Old Government Building in Takayama

Old Government Building in Takayama

In 1692, the Tokugawa shogunate designated Hida Province (present-day northern Gifu Prefecture) as a tenryō (directly governed territory), and over the next 176 years, dispatched 25 generations of daikan (magistrates) and gundai (regional governors) to administer the area directly on behalf of the shogunate, overseeing governance, finance, and policing. The administrative offices built during this time — including the daikansho (magistrate’s office), gundaiyashiki (governor’s residence), and okura (storehouse) — collectively came to be known as the Old Government Building in Takayama.

It is said that at the end of the Edo period, there were over 60 gundaiyashiki and daikansho throughout Japan, but the only one that has survived to this day is the Old Government Building in Takayama. As the only surviving example in the country, it has been designated as a national historic site. Originally constructed as one of the suburban residences of the Kanamori family, the lords of Takayama Castle, the building was used from 1692 — when the region became a tenryō under direct control of the Tokugawa shogunate — until the Meiji Restoration in 1868, serving as the official administrative office for the daikan or gundai dispatched from Edo to govern Hida Province.

The roof of the Old Government Building is entirely covered with wooden boards. It is said that this design choice was made because Hida is a snowy region and also a major timber-producing area; traditional clay roof tiles would easily be damaged by heavy snow, whereas wood was readily available. The complex features a massive gate, a reconstructed gundai residence based on an 1830 blueprint, and a rice granary relocated from the third bailey of Takayama Castle, all of which are highly worthwhile attractions for visitors.

Takayama Jinya

Reason to visit: The only surviving magistrates’ office from the Edo period in Japan

Continent: Asia【Asia】

Country/Region: Japan

Prefecture/State: Gifu Prefecture

City: Takayama