This national special historic site is the former home of Motoori Norinaga (1730-1801), a doctor and esteemed scholar whose work shaped Japanese history and philology. This machiya townhouse was the very place where Motoori conducted research into ancient Japanese records and literature, helping push a nationwide academic movement that shaped Japanese history and philology.

Motoori lived in this home in downtown Matsusaka for 60 years, practicing medicine during the day while dedicating his evenings to researching ancient Japanese works. This was where Motoori gave lectures that drew scholars to Matsusaka from across the country, turning the city into an intellectual hub. Relocated to the Matsusaka Castle Ruins in 1909, the building has been carefully maintained to look exactly as it did during Motoori’s time. 

Step into the residence and wander through the connected tatami spaces filled with traces of the wealthy Edo merchant lifestyle. Discover the mise-no-ma front room where Motoori ran his medical practice, the oku-no-ma inner room where the brightest minds of the country gathered for lectures and poetry readings, the elegant Buddhist altar room, and the adjacent kitchen. The space opens to a traditional garden that showcases the changing beauty of the seasons.

Upstairs lies the tea-room-sized study that was repurposed by Motoori in 1783 when recognition for his work grew. The study gets its name Suzunoya ("bell room") from a unique feature: a string of 36 bells Motoori hung to symbolize the Thirty-Six Immortals of waka poetry. It was in this very room that Motoori wrote his magnum opus—a 44-volume study of the oldest existing record of Shinto mythology. While the room is not open to the public, visitors can still glimpse the interior from the outside.