Description
Ando Family Residence is a traditional Japanese farmhouse dating back to the Edo period and is designated as an Important Cultural Property of Japan in 1976.
This building,the former residence of the Ando family, was built in 1708 and has been preserved to this day without ever catching fire. The interior has been renovated as needed, including the conversion of the former stables into a room in the late 19th century. It was purchased by Yamanashi Prefecture from Ms. Ando in 1980 and has been owned and managed by Minami-Alps City since 2008.
The ancestors of the Ando family are said to have been vassals of the Takeda clan, feudal lords in the Sengoku period, and were also landowners who served as headmen of Nishinango village during the Edo period.
It features a thatched-roof main building with a tea ceremony room, an entrance with shikidai (step in a japanese entranceway) and front gate like a samurai residence, warehouses for storing rice collected from the vast property, and a library for storing important documents.
About the Facility
・Main Building
It was built in 1708. The roof is thatched in the irimoya-zukuri ,a hip-and-gable roof construction, and needs to be completely re-thatched about every 20 years.
・Formal Japanese-Style Room
A formal place to entertain official guests. The finest room with a view of the Japanese garden and the large black pine.
・Tea Ceremony Room
It was built in 1861. A place to entertain guests over a cup of tea. Enjoy the view of the Japanese garden with artificial hill, and pond.
・Sunken Hearth
It is an important place for the family to gather. It was also a place to prepare daily meals and to keep warm in winter.
・"lightning rod pine"
This large black pine tree in the garden is about 400 years old, about 20 meters tall, and is the symbolic tree of the Residence; it is also known as the "lightning rod pine" since it was fitted with a lightning rod in the early 20th century.
Information
Hours
9:00-16:30(Last Admission at 16:00）
closed
・Tuesday（If Tuesday is a national holiday, it will be open and closed the following day.）
・The day after a national holiday（Except when this day is a Sunday or a holiday.）
・From December 27 to January 7
Admission Fee ※Cash only
・University student or older 300 yen
・High school student or younger 100 yen
※Admission is free for preschool children.
Nearest Station
・Higashihanawa Station （JR Minobu Line）,or Ichikawadaimon Station （JR Minobu Line）
※Approximately 15 minutes by cab from the station
Adress
4302,Nishinango,Minami-alps city,yamanashi Prefecture
Phone Number
055-284-4448
※only available in Japanese
About Events
Various exhibits are held seasonally. Here are some of the main ones.
Hinamatsuri，Girls’Day
More than 200 dolls from the Edo period to the Showa period are displayed.The event will run from early February to early April.
Tango no sekku，Boys’Day
Samurai banners and armor are displayed.The event will run from the end of April to the end of May.
