Nanshoso, a Meiji mansion that remains in Morioka [Morioka City, Iwate Prefecture]

Have you heard of Nansho-so , a Meiji era mansion that remains in Morioka City, Iwate Prefecture

The mansion has changed hands many times since the Meiji era, undergoing expansion and renovation, and has been at the mercy of the times, but it has watched over Morioka City, Iwate Prefecture for over 100 years

Currently owned by the Iwate Consumers' Cooperative Association, you can enjoy a cup of tea while looking out at the garden for a fee during the summer and winter, and it is a beautiful facility that also hosts tea ceremonies, concerts, haiku gatherings, and other events

This time, I'd like to tell you about my visit to Nansho-so, a Meiji-era mansion that represents Morioka City

---

Nanshoso, located in the south of Morioka city

Nansho-so is a 25-minute walk south from Morioka Station and was built on a river terrace on the left bank of the Kitakami River

The current address is "Shimizu-cho, Morioka City, Iwate Prefecture", but until it was completed around 1885, the area was called "Joshu-koji"six daysIt was a samurai town located in the southwest of the town, and was a town on both sides of the Oshu Kaido road, about two and a half blocks wide

---

``Nanchoso'' completed in 1885

The current Nansho-so was built in 1885 (Meiji 18) by Segawa Yasugoro, the manager of the Arakawa Mine, as his new home in Kamishu-koji (Shimizu-cho) the year after his home in Ezashi-koji (now Sakana-cho) was destroyed in the 1884 Morioka-Kanan fire

Segawa Yasugoro was born as the son of Mitsu and Sosuke Aburaya, the fourth generation owner of a money exchange shop in Sakanamachi, Morioka. He demonstrated his talent as a businessman during the Meiji period, becoming fourth on the prefecture's rich list and becoming well-known in the central financial world as the "Mining King of Michinoku."

Segawa Yasugoro is also known for his cultural activities, such as providing support to the Japanese painters Hirafuku Suian and his son Hyakuho

---

This year marks the 138th anniversary of Nanshoso, a restaurant loved by five generations

Nansho-so was built as the private residence of Segawa Yasugoro and has since changed hands many times

1885-1907 Owner: Yasugoro Segawa

The year after his home in Ezashi-koji (now Sakanamachi) was burned down in the Morioka Kawanami fire of 1884, he built a new home in Kamishu-koji (Shimizumachi)

1907~1910 Owner: Oyama Taro

Oya Mataro, who became the fifth mayor of Morioka, acquired Nansho-so from Segawa Yasugoro

Oya Mataro used the mansion as a holiday home, and in 1908, Hara Takashi (the 19th Prime Minister of Japan) and his wife stayed there for a month. The following year, Ito Hirobumi (the 1st, 5th, 7th, and 10th Prime Minister of Japan) visited Morioka with Crown Prince Yi Eun of South Korea, and a welcome garden party was held at Nanchangso

1910~1932 Owner: Katsusada Kindaichi

Later, Kindaichi Katsusada, the de facto manager of Morioka Bank (now Iwate Bank), acquired the mansion and made extensive additions (a Japanese-style room to the right of the entrance and a three-room addition adjacent to the large hall on the second floor)

1932~1987 Owner: Tahei Akazawa

After the extension, Akazawa Tabei, a kimono wholesaler (now Akazawa Sensho) from Kokumachi, Morioka, purchased the house as a second home. The name "Nanchouso" was given to the house by Akazawa Tabei at the request of educator, local historian, and calligrapher Nitobe Sengaku, who also commissioned the name. The front entrance and the signs for each room are written in calligraphy by Nitobe Sengaku

1987~ Owner: Iwate Consumers' Cooperative

After being owned by Akazawa Tabei, it was purchased by a major condominium developer, and the current Nansho-so was on the verge of disappearing, but the Iwate Consumers' Cooperative Association decided to purchase it as a shared property and joint ownership for its members, and it became the property of the Iwate Consumers' Cooperative Association and is now open to the public

It was subsequently designated as a Morioka City Protected Garden in May 2000, became a Morioka City Preserved Building in November 2005, and was registered as a National Registered Monument in January 2015

---

Nanshoso is open to the public

Before it was owned by the current Iwate Consumers' Cooperative, it was privately owned and treated as a second home or private residence, so it was not open to the public, and I imagine that the neighbors also perceived it as a luxurious mansion

In 2000, the gardens of Nansho-so became a Morioka City protected garden and were opened to the public on April 29th of the same year, and its breathtaking scenery became widely known to the public

The garden incorporates the "strolling pond garden" style seen in Katsura Imperial Villa, Shugakuin Imperial Villa, Rikugien Garden, and Korakuen Garden, and is characterized by its design that emphasizes seated viewing, with a 30-tatami mat "Nanchō no Ma" room located on the mezzanine floor of the main building, from which the entire garden can be viewed.Many tourists visit during the autumn foliage season

This year, the 2023 autumn foliage season is scheduled to be open from Wednesday, November 8th to Sunday, November 12th, and opening hours during this period will be 10:00-19:30

*The illuminations will start at 16:30 and admission will close at 19:00

---

You can also enjoy a leisurely meal at Nanshoso

There is a separate entrance fee for Nansho-so, but you can enjoy coffee, tea, seasonal Japanese sweets, and bento lunches from Azumaya, a shop established in 1907 that is famous for its wanko soba noodles. *Reservations for bento lunches are required by 3:00 PM the day before, and are for two or more lunches.

I visited around 2pm in the early summer afternoon and thoroughly enjoyed the coffee and complimentary tea and sweets

It was truly a luxurious time to have a private break without overlapping with any other customers, gazing out at the garden with only the sound of the wind to be heard

Of course it's great to come with friends or as a couple, but I personally recommend coming alone

When you lose track of time and gaze upon the garden, you can forget about the hustle and bustle of everyday life and feel as if you are in a different time axis

---

summary

This year marks the 138th anniversary of the completion of Nanshoso, and it has changed hands many times, and it seems as though it has been at the mercy of the times, but I believe that all of the owners have admired Nanshoso and have owned it

It is clear that it has been used with care and utmost care

You'll understand that feeling if you go there, and it is a wonderful building that is rare even in Tohoku

I hope to continue to cherish it so that it will remain as one of Morioka's vibrant cultural assets as the times change, and if possible, I would like to visit it every season

---

Nanchoso <Information>

• Address: 13-46 Shimizucho, Morioka City, Iwate Prefecture
• Opening hours: Summer (April 1st to November 30th) 10:00 AM to 5:00 PM; Winter (December 1st to March 31st) 10:00 AM to 4:00 PM
• Closed: Every Monday and Tuesday, and during the New Year holidays (December 26th to January 10th) *Open if Monday is a public holiday
• Admission fee: Adults 300 yen, discount for groups of 10 or more (270 yen) , children (elementary and junior high school students) 150 yen, discount for groups of 10 or more (135 yen)

Google Map

---