「旧・蔵内邸建築」福岡県・”Former Kurauchi Residence Buildings” Fukuoka pref.

★ 名勝／scenic spot 　　　　

旧藏内邸は明治時代から昭和前期まで福岡県筑豊地方を中心に炭鉱を所有し、大分県などにも錫や金の鉱山を経営した藏内一族の本家住宅です。邸宅は明治39年頃に主屋と応接間棟および庭園が造営され、大正５年の藏内鉱業株式会社設立と同時に大玄関・茶室・大広間などが池庭に面して大増築されました。また隣接する貴船神社と鳥居・参道・石橋なども地域一体型で整備、さらに邸から水田を挟んで西におよそ200mほど離れた丘陵地斜面にひろがる一族の墓所には蔵内三代の銅像広場が建造され（惜しくも銅像は第二次世界大戦時の金属拠出で消失）当時としてまた現在でも大変珍しいエジプト風の意匠を持つ台座が残されています。

　まず蔵内邸の建築で最初に訪問者を迎えるのは品格高くも雅な美しさをたたえる大玄関です。その意匠の特徴は書院風に建材を直線で統一した「真」の設えにあります。入口両脇の柱には貴重な四方正目が贅沢につかわれ長押が二重に廻っています。これは本来なら屋内の座敷につくられる床の間の設えですがあえて玄関の外部にあしらい、来客に対する最高級の出迎えとしています。さりげなく西洋風の様式も取り入れ、石材・蛇の目石が使われています。（これは東京の旧前田家本邸にも見られる当時最先端のものです。また蔵内邸には同じく前田家本邸で見られる革細工を和紙で模した「金唐革紙」も使われており共通性を感じますが、実は蔵内邸の建築年代の方が古くその先進性が際立っています）玄関の天井はもちろん格天井で正目の天井板がリズミカルに交互にはめこまれています。欄間は最も格式高い筬（おさ）欄間です。敷石も切石を用い全体を真の設えで統一しています。大正時代に増築された大玄関と茶室の屋根は当初は寝殿風の檜皮葺でした。しかし後に銅板が被せられ現在に至ります。もちろん現在でも銅板の下には檜皮がそのまま残されています。銅板で覆われた屋根は本来の繊細さを失いやや大ぶりとなりましたが、入母屋や屋根の先端が複雑に重なりあう様は音楽を奏でているような格別の建築美を蔵内邸にもたらしています。さて、大玄関の式台をあがり十二畳の玄関広間を抜け、右手のガラス障子越しに白梅の花が咲く主庭を眺めながら進むと来客たちは明治時代に建てられた応接間に至ります。この応接間は約三十畳の広さがありガラス障子越しに主庭をのぞむことができ圧巻です。また天井は床の間に竿縁が向かう「床挿し」となっており、これは蔵内家のルーツが武家であることを示すものです。付書院の組子障子は神業か？と思えるほど緻密かつ繊細で明治時代の建具職人の技の素晴らしさを私達に伝えています。この応接間の西には同じく主庭に面する茶室があります。これは抹茶を嗜む侘び茶の草庵茶室とは異なり、中国風の煎茶道のための茶室です。蔵内家の人々は窓を開け放ち主庭の風景をのぞみながら明るく開放的な環境で煎茶を嗜んでいました。中でも中国風の円窓がとても印象的です。この茶室は数寄屋様式と寝殿造りが混在した大変美しい外観を持っています。

主庭の西側に面して大正時代建てられた大広間があります。印象的な弓型天井のアーチが伸びる東と北の畳縁を含めると５０畳にもおよぶ大空間には息を呑むばかりです。（私が知る限り、蔵内邸以外で弓型天井が見られるのは九州では熊本県八代市・日奈久温泉の柳屋旅館だけだと思います）

さらにこの大広間の西側には来客用のモダンな西洋デザインと日本伝統の数寄屋様式がミックスされた風呂場・洗面所・雪隠、そしてさながら茶室のような脱衣所があり主庭の池に続く枯流れの起点となる山燈籠が据えられた庭が付属しています。

