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.

Infini Garden

Infini garden is a 16 storey block of flats, or if you prefer american, apartment block, with 389 units.

In Japanese its called a Manshon, derived from the english word mansion, though it bears little resemblance to the english meaning.

Built in 2008, its located on Island City, a man-made island in Hakata Bay, Fukuoka.

Apartments are very popular in Japan, though I can think of nowhere worse to live.

I have asked friends who live in apartments in local　towns where there are an abundance of big, empty, houses, why they dont choose a house, and most say that it is the wife who prefers the apartment as there is less housework and maintenance to do.

Island City is part of a big urban renewal project for Fukuoka. As well as residential areas and a huge park there is a new container port and businesses with links to mainland Asia are encouraged to move here.

Typical Japanese Landscape 6

This could be a danchi, or it could be a mansion. The distinction between the two is now very blurry. Danchi were originally created by the government in the 1950's to solve the severe housing shortage in the cities that were filling up with people moving in from the countryside. Danchi could only be rented, not bought, and the blocks tended to be plain concrete.
The private sector responded by creating "mansions", which were often slightly larger apartments (but still tiny) that could be bought or rented. Typically the buildings exteriors were clad in tile.