Why does Niigata have such huge wooden houses—especially considering they have to withstand heavy, wet snow in winter? Furthermore, the gardens surrounding the residences possess a blend of elegance and grandeur that rivals—or even surpasses—those of Kyoto. A prime example of this is the Watanabe Residence in Sekikawa Village.
The first head of the family served as a district magistrate for the Murakami Domain—handling duties such as tax collection, the administration of the peasantry, judicial and police functions, and local inspections. After retiring and moving to the current location, he amassed a fortune by launching businesses in sectors such as sake brewing and finance; he also provided financial assistance to the neighboring Yonezawa Domain and enjoyed a close relationship with Uesugi Yōzan. It is said that at its peak, forty servants lived on the premises. It also posses six large storehouses. What is truly astonishing is the vast open space that unfolds upon entering: a wide earthen-floored area where carts could roll straight in from the street, and a raised wooden-floored hall from which cargo inspections could be conducted. It is vast enough to easily accommodate an entire gymnasium.
As for its exterior, the building features a roofing style known as *ishi-oki koba-buki*—designed to withstand the region’s harsh winters characterized by heavy snowfall and strong winds—in which cedar shingles are laid across the roof and weighted down by approximately 15,000 cobblestones.
The interior features beams exceeding 10 meters in length, constructed by interlocking cut ends without the use of nails. The repair methods employed during the major restoration work carried out in the Heisei era are reminiscent of a mechanical puzzle box. I highly recommend hiring an on-site guide to hear detailed explanations.
Now, the reason I took an interest in the Watanabe Residence is that, about twenty years ago—and the show has been rebroadcast several times since—NHK aired a drama titled *Kura* (The Storehouse), and this location served as the filming site. While the word “kura” (storehouse) might evoke an image of confinement, the story depicts a protagonist—the daughter and heir of a wealthy landowner—who loses her sight to illness in childhood. Amidst a family tragedy where the landowner fails to produce a male heir and sons born to his concubines die one after another, she grows into a strong, resilient woman. Defying the conventions of the era, she becomes a female *kuramoto* (sake brewery owner), effectively breaking free from the confines of the storehouse. It is deeply moving to realize that this is the actual filming location—the very place where that breathtaking, vast space seen on the program exists.