表門の右横の中門から主庭にはいった場所からのぞむ大玄関・茶室・大広間は完璧かつ美しい雁行形をとっており、これら大正時代の大増築をおこなった蔵内家二代目当主・保房氏の美意識がいかに高かったかを如実に物語っています。前述の建物の南側には主に蔵内家の人々が暮らした主屋や炊事場、さらに作業場を兼ねた中庭を挟んで大工・左官・農機具・米などの倉建築が並んでいます。主屋にある当主の部屋は主庭にこそ面していませんが設えは大変優美で女性的でさえあります。また仏間の壁には金革唐紙が貼られ豪華の一言です。多くの部屋を繋ぐ廊下の天井は掛込天井や船底天井で、豪華な欄間彫刻には目を見張るばかりとなっています。また数寄屋ならではの見立てのせんすもなかなかでチケットを販売している受付横のお手洗いの上には大きな水玉のような節目を活かしたユニークな駆け込み天井がありますので見逃さないでください。さらに左官職人の技術の高さを示す「はっかけ」などの設えも各所に見られますので探してみてください。また、竹を模した銅製の雨樋もオリジナルのままで大変貴重です。様々な香狭間のパターンが見られるのも蔵内邸の特徴の一つです。ひとつのお屋敷でここまで色んな香狭間が見られるのは珍しいと思いますので違いを楽しんでください。

前後しますが、大玄関の右手にある中門の立派な数寄屋風の絞り丸太の柱の下の土台石は似つかわしくない八角形の切石です。実はこの八角形には意味があり風水に基づいたものです。邸内にはこの他に八角形の巨大な縁先手水鉢などが据えられ、風水が陰陽的で不思議な雰囲気をこの邸にもたらしています。またガラス窓の四隅にはこれでもかと魔除けの猪目があしらわれています。実は蔵内邸の平面図を見ると門や玄関などすべての入り口の導線が常に意図的に斜めにずらされており、それらも風水の影響のようです。また、風呂場に貼られた古代地中海風のタイルや、銅像広場の台座に見られるエジプト風のデザインなどもどこか神秘的です。これらを好んだ蔵内家二代目当主・保房氏が神秘主義に傾倒していた可能性を示唆しているかもしれません。私個人は保房氏がフリーメーソンだったのでは？とさえ考えています。その他、大玄関前の大正時代に建てられた鉄筋コンクリート造の便所があります。これは公衆トイレの先駆け的建築と言え一見の価値ありです。このトイレは和風の四阿のようなデザインで隣の大きな山燈籠とあわせて玄関前の重要な添景物です。このトイレは来客に付き添った従者、もしくは庭で園遊会を開いた際などに使われたようですが、現在は新しく建てられた現代的なトイレに役割を譲っています。

　また大正時代に増築された大玄関の左奥には明治時代に建てらてた旧玄関も残されています。こちらも大玄関に負けず劣らずの立派な玄関で格天井が素晴らしいです。その脇には半切妻屋根に下見板張りの壁の白いペンキがはげた西洋建築があります。この米倉は道路側から見ると伝統的な日本建築にしか見えず西洋の様式を取り入れていることはわからないようになっています。このように蔵内邸は表から見える部分はすべて格式高い和風建築で統一していますが要所要所に西洋スタイルを取り入れています。明治以降の資産家の屋敷には目立つ場所に応接間として立派な洋館が建てられるのが当前の時代にあって蔵内家はその流れに完全に背を向けているように見えます。それどころか応接間の天井は武家屋敷の特徴である「床挿し」の設えです。これは蔵内家がもともと武家の家系であったことを示すものですが、武士の時代が終わった明治時代にあろうとも、そしてたとえハイカラな西洋スタイルを暮らしに取り入れながらも、蔵内家の人々が日本人としての誇りにつよくこだわり、大和魂や武士道精神に自分たちのアイデンティティを求めていた証に他なりません。それこそがこの旧蔵内邸の美しさの根幹なのです。

