Interesting look at a how a rich merchant's house.
I've wanted to visit this place for a long time, as it was a filming location for movies like "Yatsuhaka-mura" and "Moeyo Ken."
The magnificent stone walls are apparently more than half buried, and were nearly twice as tall as they are now. Besides the impressive construction of the mansion itself, I could feel the prosperity of the time from features like the watchtowers and food storage areas built to protect against night attacks from bandits. There's also a free parking lot with flush toilets.
I haven't seen it, but it's the residence of the Hirokane family, a wealthy landowner who amassed a fortune in the late Edo period through copper mining and the manufacture of bengara (red iron oxide pigment) at the Yoshioka Mine, which was also a filming location for the movie "Yatsuhaka-mura" (The Village of Eight Graves) and, although I have seen it, "Moeyo Ken" (Burn, My Sword) 🗡️.
The entrance fee is 400 yen.
The parking lot 🅿️ is directly below the residence, but they also offer a shuttle service from Fukiya on weekends.
It's a nationally designated important cultural property.
The most impressive features are the stone walls and the fortress-like building.
It's located in a very rural area, making it incredibly photogenic.
I heard it's also lit up at night... I'd love to see that.
I bought bamboo shoots and seasonal wild vegetables at the direct-from-the-farm shop in the parking lot 🅿️.
Three huge bamboo shoots for only 450 yen – incredibly cheap!
There were separate men's and women's restrooms 🚻️ next to it.
It's about a 2-minute walk from the parking lot.
There is space to park even large buses 🚌.
Hirokane Residence
The Hirokane Residence was also a filming location for the Kindaichi Kosuke series, "Yatsuhaka Village."
The atmosphere is exactly the same as it was in the movie.
I'm glad I came.
The stone walls and magnificent building were impressive.
I visited with a set ticket for walking around Fukiya Furusato Village for 1000 yen.
