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The Old Morinaga Residence

The Old Morinaga Residence

It is said that the first generation started making tobacco products after receiving an order from the local clan around the year 1800. During the Meiji period the third generation created the Fujino Kemuri, which was rumored to have an aroma even better than Tokyo’s famous Tengu, putting the shop and Saga on the map. After the Tobacco senbai-ka※1 business was shifted to selling clothing, which continued until 1934.

The property consists of the northern storehouse, southern storehouse, and residence, which were built in the Meiji period. The northern storehouse faces the Nagasaki Sugar Road, and is a two story Dozo tsukuri※2 building. The southern storehouse is an amazing three story Dozo tsukuri facing the Urajikken river. The residence is a one story building from the early Meiji period, with a central tatami room on the north side and southern structure connected by a hallway. The elegant design allows for the two sides to be separated by a garden.

The old wooden signboard for the Morinaga Clothing store still hangs on the northern storehouse facing the old Nagasaki Sugar Road. You can also see the Shimazu crest of a cross within a circle, given because of the founder’s name Jusuke Morinaga and the connection to the government-provided leaves of the Satsuma clan.

The buildings were certified as a Saga Prefectural Heritage site in 2012 and were then added to the Saga City Cultural Museum in April of 2016.
In 2015 renovations were made to the inside, while the exterior was preserved as it was. Today the buildings are used as a tea shop, Nabeshima style hand-craft workshop, and storefront for hand-crafted goods.

      

※1 Tobacco senbai-ka…a system where the national government monopolizes sale of specific goods for their own purpose.
※2 Dozo tsukuri…one of Japan’s traditional architecture styles using wooden frames to reinforce earthen outer walls, and finished with mortar or plaster.

Introducing the Tenants

Northern storehouse 〔Japanese tea specialty store - Kureha〕

A tea shop where you can enjoy the qualities of Japanese tea, including Ureshino-cha.
For more information, please click here.

Southern Storehouse 〔Sagashimono(handicraft store)〕

The first floor is a gallery of fashionable Saga crafts. On the second floor is the Nabeshima Dantsu workshop.
For more information, please click here.

Residence 〔Orimonogatari - Nabeshima hand weaving workshop〕

Here you can watch a crafting demonstration of “Nabeshima Dantsu a cotton carpet first made in Saga during the Genroku era.
For more information, please click here.

Orimonogatari
Orimonogatari

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