Morioka Racecourse Aurora Park

Former Nakamura family residence

The Nakamura family was one of the largest merchant houses in the castle town of Morioka, and was known as ``Itoya'' or ``Itoharu,'' and mainly sold kimono and used clothing. The first generation was from Miyamori village and started doing business in Morioka in 1782. From the second generation onwards, the company began to call itself ``Itoya'' and developed as a sole trader in Shikon dyeing, a specialty of the Morioka clan. . The building has been renovated and repaired many times, but the current main building was built in 1861, and the storehouse was built in the Meiji period, but it cannot be separated from the main building both functionally and aesthetically. It was also designated as an important cultural property. The building retains many of the characteristics of the late Edo period, with a well-developed second floor and many cupboards and closets. It is extremely rare to find a merchant house that has undergone many additions and renovations and still remains in its original form, and is one of the few merchant houses in Tohoku that has been designated as an important cultural property.