Trips Places Foods Stories Newsletters

Take your next trip with Atlas Obscura!

Our small-group adventures are inspired by our Atlas of the world's most fascinating places, the stories behind them, and the people who bring them to life.

Visit Adventures
Trips Highlight
Taktsang Lhakhang, also known as the “Tiger’s Nest”.
Bhutan • 11 days, 10 nights
Festivals & Temples of Bhutan
from
Macchu Picchu
Peru • 10 days, 9 nights
Peru: Machu Picchu & the Last Incan Bridges
from
View all trips
Top Destinations
Latest Places
Most Popular Places Random Place Lists Itineraries
Add a Place
Download the App
Top Destinations
View All Destinations »

Countries

  • Australia
  • Canada
  • China
  • France
  • Germany
  • India
  • Italy
  • Japan

Cities

  • Amsterdam
  • Barcelona
  • Beijing
  • Berlin
  • Boston
  • Budapest
  • Chicago
  • London
  • Los Angeles
  • Mexico City
  • Montreal
  • Moscow
  • New Orleans
  • New York City
  • Paris
  • Philadelphia
  • Rome
  • San Francisco
  • Seattle
  • Stockholm
  • Tokyo
  • Toronto
  • Vienna
  • Washington, D.C.
Latest Places
View All Places »
Mosaic in Beachfront Park.
Tsunami Walking Tour
Madam Yoko’s gravesite.
Madam Yoko’s Grave
Garden path.
Garden of the Presidential Mansion
Anabaptist Cages
Latest Places to Eat & Drink
View All Places to Eat »
The sign declares this the number-one gumbo shop in town.
Gumbo Hut Shioya
The pavlova comes crowned with jewel-like fruit.
Central Park Boathouse
The Village Tavern of Long Grove - exterior.
The Village Tavern
Hunter House Hamburgers
L’Escamoteur
Recent Stories
All Stories Video Podcast
Most Recent Stories
View All Stories »
The Golden Gate Bridge as seen from the Marin Headlands at sunrise.
Listener Stories of Leaving Home: From San Francisco to Japan
1 day ago
Aerial view of Bell Labs Holmdel
How the Bell Labs Holmdel Complex Inspired ‘Severance’
3 days ago
Omni Parker House Hotel
The Omni Parker House: Inside the History of Boston’s Most Iconic Hotel
4 days ago
The cute capybara.
Animal Takeover: Brace Yourself for Adorable Hordes
5 days ago

No search results found for
“”

Make sure words are spelled correctly.

Try searching for a travel destination.

Places near me Random place

Popular Destinations

  • Paris
  • London
  • New York
  • Berlin
  • Rome
  • Los Angeles
Trips Places Foods Stories Newsletters
Sign In Join
Places near me Random place
All Japan Gojōban Yashiki Samurai Residences
AO Edited

Gojōban Yashiki Samurai Residences

Descendants of the samurai who guarded Matsusaka Castle during the Edo period still live in these charming historic houses (and visitors can enter one of them for free).

Matsusaka, Japan

Added By
Shalom Tan
Email
Been Here
Want to go
Added to list
Gojōban Yashiki   Suikotei / CC BY-SA 4.0
Gojōban Yashiki   Suikotei / CC BY-SA 4.0
Matsusaka Shrine beside a samurai residence   Shalom Alexandra / Atlas Obscura User
View of a residence framed by the torii gate of Matsusaka Shrine   Shalom Alexandra / Atlas Obscura User
View of Gojouban Yashiki residences from Matsusaka Castle in spring   Shalom Alexandra / Atlas Obscura User
Been Here
Want to go
Added to list

About

Matsusaka is a city that excels at hiding its treasures. Its city center is a haphazard collection of abandoned buildings from the 1980s, yet two steps away are the manicured hedges of the largest existing samurai residence complex from the Edo period.

These residences were home to samurai warriors of the Kishu Domain who guarded Matsusaka Castle at the end of the Edo period (1603-1868). Unusually for such a site, the descendants of the samurai continue to live here to this day, and it has received national designation as an Important Cultural Property. One of the houses is open for free to the public.

The nearby historic home of the Hasegawa family, who amassed wealth in the 17th century through the trade of Matsusaka cotton, is also open to visitors for a small fee. If you've ever seen jokes made about "jimonos" (jean-kimonos), chances are they're actually kimonos made from Matsusaka cotton—naturally dyed indigo threads hand-woven into fashionable designs ahead of its time. The fabric looks like blue denim at first glance, but it actually precedes the invention of denim by more than two centuries. Visitors can enjoy a simple tea ceremony, and even try weaving Matsusaka cotton on the weekends.

