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Retro Japan: Former feudal lord family villa in Fukuoka Pref. now a restaurant-inn

June 4, 2023 (Mainichi Japan)

The large hall facing the Japanese-style garden is seen at the Yanagawa Tachibana-tei Ohana restaurant inn in the Fukuoka Prefecture city of Yanagawa on April 3, 2023. Gold leafed samurai helmets are hung in the hallway. (Mainichi/Minoru Kanazawa)=Click/tap photo for more images.

YANAGAWA, Fukuoka -- The onetime abode of the feudal lord family here now welcomes guests from far and wide as a restaurant-inn, serving local specialty eel dishes and other traditional Japanese cuisine.

A hall with the ceiling decorated with delicate carvings in plaster is seen at the Yanagawa Tachibana-tei Ohana restaurant inn in the Fukuoka Prefecture city of Yanagawa on April 3, 2023. (Mainichi/Minoru Kanazawa)=Click/tap photo for more images.

In a leisurely townscape lined with eateries serving the signature steamed eel dishes along canals, the Yanagawa Tachibana-tei Ohana restaurant-inn stands out for its unique history. Once the family villa of the Tachibana clan of the Yanagawa domain in today's Fukuoka Prefecture, the building was remodeled into its present form by the 14th head of the family, Tomoharu Tachibana, who became a nobleman in the Meiji era (1868-1912). When the mansion was converted into a restaurant-inn after World War II, it was given the trade name of "Ohana" after its location in the "Ohanabatake" area, and has been maintained to the present day.

The chalky white Western-style building that leads from the ornate metal gate was constructed as a guest house in 1910 by architect Kichijiro Nishihara, adopting a French Renaissance design. The capital ornaments of the pillars and stair balustrades have detailed carvings. The chandelier, which dates back to the time of construction, casts a soft glow.

A small punt boat is seen through a gate at the Yanagawa Tachibana-tei Ohana restaurant inn in the Fukuoka Prefecture city of Yanagawa on April 3, 2023. (Mainichi/Minoru Kanazawa)=Click/tap photo for more images.

Many gold leafed samurai helmets that are said to have been worn by warriors as ancient as the Momoyama period in the late 16th century are hung side by side in the hallway of the Japanese-style large hall, creating a unique sense of tension. Sitting in the hall that is as spacious as 100 tatami mats and looking out over the "Shotoen" Japanese garden, this reporter felt as if I stepped back in time.

Through the earthen-walled gate, I saw a small punt boat moving slowly along the canals and heard the boatman's singing voice.

(Japanese original by Minoru Kanazawa, Kyushu Photo Department)