Nabeshima Mansion

 

The Nabeshima Mansion was a big property around which is the Kojirokuji Samurai District in Kumini on the coast of the Shimbara Peninsula.

It has one of the biggest Nagayamon I have ever seen. In essence a long gatehouse, they were often where guards and servants of big mansions lived.

The cluster of different connected buildings were built at different times between the Edo Period and the early twentieth century.

Looking at an old map shows that this area was part of three, small pieces of "territory" controlled by the Nabeshima domain, but geographically within the Shimbara Peninsula, controlled by Shimbara Domain, so the surrounding little samurai district and the Nabeshima mansion were kind of an outpost.

Maps of Japan at the time show all kinds of complicated "islands" of territories geographically within domains, but I have no idea how this came about in this instance.

When I visited the house was closed to the public for renovations, but I believe it is now open.

However, the property has some fine gardens and grounds including a cherry tree that brings visitors to photograph its early blossoms. I will cover the garden next...

The previous post was on the Preservation District the mansion is part of.