Ama-Town Designated Cultural Property 海士町指定文化財
村上家資料館
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The Murakami Family
The Murakami family is one of the oldest established families in Oki, dating back to the medieval period. It is said that when Emperor Gotoba was exiled to Ama in 1221, he asked the family to take care of him. The heads of the Murakami family have inherited the name Murakami Sukekuro for generations since the early 17th century, and the family made a great fortune in the shipping business with the development of the westbound shipping route.
EXHIBITS
The residence of Murakami Sukekuro (burned down and rebuilt in 1900) was restored over a period of five years and opened in March 2014 as the Murakami Residence Museum, a museum displaying old documents including medieval manuscripts owned by the Murakami family. (The building is also registered as a tangible cultural property by Ama Town.)
Inside the museum, ancient documents related to the Murakami family are exhibited, as well as items related to kemari (a traditional Japanese ball game) that commemorate the family’s close relationship with Asukai Masakata, a court noble exiled from Kyoto to Ama in 1609. Additionally, items indicating the interaction with the Minase family, court nobles who served Emperor Gotoba in Kyoto, and other artifacts related to Emperor Gotoba are also on display.
Takanoma (The High Room)
This room, called Takanoma (the High Room), was created when the Murakami family rebuilt the residence in 1900. It was treated as the most prestigious and special room in the house. It was used as a resting place for the Crown Princes, who later became Emperor Taisho and Emperor Showa, during their imperial visits in the early 20th century.
List of Billionaires
The name of the head of the family, "Murakami Sukekuro," appeared as "Amano Sukekuro" (Amano = of Ama) on the "List of Billionaires" published in Edo (Tokyo), Kyoto, and Osaka during the 19th century. This indicates that he became widely known throughout Japan as a billionaire in Oki.
INFORMATIOM
Admission
Adults：300 yen Children：150 yen
Free for children under elementary school age
Discounts available for groups (15 or more people) and for the disabled
Audio guide available (Japanese/English)
Hours
9:00 - 17:00
Closed during winter (December to February) and on occasional days
【Notice】 Admission is free on 3rd Nov, as it is national public holiday called Culture Day in Japan.
Access
1700-2 Ama, Ama-cho, Oki-gun, Shimane Prefecture
1 minute walk from "Yakuba-mae" bus stop on the Toyoda Line
5 minutes by car or 15 minutes by bicycle from Hishiura Port