Former Aoi Family Residence

Built during the Edo period, this residence housed the head priests of Aoi Aso Jinja for 58 generations, from the early 9th century to the late 19th century. The formal tatami reception room, the keishoden, looks out on a garden on two sides, with sliding doors painted with wild geese, the moon, and ducks among reeds. In 1877, the house served as a base for Hitoyoshi troops during the Satsuma Rebellion, and a sword mark on a pillar in the tea room is believed to date from that period. Storehouses on the grounds hold artifacts from the shrine's festivals, and the garden includes an ancient well and a traditional arrangement of evergreen shrubs, plum trees, and rock formations.