Appreciate Hokkaido’s Cultural Heritage at the Former Nakamura Residence

Esashi in southern Hokkaido was a flourishing fishing village during the Edo period (1603-1868); so lively in fact, that during the May fishing season, it was said to be even busier than the capital of Edo (present-day Tokyo). Built in the late 1800s, and once owned by a wealthy Meiji-era (1868 – 1912) merchant, the Former Nakamura Residence in Esashi was designated an Important Cultural Property of Japan in 1971. Comprised of four buildings, the main residence structure has a warehouse-style design typical of the time, built with gabled cypress. The house serves as a museum for old shipping paraphernalia, with a tatami and wooden interior reminiscent of Japan in the pre-industrial era.