A large farmhouse at the heart of Yoshino
The Kishi Family Residence Main House (季子家住宅主屋, Kishi-ke Jūtaku Omoya) is a wooden farmhouse in Yoshino, Masuda-machi, Yokote City, Akita Prefecture, built in the late Meiji period (1898-1912) and registered as a Registered Tangible Cultural Property of Japan on February 4, 2021. It was altered around 1975.
The Kishi main house stands in the middle of Yoshino hamlet and faces south. The inner storehouse adjoins it to the northwest and the outer storehouse to the southwest. With a building area of 191 square meters, it is the largest of the three registered Kishi buildings.
A hipped roof and triple-stacked eave beams
The roof of the Kishi Family Residence Main House is hipped (Yosemune-zukuri). The Agency for Cultural Affairs lists it as thatch under temporary steel sheeting, meaning the Kayabuki thatch is covered with metal as a temporary measure; the Agency's commentary simply calls it metal-sheet roofing.
Look at the eaves. The eave beams are stacked in three tiers. The house measures 7 ken by 4 ken (one ken is roughly 1.8 meters), with lean-to extensions (Geya) wrapped around three sides and a gabled entrance porch projecting from the western part of the south front. The roofs of the lean-tos and the porch sit below the main roof in layers.
The main house was registered under the criterion of contributing to the historic landscape of the country, with registration number 05-0230. The Agency describes it as a large farmhouse of a kind that survives in the area.
An offset four-room plan and high windows
Inside, the raised-floor part of the Kishi main house follows an offset four-room plan. A standard Yomadori sets four rooms in two rows; in the offset version the partitions in the front row and the back row do not line up.
The south-facing living rooms have high windows that the Agency explains were made to let in light. In a deep plan wrapped in lean-tos on three sides, they probably did much of the work of bringing daylight into the rooms.
One detail is described inconsistently. The structural entry in the Agency database calls the Kishi main house a two-storey wooden building, while the commentary says it is two storeys only in part. The second reading is the more likely, but published sources do not say which section has an upper floor.
Seeing the Kishi Family Residence Main House
The Kishi Family Residence Main House is privately owned, and no opening days or admission details appear in Agency or Yokote City sources. Plan on not seeing the rooms or the high windows from inside.
View the exterior from the road and stay off the property. Because the house faces south, a spot on the road with a view of the south front shows the projecting gabled porch and the tiered eave beams most clearly. Keep the household's daily life out of any photos.
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Q&A
- When was the Kishi Family Residence Main House built?
- The Agency for Cultural Affairs dates it to the late Meiji period (1898-1912), with alterations around 1975. It was registered as a Registered Tangible Cultural Property on February 4, 2021.
- How do you pronounce the name of the Kishi Family Residence Main House?
- The family name 季子 is read Kishi, and the registered name is read Kishi-ke Jūtaku Omoya.
- What kind of roof does the Kishi Family Residence Main House have?
- A hipped roof of thatch that is temporarily covered with steel sheeting. The eave beams are stacked in three tiers, and lean-tos run around three sides.
- Why is the Kishi Family Residence Main House a registered cultural property?
- It was registered for contributing to the historic landscape. At 7 by 4 ken and 191 square meters, it is valued as a large farmhouse surviving in the area.
- Can visitors go inside the Kishi Family Residence Main House?
- No public opening has been announced; it is a private home. Please view it from the road only and do not enter the grounds.
Basic Information
| Name | Kishi Family Residence Main House (季子家住宅主屋) |
|---|---|
| Location | 58 Muranoato, Yoshino, Masuda-machi, Yokote City, Akita Prefecture |
| Designation | Registered Tangible Cultural Property (Building), registration no. 05-0230 |
| Year Designated | Registered February 4, 2021 |
| Quantity | 1 building |
| Dimensions | Wooden, 2 storeys (partly 2 storeys per the commentary), hipped roof, thatch under temporary steel sheeting, 7 x 4 ken, building area 191 square meters |
| Owner | Private owner |
| Public Access | Private residence; no public opening announced (exterior from the road) |
References
- Database of National Cultural Properties (Agency for Cultural Affairs): Kishi Family Residence Main House
- https://kunishitei.bunka.go.jp/bsys/maindetails/101/00013489
- Cultural Heritage Online: Kishi Family Residence Main House
- https://online.bunka.go.jp/heritages/detail/539368
- Yokote City: List of Cultural Properties by Category, as of July 22, 2026 (PDF, Japanese)
- https://www.city.yokote.lg.jp/_res/projects/default_project/_page_/001/005/071/080722itiran.pdf
Last verified: 2026.10.06
