A House of Fine Timber below Mount Hongu
The Otani Family Residence Main House (大谷家住宅主屋) is a large main house of fine timber at the foot of Mount Hongu of 1916 in Ashiyamadacho, Toyokawa City, Aichi Prefecture, and was registered as a Registered Tangible Cultural Property (structure) on October 27, 2017 (Agency for Cultural Affairs).
The Agency records a two-storey timber building, partly with a basement, with a tiled roof and a building area of 249 square metres, extended in 1994 and 2006; registration number 23-501.
A Formal Entrance and a Central Corridor
The main house of the Otani family, built in 1916, faces west on a site at the foot of Mount Hongu in northern Toyokawa (Agency for Cultural Affairs). From the formal entrance at the centre, two rows of two rooms, including the reception rooms and the Buddhist altar room, lie to the north, with living rooms and the kitchen to the south, all reached by a central corridor.
From the living quarters, stairs lead to a concrete basement and to the upper floor (Agency for Cultural Affairs). The frame is thick, and the timber, said to have been cut on the family's own hills, is of high quality.
Why It Was Registered
The Agency registered it for its contribution to the historic landscape.
What to Look For
Look for the formal entrance and the thick frame of fine timber said to come from the family's hills (Agency for Cultural Affairs).
Visiting
The owner is not listed in the Agency record. No official information on public access was found. The main house, storehouse, rice store and corridor are introduced together on the Otani Family Residence page.
Q&A
- When was it built?
- In 1916 (Agency for Cultural Affairs).
- Where is it?
- At the foot of Mount Hongu in northern Toyokawa.
- How is it planned?
- Rooms either side of a formal entrance, on a central corridor.
- What about the timber?
- Fine timber said to be from the family's hills.
- When was the Otani Family Residence Main House registered?
- On October 27, 2017 (Agency for Cultural Affairs).
Basic Information
| Name | Otani Family Residence Main House (大谷家住宅主屋) |
|---|---|
| Location | Lots 100 and 101, Shimodaira, Ashiyamadacho, Toyokawa City, Aichi Prefecture |
| Designation | Registered Tangible Cultural Property (Structure) |
| Year Designated | Registered 2017/10/27 (Heisei 29) |
| Quantity | 1 building |
| Dimensions | Two-storey timber, partly basement, tiled roof, 249 m² |
| Owner | Not listed in the Agency database |
| Public Access | No official information on access |
References
- Otani Family Residence Main House (Database of National Cultural Properties, Agency for Cultural Affairs)
- https://kunishitei.bunka.go.jp/heritage/detail/101/00011962
Last verified: 2026.10.25
