken, a traditional Japanese unit of measurement. Its grounds extend across approximately 2,000 square meters, with nine buildings arranged within the site.
The main residence measures approximately 16.2 meters along the ridge and 8.9 meters across the gable end. Part of the structure has two stories and features an irimoya-style roof, a traditional design combining a hipped roof with gabled sections. The roof is covered with traditional Japanese hon-gawara tiles.
The arrangement of the buildings, the substantial storehouses, and the traditional architectural details together illustrate the form of a prominent wakihonjin during the late Edo period.
Yakage-juku and the Rise of the Takakusa Family
The History of Yakage-juku
Yakage-juku flourished during the Edo period as a post town along the Sanyō Highway, an important route connecting the capital region with western Japan. Its development can be traced to the period following the Battle of Sekigahara in 1600, when Kobori Shinsuke received territory in Bitchū Province for his military service.
His son, Masakazu, better known as Kobori Enshū, inherited the family’s holdings and helped develop Yakage Village. As the post town grew, the need for official accommodation increased, creating opportunities for prominent local families such as the Takakusa household.
The Family’s Economic and Community Influence
During the seventeenth century, the Takakusa family accumulated wealth through financial activities. It later served as a financial agent for the Niwase Domain and held the position of senior village headman in Oda District, giving it considerable influence over local affairs.
When Furuichi, the central settlement of Yakage Village, suffered a major fire, the Takakusa family contributed to the community’s recovery. Its activities extended beyond hospitality and finance, making it an important force in the development and rebuilding of Yakage.
The Development of the Residence
As Yakage-juku prospered, the Takakusa family established itself as a leading household and continued its role as a wakihonjin. The residence was developed as part of the wider organization of the post town under the Ikeda clan’s administration. Its growth reflects the close relationship between the town’s commercial prosperity and the services required by travelers on the highway.
The Cultural Significance of the Takakusa Residence
Preserving Architecture and Everyday History
The Former Yakage Wakihonjin preserves valuable evidence of nineteenth-century architecture and the way an influential household operated during the Edo period. Its buildings retain the character of the era when the Takakusa family welcomed high-ranking travelers and carried out its responsibilities within the post-town system.
As an Important Cultural Property of Japan, the residence is protected for its architectural and historical significance. It also helps preserve the memory of Yakage’s role in the transportation network and social organization of early modern Japan.
A Rare Pair: The Honjin and Wakihonjin
One of Yakage’s most remarkable historical features is that both the Former Yakage Honjin, the Ishii Family Residence, and the Former Yakage Wakihonjin, the Takakusa Family Residence, survive and are designated Important Cultural Properties of Japan. It is exceptionally rare for the main official inn and its secondary counterpart to remain preserved together in this way.
Seen in combination, the two properties offer a fuller understanding of how Yakage-juku accommodated feudal lords and their entourages. They reveal the different roles played by the main and secondary inns and illustrate the scale of the facilities required to support travel along a major highway.
Preservation and the Future
Today, the Former Yakage Wakihonjin is carefully protected as a nationally designated cultural property and valued as an important tourism resource for the region. Its extensive grounds and surviving buildings help visitors imagine the atmosphere of an Edo-period post town and understand the responsibilities of a wakihonjin.
Through its architecture, historical records, and connection with the Takakusa family, the residence continues to convey the history and culture of Yakage. Together with the neighboring main honjin, it provides a rare opportunity to experience the legacy of Japan’s historic highway system and the households that supported it.