THE IJINKAN (THE FORMER ENGINEERS’ RESIDENCE OF KAGOSHIMA COTTON MILL) ITS FLOORPLAN AND THE LIVES OF FOREIGN ENGINEERS

The Ijinkan (the former engineers’ residence of Kagoshima Cotton Mill) is one of western-style buildings in Bakumatsu Japan. In its floorplan, room-sizes and components including doors, windows and verandahs were designed in the same manner. With reference to the archaeological surveys, it is revealed that the main building, two attached building and stable were laid almost symmetrically in the rectangular plot of land. Considering the lives of foreign engineers employed in the Satsuma, the Ijinkan was probably designed as a boarding house, which was different to other existing western-style buildings in Bakumatsu Japan.