If you look up at the ceiling, you should see an elegant wooden beam. This beam is said to be Akita cedarwood over 500 years old. Nowadays it’s impossible to procure such fine lumber.

If you look closely, you should be able to see a sandal pinned together with the builder’s placard by a hamaya arrow. Now, look closely at the sandal’s strap. Can you tell that it’s severed?

When construction was finished on the Residence, the sandals used by those who labored to build the Residence were raised on a beam with their straps cut. There are many theories, but it’s said that the master craftsman, who poured himself into the project, was sending a pointed message: he’d never come back here for maintenance or repairs. The sandals loudly conveyed “I’m never coming back, so I won’t be needing these sandals anymore.”

Masuda’s storehouses have endured long years and earthquakes, providing a vivid snapshot of those old days. It’s hard not to picture that craftsman’s triumphant face.