Do I need to make a reservation to visit the Nishie Residence?

Yes, advance reservations are essential to visit the Nishie Residence. The residence is open from 10 am to 4 pm from Thursday to Sunday and is closed from the end of December to the beginning of January. Since the property remains a private family home, visits are only possible through scheduled guided tours. You can make reservations through their official website by filling out the web booking form.

Are the guided tours conducted in English?

The guided tours are conducted in Japanese. However, the residence provides a culturally immersive experience that can be appreciated even with limited Japanese language ability, as visitors can observe the traditional architecture, five kura storehouses, and the living quarters that have been maintained for over 310 years. The visual and architectural elements speak for themselves, though some understanding of Japanese would enhance appreciation of the historical narrative.

What is included in the admission fee?

The guided tour costs between ¥1,650 and ¥2,200 depending on the date of your visit. This fee includes admission to the residence, a guided tour lasting approximately 90 minutes, and complimentary tea and sweets served during the visit. The tea service allows visitors to experience traditional Japanese hospitality while learning about the Nishie family's history and the bengara pigment industry that brought wealth to the region.

How do I get to the Nishie Residence from major stations?

From JR Bitchu-Takahashi Station, take a bus bound for Sakamoto, alight at Sakamoto stop, and then walk approximately 50 minutes to the residence. Alternatively, you can access the residence from Niimi Station by bus, which provides a more convenient route. The residence is located in Fukiya, a mountain village situated at approximately 500 meters above sea level in Takahashi City, so plan for travel time accordingly.

Nishie Residence, Takahashi

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The Nishie Residence stands as a remarkable testament to the prosperity generated by copper mining and bengara pigment production in the Fukiya area of Okayama Prefecture, dating back approximately 310 years. Constructed during the height of the Edo Period, this nationally registered tangible cultural property features five kura storehouses and preserves its traditional Japanese architectural design. What distinguishes this residence from typical museum properties is that it remains the private home of the Nishie family, who have continuously inhabited and maintained it across generations.

The residence holds particular cultural significance as the origin point of bengara, a red pigment that was used in Imari porcelain exported to Europe during the 19th century. Members of the Nishie family served as village headmen for the shogunate during the Edo period, and the residence functioned as both their family home and the local administrator's offices. The bengara industry brought considerable wealth to Fukiya, transforming it into a thriving production center that left an indelible mark on Japanese industrial heritage.

Visitors experience the residence through guided tours that provide insight into both the family's history and the traditional architecture that has been preserved in its original splendor. The guided tour includes tea and sweets as part of the experience, allowing guests to appreciate the residence in an authentic cultural context. The property's continued use as a private home ensures that it maintains a living quality rarely found in historical properties, with each room and storehouse reflecting centuries of careful stewardship.

Access to the Nishie Residence requires advance reservations and can be arranged through their official website. Guided tours are conducted in Japanese and cost between ¥1,650 and ¥2,200 depending on the visit date, with the fee including admission, tea, and sweets. Tours last approximately 90 minutes. From JR Bitchu-Takahashi Station, visitors take a bus bound for Sakamoto and alight at Sakamoto stop, followed by a 50-minute walk to the residence. Alternatively, access from Niimi Station by bus provides a more convenient route.

What other travelers are saying about Nishie Residence, Takahashi

CLOSED. You walk up the steep hill. And it is closed. 1250 on a Sunday. No mention on google maps, no indication at the parking lot. No explanation on the premises. Disgusted.

Olivier Lenert

Sep 7, 2025

The Nishie Family Residence is a registered tangible cultural property. The Nishie family was founded in 1705, and the mansion was constructed over a period of 20 years by Iwami carpenters. It includes a pavilion, a magistrate's office, a simple white courtyard, and a turret gate, which is rare for a mansion. Legend has it that 50,000 roofing tiles were transported to the Nishie Residence, and Tsunekazu Nishioka, a master carpenter at Horyuji Temple who visited the residence, commented that the Nishie Residence well displays the characteristics of Sekishu Iwami carpenters. The family crest of the Nishie Residence's onigawara tiles is a swallowtail butterfly in a circle, which is also the family crest of Tokikuni. The intricately crafted onigawara tiles remain.

日本の赤瓦と瓦の旅

Jan 29, 2026

It's about an hour's drive from Yakage Town to Fukiya Furusato Village. It's another 10 minutes or so to the Nishie Residence, where we've reserved a special tour. From the parking lot, we're faced with a fairly steep walk. The incline and distance make it seem impossible to climb in midsummer. But at the top of the hill, we're greeted by a historic mansion and the 18th head and wife, making us feel glad we'd made the climb. As we exited the two-story gatehouse, a departure from the typical merchant's residence, we were greeted by the head and wife, right on time for our reservation. The husband first gave us a tour of the exterior and the museum inside the storehouse, explaining the details. The wife then gave us a tour of the interior of the mansion. I won't go into details, but this couple is incredibly fun. They chatted occasionally as they explained things to us, likely to keep an eye on us. After their tour, we enjoyed tea and sweets, and we had a lively discussion of all sorts of things, ignoring the topic of the Nishie Residence. We had a great time laughing the whole time. From the website: The Nishie Family Residence, which retains its luxurious appearance to this day, was the residence of the wealthy Nishie family, who opened the Motoyama Mine in 1751, the foundation of high-quality Benigara, and produced the raw material for Benigara, green iron (roha), and Benigara. The current building was constructed during the Hoei and Shotoku eras (1704-1715). During the Edo period, the Nishie family was granted control over the Shogunate's territory as a shoya (village headman), and also served as a magistrate's office. The Nishie Residence, which retains a strong sense of the prosperous Edo period, is an invaluable historical and cultural heritage site. The Nishie family has passed down the residence for generations, and they still live in and maintain it as a private residence. Because it is a living, inhabited home, it is in good condition, and its luxurious and refined atmosphere remains undiminished.

September 9, 2007 The filming location for The Village of Eight Graves. It had a great atmosphere.

◎This is truly a "mansion." It was quite a struggle to reach the mansion. ◎Tour: Reservations required. This time, I didn't make a reservation, so I just looked at it from the outside.