The Nankan Ochaya Remains are the remnants of a lodging establishment situated in central Nankan Town, on the borders of Kumamoto and Fukuoka Prefectures. Completed in 1852, the site was where feudal lords of the Higo clan, their vassals, and other associates would rest and sleep when they traveled through their territory or carried out their official obligations, including alternate attendance duty, a policy known as Sankin Kotai.
This ochaya, or lodge, located on the Buzen Kaido, or Buzen Road, which runs through Nankan Town, was set up as the final resting area within the boundaries of Higo Province, or present-day Kumamoto Prefecture.
Presently, all that remains are one of the main buildings and a garden with a pond shaped to resemble the kanji character for “heart”, or kokoro. The only building still in existence in Kumamoto Prefecture associated with the ochaya, it is an important piece of cultural heritage that was designated a historical site in 2003, or Heisei 15. Moreover, the presence of the kuyo-mon, the family crest depicting nine stars, on the onigawara roof tiles, nail coverings, and other ornamentation used in the structure suggests a deep connection with the Hosokawa family.