Former Uchida Saheiji Family Residence Main House
The Former Uchida Saheiji Family Residence Main House (旧内田佐平二家住宅主屋) is a structure built around 1872 at the Uchida Saheiji family house in Utsumi, Minamichita Town, Chita District, Aichi Prefecture, and it was registered as a Registered Tangible Cultural Property on November 2, 2018, under registration number 23-0531. The Agency for Cultural Affairs records it as a two-storey timber building with a tiled roof and a building area of 155 square metres, renovated in 2014.
According to Minamichita Town, the Saheiji house was built by the Sashichi family for the first Sazo, who had managed the family's branch shop, when he returned to Utsumi; a house-plan divination chart of May 1872 dates it to around that time.
Why It Was Registered
The main house was registered in 2018 as contributing to the historic landscape of the country. The Agency describes it as a shipowner's residence at Utsumi port, standing at the centre of its plot facing south onto a lane: a two-storey gabled house with a tiled roof, lean-to roofs on three sides and a wing projecting at the northwest. It is the core of the port town's historic streetscape.
The town notes that it may have reused timber left over from the main Uchida house and shares much of that house's plan.
What to Look For
Inside, according to the Agency, an earth-floored area lies to the west and two rows of two rooms to the east, with a guest room at the back of the upper floor. The town describes the southeast room as the odei, a nine-mat room with an alcove, adjoining the butsuma and kamiya to the north.
The earth-floored niwa has a cooking range and well, with heavy roof beams and a smoke vent above (Minamichita Town). Comparing it with the main Uchida house shows how much the two plans share.
Visiting
No public opening information for the Saheiji house was found in Minamichita Town's guidance, which covers the main Uchida (Sashichi) house. Ask the town's education division (0569-65-0711) whether it can be visited. Opening days, admission and access are on the Uchida Family Residences of the Utsumi Shipowners page.
- 📍 Plan Your Visit to Aichi
- Find tours, activities & transport passes near Former Uchida Saheiji Family Residence Main House
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Q&A
- When was the Saheiji main house built?
- Around 1872; it was renovated in 2014.
- When was it registered?
- On November 2, 2018, as registration number 23-0531.
- What is its plan?
- An earth-floored area to the west and two rows of two rooms to the east, with a guest room at the back upstairs.
- Who were the Uchida Saheiji family?
- A branch of the Uchida Sashichi family; the house was built for the first Sazo, manager of the family's branch shop.
- Can I visit the Saheiji main house?
- No public opening information was found; ask Minamichita Town's education division.
Basic Information
| Name | Former Uchida Saheiji Family Residence Main House (旧内田佐平二家住宅主屋) |
|---|---|
| Location | 55 Minamigawa, Utsumi, Minamichita Town, Chita District, Aichi Prefecture |
| Designation | Registered Tangible Cultural Property (Structure) |
| Year Designated | Registered 2018/11/2 (Heisei 30), registration no. 23-0531 |
| Quantity | 1 building |
| Dimensions | Timber, 2 storeys, tiled roof, building area 155 square metres |
| Owner | Minamichita Town |
| Public Access | No public opening announced (ask the town) |
References
- 旧内田佐平二家住宅主屋 (Database of National Cultural Properties, Agency for Cultural Affairs)
- https://kunishitei.bunka.go.jp/bsys/maindetails/101/00012560
- About the Uchida houses (Minamichita Town)
- https://www.town.minamichita.lg.jp/kankosangyou/bunkasports/1001407/1001408.html
Last verified: 2026.10.04
Last verified: 2026.10.04
