History/Culture

Egawa Residence

It is a nationally designated cultural historical property, located inside the Nirayama Government Office remains area, a nationally designated historical site. The large main building has a single layer Irimoya style roof (hip-and-gable). The wooden framework of the geometrical attic is known as koyagumi (roof truss or framework), and was the then-equivalent of a quake-absorbing structure. There are standing pieces of wood being utilized as the main pillars in the tataki earthen floor area, and a munafuda plaque box with a handwritten fire-prevention talisman inside, received from Nichiren (who lived in Ito) when he came to visit. Since the building has never had a fire, there are various written documents, calligraphy works, and armor etc. remaining, some of it which is displayed inside the residence.

The single bamboo cut vase of Onjoji Temple is said to have been made by Sen No Rikyu when he went to together with Toyotomi Hideyoshi for his attack on Odawara. It is made out Nirayama bamboo from the garden of the residence, which is open to the general public in spring and fall every year.

The Egawa Clan spanned 42 generations, continuing for 900 years. They were the descendants of Yamato Genji. In the Edo period they had served as hatamoto (direct retainers of the shogunate) local governors of Izu for 11 generations and 273 years. Izu was directly controlled by the shogunate at the time. The successive governors made an effort to focus on civil governance and maintain political stability, and there were no peasant uprisings.

Egawa Tarozaemon Hidetatsu (Tanan), 36th generation, is a renowned governor. He contributed to many things, including coast surveying which arose from the need of marine deference, the construction of the Nirayama reverberatory furnace and the forts, the construction of Japan’s first western-style sailing vessel, implementing vaccinations, and bread manufacturing etc. There is a monument inside the residence honoring him as the "forefather of bread”.