A main house dated by its 1900 ridge tag
The Former Akiba Family Residence Main House (旧秋場家住宅主屋, Kyū Akiba-ke Jūtaku Shuoku) is a house built in 1900 in Torami, Ichinomiya, Chiba Prefecture, and was registered as a Registered Tangible Cultural Property of Japan on June 28, 2017. It is the youngest of the three registered buildings on the Akiba estate and the dwelling at its centre.
The date comes from a Munafuda, the wooden ridge tag that records a building's construction. The house is timber-framed, single storey with a partial 2-storey section, and roofed in pantiles in the hipped form. Lean-to aisles run around all four sides, and a separate hipped roof covers the projecting entrance at the front. The building area is 235 square metres, and the house was renovated in 2013.
Why it was registered
The Former Akiba Family Residence Main House was registered for contributing to the historic landscape of the country. The Agency for Cultural Affairs singles out the carved transoms around the reception room as bold, richly worked detail.
The family that built it had served as amimoto, owners of the large fishing nets, and later brewed sake as well. Their house sits behind the long gatehouse on the south side, with the storehouse to the east, and its broad hipped roof and wraparound aisles make it the clear anchor of the estate.
What to look for
The ground floor has six rooms in 2 rows of 3. The Zashiki, the formal reception room, lies at the far western end, and its Tokonoma alcove is flanked by Tokowaki shelving recesses on both sides.
The carving is the reason to come inside. Above the Tsukeshoin, the built-in writing desk beside the alcove, the Ranma transom holds a dragon; the transom between the reception room and the next room shows a pine tree with a hawk. Look up at the desk alcove first, then turn round to find the pine and hawk over the partition.
Outside, notice how the low eaves of the surrounding aisles sit beneath the much larger main roof, and how the entrance porch, with its own small hipped roof, marks the way in.
Visiting
The Former Akiba Family Residence Main House is not open to the public on a regular basis. Ichinomiya Town describes it as a rental space, so the interior can be seen only when it is in use for an event or hire. The carved transoms and the alcove are inside and cannot be seen from outside.
As of October 2026 no operator's page could be found. Check how to book and whether photography is allowed inside before you go. Directions to the estate and general visiting conditions are on the Former Akiba Family Residence page.
Q&A
- When was the Former Akiba Family Residence Main House built?
- Its ridge tag dates it to 1900. The house was renovated in 2013.
- When was the Former Akiba Family Residence Main House registered as a cultural property?
- It was registered as a Registered Tangible Cultural Property (building) on June 28, 2017, under registration number 12-0228.
- What is the layout of the Former Akiba Family Residence Main House?
- The ground floor has six rooms in 2 rows of 3, with the formal reception room at the western end; part of the house rises to 2 storeys.
- What should I look for at the Former Akiba Family Residence Main House?
- The carved transoms: a dragon above the built-in writing desk and a pine tree with a hawk above the partition of the reception room, whose alcove has shelving recesses on both sides.
- Can I go inside the Former Akiba Family Residence Main House?
- Not on a regular basis. The town describes it as a rental space, so the interior is open only during events or hire. No operator's information could be found as of October 2026, so check in advance.
Basic Information
| Name | Former Akiba Family Residence Main House (旧秋場家住宅主屋) |
|---|---|
| Location | 1611 Ōmura, Torami, Ichinomiya-machi, Chōsei-gun, Chiba Prefecture |
| Designation | Registered Tangible Cultural Property (building) |
| Year Designated | Registered 2017/06/28 (Heisei 29) |
| Quantity | 1 building |
| Dimensions | Timber, single storey with a partial 2-storey section, tiled roof; building area 235 square metres |
| Owner | 有限会社亜巳絵 (private limited company) |
| Public Access | Not open on a regular basis (described by the town as a rental space) |
References
- Agency for Cultural Affairs database: 旧秋場家住宅主屋
- https://kunishitei.bunka.go.jp/bsys/maindetails/101/00011648
- Ichinomiya Town: 旧秋場家住宅主屋
- https://www.town.ichinomiya.chiba.jp/kankou/kankouannai/bunkazai/yuukei/416.html
- Ichinomiya Town Board of Education: Designated Cultural Properties of Ichinomiya (March 2021)
- https://www.town.ichinomiya.chiba.jp/assets/files/kyouiku/%E4%B8%80%E5%AE%AE%E7%94%BA%E3%81%AE%E6%8C%87%E5%AE%9A%E6%96%87%E5%8C%96%E8%B2%A1%E3%83%91%E3%83%B3%E3%83%95WEB%E7%94%A8.pdf
Last verified: 2026.10.06
