Mansion

A plot of land containing the main house and other facilities necessary for life and production. In some regions, it is called "yagamae" or "kaito (within the fence)". The entrance to a house is called "jo no kuchi" and was understood to be a place to ward off evil spirits and epidemics. In some regions, a long-house gate is built there. Generally, the direction of the seasonal wind is taken into consideration and a forest is planted around the house to protect against it. The northwest or north is often emphasized. However, in the Hokuriku region, the winter seasonal wind is often northwesterly, but when it hits the Chuo Mountain Range, it gains strength and blows back from the southeast. For this reason, thick and tall windbreak forests are planted in that direction as well. This prevents sunlight from entering the house. This induces various endemic diseases. The forest not only protects against wind, but also protects against snow, and has been effective in providing firewood and building materials since ancient times. For this reason, the forest is made to grow tall and lush in the flat land of the Tohoku region. This is called igne. In the Musashino Plateau, there was also a custom of protecting houses with large zelkova trees. These zelkova forests were also considered a kind of symbol of family status, and were also called zelkova daijin. The Tsuijimatsu (mountain pine) trees of the San'in region are a kind of windbreak forest, but because they are beautifully trimmed into a square shape, they add a distinctive touch to the village landscape. The custom of building the main house near the center of the house and setting up a storehouse in the northwest corner (the direction of Inui) as a good fortune is widespread in a fairly wide area. The northeast corner of the house (the direction of Ushitora) is considered to be the direction of evil spirits, and in many regions a shrine to the house god is enshrined there. The vacant lot in front of the main house is called Omote or Sotoniwa, and is considered to be an essential place for drying grains and other purposes. The left and right sides of the main house are called kohira and the back is called sedya, but sometimes only part of the front is called tuboniwa.

In addition to the main house, there are stables, workshops, barns, storage sheds, baths, toilets, rice husk storage areas, miso rooms, firewood sheds, compost sheds, ash sheds, and other facilities located throughout the compound. The way these are located is often governed by feng shui. From the Tohoku region to the Kanto region, compound buildings are relatively large and have many sheds, but the opposite tendency can be seen as you go west, and compound buildings are often surrounded by auxiliary facilities rather than by a forest around the compound.

[Yotaro Takeuchi]

Source: Shogakukan Encyclopedia Nipponica About Encyclopedia Nipponica Information | Legend

主屋(おもや)をはじめ生活や生産に必要な諸施設を配した一構えの土地。「やがまえ」「かいと（垣内）」などとよぶ地方もある。屋敷の入口を「じょうのくち」といい、悪霊や疫病をそこで防ぐ所と解せられた。地方によってはそこに長屋門を建てることもある。一般に季節風の方向を考えて、周辺に屋敷林を植えてこれを防ぐ。北西とか北を重視することが多い。ところが北陸地方では、冬の季節風は北西風が多いが、それが中央山脈に突き当たり、強さを増して南東から逆流して吹き付ける。そのためその方向にも厚く高い防風林を植える。したがって屋敷内に太陽光線が射入するのに妨害となる。それが種々の地方病を誘発する。屋敷林は防風だけでなく、防雪の役目も果たすし、古来薪炭(しんたん)材や建築用材の供給にも有効である。東北地方の平坦(へいたん)地ではそのため屋敷林を高く繁茂させる。これをイグネとよんでいる。武蔵野(むさしの)台地でも、ケヤキの大木で屋敷を守る風習があった。そのケヤキ林は一種の家格を示す象徴とも考えられ、ケヤキダイジンの呼称もあった。山陰地方の築地松(ついじまつ)は一種の防風林であるが、角型に美しく刈り込んでいるので、集落の景観に特色を示している。屋敷の中央付近に主屋を建て、その北西隅（戌亥(いぬい)の方角）に土蔵を設けるのをもって福徳とするという習俗は、かなり広い地域に分布している。屋敷の北東隅（丑寅(うしとら)の方角）は鬼門にあたるとして、屋敷神の祠(ほこら)を祀(まつ)る地方もかなりある。主屋の前の空き地をオモテとかソトニワといい、穀物の干し場その他になくてはならないものとされる。主屋の左右をコヒラ、背後をセドヤとよぶが、ときにはオモテの一部をツボニワとする。

　主屋以外、屋敷のなかには、厩(うまや)、作業場（こなしば）、納屋、物置、風呂(ふろ)場、便所、ぬか屋（籾殻(もみがら)置き場）、みそ部屋、薪(まき)小屋、堆肥(たいひ)舎、灰小屋などが随所に配置される。その配置方法については家相の支配を受けることが多い。東北地方から関東にかけては、屋敷は比較的広く小屋の数も多いが、西に行くにしたがって、これと反対になる傾向がみられ、また屋敷林よりも付属施設で屋敷を囲う場合が多い。

［竹内芳太郎］

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