A Landowner's House of 1891
The Watanabe Family Residence Main House (渡部家住宅主屋) is a rural landowner's house of 1891 in Hachimantai, Kazuno City, Akita Prefecture, and was registered as a Registered Tangible Cultural Property (structure) on March 27, 2006 (Agency for Cultural Affairs).
The Agency records a single-storey timber house, thatched and now temporarily covered in sheet iron, with a building area of 374 square metres; registration number 05-0137.
Home of a Samurai-Descended Landowner
The main house was built for a landowning family descended from zaigo bushi, samurai who lived on their rural holdings rather than in a castle town (Agency for Cultural Affairs). It measures 14 by 7 bays under a hipped roof that was originally thatched, and an entrance and a small reception room project at the southwest corner of the front.
Family records give the year the roof frame was raised and the name of the master carpenter (Agency for Cultural Affairs). The same carpenter later built the storehouse on the property.
Why It Was Registered
The Agency notes the house's tall proportions, its small earthen-floored entry and its great room of 24 and a half tatami mats, together with high-quality timber and joinery; it was registered as a model of design. Akita Prefecture also singles out its size and fine materials.
What to Look For
The rooms to look for are the small reception room for honoured guests and the great room of 24 and a half mats, laid out as a pair across a small courtyard garden (Akita Prefecture). The prefecture notes that the great room makes generous use of Japanese pagoda tree (enju) and paulownia.
Outside, the entrance and small room projecting at the southwest corner break up the long front under the hipped roof (Agency for Cultural Affairs).
Visiting
It is a private house, and no official information from the city or prefecture on access to the interior was found. The reception rooms are inside, so they can be seen only on an arranged visit.
Q&A
- When was the Watanabe main house built?
- In 1891 (Agency for Cultural Affairs).
- Is the builder known?
- Yes. Family records give the year the frame was raised and the name of the master carpenter (Agency for Cultural Affairs).
- What should I look for?
- The great room of 24 and a half mats and the small guest room, finished in pagoda tree and paulownia (Akita Prefecture).
- What is the roof made of?
- It is a hipped roof, originally thatched and now temporarily covered in sheet iron (Agency for Cultural Affairs).
- When was the Watanabe Family Residence Main House registered?
- On March 27, 2006 (Agency for Cultural Affairs).
Basic Information
| Name | Watanabe Family Residence Main House (渡部家住宅主屋) |
|---|---|
| Location | 63 Ishidoriya, Hachimantai, Kazuno City, Akita Prefecture |
| Designation | Registered Tangible Cultural Property (Structure) |
| Year Designated | Registered 2006/03/27 (Heisei 18) |
| Quantity | 1 building |
| Dimensions | Single-storey timber, thatch (temporarily covered in sheet iron), 374 m², 14 by 7 bays |
| Owner | Private (per Kazuno City; not listed in the Agency database) |
| Public Access | Private house (no official visiting information) |
References
- Watanabe Family Residence Main House (Database of National Cultural Properties, Agency for Cultural Affairs)
- https://kunishitei.bunka.go.jp/heritage/detail/101/00005403
- Watanabe Family Residence (Akita Prefecture, Japanese)
- https://www.pref.akita.lg.jp/pages/archive/1626
- List of Designated Cultural Properties (Kazuno City, Japanese)
- https://www.city.kazuno.lg.jp/kanko_bunka_sports/bunkazai/2/3968.html
Last verified: 2026.10.19