◼︎正式名称：「旧蔵内氏庭園」国指定名勝、「旧蔵内氏住宅」県指定建造物。

◼︎住所：福岡県築上郡築上町上深野396

◼︎TEL：0930-52-2530

◼︎公開時間：9:30-16:30

◼︎定休日：毎週水曜日（水曜が祝日の場合は開館）

　　　　　年末年始休館　12月28日～1月4日

◼︎料金：３１０円

◼︎駐車場：有り（無料）

◼︎アクセス：　　(1)JR九州日豊本線・築城(ついき)駅からタクシーで10分（料金片道約2000円）

(2)JR築城駅からバスで10分（「上深野」下車）「上深野」バス停から徒歩で2分

(3)築城ＩＣから車で6分（東九州自動車道（椎田道路））

Former Kurauchi Residence Buildings・ Chikujo town, Fukuoka prefecture　

★ 名勝／scenic spot 　　　　

The first group of buildings in the Kurauchi residence to welcome visitors is the large entrance, which was added during the Taisho era and was praised for its dignified yet elegant beauty. The characteristic of the design is that the building materials are unified in a straight line, following the Shoin style, which is a traditional samurai architecture. The pillars on both sides of the entrance are luxuriously made of precious building materials with straight wood grain, which is originally a proof of Tokonoma's setting between guests and the finest welcome to visitors. However, the Western style is also casually adopted there, and stone materials are used. (This is the most advanced one at that time, which is also found in the former Maeda family's main residence in Tokyo. The Komaba residence also uses "Kinkara leather paper" that imitates the leather work that is also found in the Maeda family's main residence with Japanese paper. However, the Komaba residence is more than 6 years old.) The entrance ceiling, of course, the highest-class lattice ceiling, and high-class ceiling boards are rhythmically stretched. The large entrance and the roof of the tea room, which were added in the Taisho era, were elegant cypress bark in the style of Shinden-zukuri. However, it was later covered with a copper plate and continues to the present day. Of course, the cypress skin is still left under the copper plate. The roof covered with copper plate has lost its original delicacy and has become a little oversized, but the intricate overlapping of the roofs brings a special architectural beauty to the brewery's residence, as if playing delicate music.

By the way, while passing through the 12 tatami mat entrance hall of the main entrance and looking at the main garden where white plum blossoms bloom through the glass shoji on the right, the visitors first reach the drawing room built in the Meiji era. This drawing room has an area of about 30 tatami mats, and there is a wooden veranda on the north, east, and west sides, and you can see the main garden like a panorama through the glass shoji. The ceiling is "Tokosashi" with building materials stuck between the alcove, which indicates that the roots of the Kurauchi family are samurai families. The woodwork of the shoji door next to the alcove is very delicate and delicate, and tells us how high the craftsmanship of the Meiji era was.

To the west of the drawing room, there is also a tea room facing the main garden. This is a tea room for Chinese-style sencha, unlike the matcha tea room unique to Japan. The people of the Kurauchi family enjoyed sencha in a bright and open environment with the windows open and looking at the scenery of the main garden. Above all, the Chinese-style circular window is very impressive.

Facing the west side of the main garden, there is a large hall built in the Taisho era. The large space of 50 tatami mats, including the tatami corridor with an impressive bow-shaped ceiling arch, is breathtaking.

On the west side of the hall, there is a bathroom, washroom, and toilet that mixes modern Western design for visitors with traditional Japanese sukiya style, and outside the window of the dressing room like a tea room, it leads to the pond in the main garden. It comes with a garden with stone lanterns, which is the starting point of a dry stream.

The large entrance, tea room, and hall, which you can see from the middle gate on the right side of the front gate to the main garden, are perfectly zigzag and beautiful as if the geese fly in the sky. It clearly shows how aesthetically pleasing the second generation owner of the Kurauchi family, Yasufusa, who made a major extension during the Taisho era. On the south side of the above-mentioned buildings, there are main houses and kitchens where the people of the Kurauchi family lived, as well as carpenters, plasterers, farm equipment, rice, and other warehouse buildings across the courtyard that doubles as a workshop. The owner's room, which is one of the main houses, does not face the main garden, but the setting is very graceful, aristocratic and even feminine. Japanese paper imitating leather work is pasted on the wall between Buddhist altars, which is a gorgeous word.

