投稿日：2023年07月07日
During the Edo period, a chief retainer (karō) was one of the highest-ranking samurai officials serving under a domain lord (daimyō). The chief retainer assisted in managing the domain’s administration, finances, and military affairs, while also advising the lord on important decisions. As a trusted senior official, the chief retainer played a key role in maintaining the stability and daily operation of the domain, even replacing the lord in his absence.
The gate of the Tago family residence, the home of the chief retainer of Tsuwano Domain, was rebuilt in Tonomachi after the great fire of 1853 (the 6th year of the Kaei era). The monomi-yagura (viewing tower) on the left and the guard house on the right have been preserved and are still standing today.
Unlike a watchtower used for defence, a monomi-yagura was a place for viewing events and scenery. During festivals and public celebrations, the domain lord and high-ranking samurai could watch from inside the tower. Due to the strict social hierarchy of the Edo period, people of different social ranks generally did not gather together to view such events. The tower therefore allowed members of the ruling class to observe festivals while maintaining the customs of the time.
The chief retainer’s estate originally extended all the way to the foot of the mountain. However, after the construction of the national railway and the Sangyō Road (Industrial Road, now known as Takaoka Road) after World War II, the land was divided into smaller sections. At the rear of the estate, between the road and the railway tracks, a two-storey Edo-period building and its adjoining garden still remain.
Tangible Cultural Property Designated by Shimane Prefecture（県指定有形文化財）
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旧津和野藩家老多胡表門 （県指定）
津和野藩の筆頭家老多胡（たご）家の表門。嘉永６年（1853）の大火後の建物で左手に物見櫓が、右手に番所が残る。敷地に背面の城山の裾野までであったが、大正時代国鉄に、戦後産業道路（現高岡通り）により分断された。背後に江戸時代の二階建の屋敷と庭が残る。
津和野町伝統文化活性化協議会、平成２４年３月発行