Related Tags

History & Culture Houses Samurai

Know Before You Go

It is difficult to get around Matsusaka without a car. Public transport is limited and infrequent (some local trains do not accept IC cards like suica or pasmo). You can rent bicycles from the Tourism Center for 100 yen per hour, or rent a car from the many vendors around the station.

It takes about 1.5 hours by train to get to Matsusaka Station from Osaka or Nagoya. 

Atlas Obscura Adventures

Hidden Japan: Sado Island, Nara & Kyoto

Explore a different side of Japan.

Book Now

Community Contributors

Added By

Shalom Alexandra

Edited By

Michelle Cassidy

  • Michelle Cassidy

Published

June 26, 2024

Edit this listing

Make an Edit
Add Photos
Sources
  • https://www.city.matsusaka.mie.jp/site/kanko/gojyobanyashiki.html
  • https://www.matsusaka-kanko.com/language/en-hasegawa/
  • https://matsusaka-info.jp/report/detail/post-5.html
  • https://www.matsusaka-kanko.com/eng-guide/
  • https://www.matsusaka-kanko.com/language/en-matsusaka-beef/
  • https://matsusaka-info.jp/english/
Gojōban Yashiki Samurai Residences
Matsusaka, 515-0073
Japan
34.574263, 136.527131
Visit Website

Nearby Places

Former Ozu Residence

Matsusaka, Japan

miles away

Japon Louvre Sculpture Museum

Tsu, Japan

miles away

Ise Grand Shrine

Ise, Japan

miles away

Explore the Destination Guide

Photo of Japan

Japan

Asia

Places 786
Stories 111

Nearby Places

Former Ozu Residence

Matsusaka, Japan

miles away

Japon Louvre Sculpture Museum

Tsu, Japan

miles away

Ise Grand Shrine

Ise, Japan

miles away

Explore the Destination Guide

Photo of Japan

Japan

Asia

Places 786
Stories 111

Related Places

  • Face of Nakpil-Bautista house

    Manila, Philippines

    Bahay Nakpil-Bautista

    A century-old ancestral home was home to some of the key figures of the Philippine Revolution.

  • Sethi House Complex

    Peshawar, Pakistan

    Sethi House

    A rare instance of a historical Peshawari mansion restored and opened to the public.

  • The two rivaling warlords of Okehazama, Nagoya.

    Nagoya, Japan

    Okehazama Battlefield

    The location of the site of one of the defining battles of feudal Japan is being fought over by two neighboring cities.

  • Shibden Hall.

    Halifax, England

    Shibden Hall

    This centuries-old mansion was the home of the noted 19th-century diarist Anne Lister (aka “Gentleman Jack”).

  • View from Above; a more recent concrete construction can be seen nearby

    Green Island, Taiwan

    Youzihu

    The ruins of a prehistoric village hide on a remote Taiwanese island.

  • Hôtel Solvay

    Brussels, Belgium

    Hôtel Solvay

    This historic Art Nouveau townhouse was the former home of the son of a famous chemical inventor and industrialist.

  • Casa de los Tiros

    Granada, Spain

    Casa de los Tiros

    A centuries-old house, once part of the wall of Granada, sports musket barrels from the battlements which allude to its original owner.

  • Original Wright Brothers Homestead

    Dayton, Ohio

    Original Wright Brothers Homestead

    The childhood home of the Wright Brothers in Dayton.

Aerial image of Vietnam, displaying the picturesque rice terraces, characterized by their layered, verdant fields.
Atlas Obscura Membership

Become an Atlas Obscura Member


Join our community of curious explorers.

Become a Member

Get Our Email Newsletter

Follow Us

Facebook YouTube TikTok Instagram Pinterest RSS Feed

Get the app

Download the App
Download on the Apple App Store Get it on Google Play
  • All Places
  • Latest Places
  • Most Popular
  • Places to Eat
  • Random
  • Nearby
  • Add a Place
  • Stories
  • Food & Drink
  • Itineraries
  • Lists
  • Video
  • Podcast
  • Newsletters
  • All Trips
  • Family Trip
  • Food & Drink
  • History & Culture
  • Wildlife & Nature
  • FAQ
  • Membership
  • Feedback & Ideas
  • Community Guidelines
  • Product Blog
  • Unique Gifts
  • Work With Us
  • About
  • FAQ
  • Advertise With Us
  • Advertising Guidelines
  • Privacy Policy
  • Cookie Policy
  • Terms of Use
Atlas Obscura

© 2025 Atlas Obscura. All Rights Reserved.