Abstract
The residence (jinya) of the Nishi Takagi, local rulers of Hatamoto status, combined residential with governmental functions, like other leading samurai houses. It was composed of many rooms, some ceremonial and administrative and others living spaces for members of the Nishi Takagi family. This paper investigates how its spatial composition related to function, through an analysis of records of the re-occupation of the upper residence of the jinya after rebuilding following a fire in the Tempo era (1830s). The results may be summarized as follows: 1. The upper residence consisted of 3 buildings, the Omote, the Oku and the Daidokoro, and it was subdivided into 3 zones, the Omote, Naka-oku, and O-oku. 2. The Omote zone was used by male family members, and for official audiences, the Naka-oku was a suite of living rooms for the lord himself , and the O-oku was used by the women of the family. 3. Both the Omote and the Oku buildings were divided into south facing audience spaces and north facing living rooms for family members.
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