The ceiling of the corridor connecting many rooms shows the characteristics of Sukiya architecture and is often shaped like the bottom of a ship. The gorgeous banma sculpture is just amazing.

The base stone under the magnificent Sukiya-style log pillar of the central gate on the right side of the main entrance is an octagonal cut stone that does not look like it. In fact, this octagon is meaningful and based on Feng Shui. In addition to this, a huge octagonal water base is installed in the house, giving this house a mysterious atmosphere based on the ancient Onmyodo. In addition, the four corners of the glass window are still decorated with amulets to protect against evil spirits. In fact, when you look at the plan view of the Kurauchi residence, the leads of all the entrances such as the gate and the entrance are always intentionally shifted diagonally, which seems to be due to the influence of feng shui. The ancient Mediterranean tiles on the bathroom and the Egyptian design on the pedestal of the statue square are also mysterious. It may suggest that Mr. Hobo, the second generation owner of the Kurauchi family who liked these, may have been devoted to mysticism. I personally think Mr. Hobo was a Freemason. I even think.

In addition, there is a reinforced concrete toilet built in the Taisho era in front of the main entrance. This is a pioneering construction of public toilets and is worth a visit. This toilet has an exterior design that resembles a Japanese-style tea room, and together with the large mountain lantern next to it, it is an important accessory in front of the entrance. It seems that this toilet was used by a servant who accompanied a visitor or when holding a garden party in the garden, but now it is giving up its role to a newly built modern toilet.

The old entrance built in the Meiji era is also left behind on the far left of the large entrance that was expanded in the Taisho era. This is also a magnificent entrance that is as good as the main entrance, and the ceiling is wonderful. Next to it is a Western architecture with a half-gable roof and white paint on the clapboard walls. Seen from the road side, this Yonekura looks like traditional Japanese architecture, and it is hard to tell that it has adopted the Western style. In this way, all the parts of the Kurauchi residence that can be seen from the front are unified with prestigious Japanese-style architecture, but Western style is adopted at key points. In the era before the Meiji era, a splendid Western-style building was built as a drawing room in a prominent place in the mansion of a wealthy man, and the Kurauchi family seems to have completely turned their backs on that trend. On the contrary, the ceiling in the drawing room is the setting of "Tokosashi", which is a characteristic of samurai residences. This is a statement that they are ready to die for the sake of their lord, which indicates that the Kurauchi family was originally a samurai family. However, this house was built in the Meiji era, when the samurai era ended. It's going against the times. However, the Kurauti people may have learned that being Japanese is their most important identity in the process of doing frequent business with foreign companies. It is a proof that the people of the Kurauchi family were proud of themselves as Japanese people and sought their identity in the Yamato-damashii and Bushido spirits, even though they incorporated the high-colored Western style into their lives. That is the basis of the beauty of this former Kurauchi residence.

◼︎ Official name: "Former Kurauchi Garden" nationally designated scenic spot, "Former Kurauchi Residence" prefecture designated building.

◼︎ Address: 396 Kamifukano, Chikujo-cho, Chikujo-gun, Fukuoka

◼︎TEL: 0930-52-2530

◼︎ Opening hours: 9: 30-16: 30

◼︎ Regular holiday: Every Wednesday (open if Wednesday is a national holiday)

Closed for the year-end and New Year holidays from December 28th to January 4th

◼︎ Price: 310 yen

◼︎ Parking: Available (free)

◼︎ Access: (1) 10 minutes by taxi from Tsuiki Station on the JR Kyushu Nippou Main Line (approx. 2000 yen one way)

(2) 10 minutes by bus from JR Tsuiki Station (get off at "Kamifukano") 2 minutes on foot from "Kamifukano" bus stop

(3) 6 minutes by car from Tsuiki IC (Higashi Kyushu Expressway (Shida Road)) ...

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