What Is the Kato Family Residence Main House in Futtsu?
The Kato Family Residence Main House (加藤家住宅主屋, Katō-ke Jūtaku Shuoku) is a late Meiji period (1898 to 1912) house in the modern Japanese style in Sasage, Futtsu City, Chiba Prefecture, moved to its present site in the early Taisho period (1912 to 1918) and registered as a Registered Tangible Cultural Property on 13 August 2012. It faces west in a village on the shore of Tokyo Bay.
It is a single-storey timber house under a Yosemune-zukuri hipped roof of Sangawara-buki pantiles, ringed by Geya lean-to aprons, with a building area of 159 square meters. The Chiba Prefectural Board of Education classes it as a modern Japanese-style building with the bearing of a Kazusa samurai residence.
From a Castle-Town Doctor's House to a Fishing Master's Home
The Kato Family Residence Main House was not built where it stands. According to the prefectural board, it began as a doctor's house in the castle town of Kururi. A forestry entrepreneur from Koito, now part of Kimitsu City, moved it to Koito; then a local fishing master, an amimoto who owned boats and nets and employed the crews, bought it in the late Meiji period and moved it again, to this spot. The Agency for Cultural Affairs dates the move to the early Taisho period.
Kururi is an old castle town in the hills of the Boso uplands, and Koito is a district in the Koito River valley of Kimitsu. The house thus traveled twice, from an inland castle town by way of Koito to a fishing settlement on the bay. Built in late Meiji and moved in early Taisho, it seems to have made both journeys within about 20 years of being built.
The prefectural description gives the buyer's home as a place written 笹下 in Futtsu City, while the house now stands in Sasage (笹毛). It has not been confirmed which is correct, or if 笹下 is simply a misprint.
A Carved Porch and a Coffered Ceiling
At the center of the front, the Kato Family Residence Main House pushes out an entrance porch with a gable end. Its roof has a gentle mukuri, an upward swell in the roof surface. A Gegyo carved pendant board hangs from the gable, and the ends of the purlins are carved. The central porch with lean-to roofs spreading on either side is what gives the house the air of a samurai dwelling.
Inside, three Zashiki reception rooms line the north side, and the innermost has a Gō-tenjō coffered ceiling. The Agency for Cultural Affairs singles out that back room when it praises the quality of the interior.
Why It Was Registered
The Kato Family Residence Main House was registered as number 12-0161 for its contribution to the historic landscape. Set on a scenic spot looking over Tokyo Bay, its samurai-style entrance and hipped roof with lean-to aprons help shape the look of the shoreline village.
Its history is part of its character too: a house built in the manner of a castle-town residence, carried to the coast to become a fishing master's home. Its two moves, from inland Kazusa to the water's edge, can be traced in the record of this one building.
Visiting the Kato Family Residence Main House
The Kato Family Residence Main House is a private home. No public opening or visiting arrangement appears on the Chiba Prefectural Board of Education website or in any other source checked (September 2026), so assume the rooms and coffered ceiling are closed. If you go, stay off the property and look from the surrounding lanes. There is no guidance on photography either; please remember that people live here.
The nearest station is Sanukimachi on the JR Uchibo Line. The house is in the Sasage settlement about 1.5 kilometers south-southwest of the station in a straight line, and the walk is longer than that.
Q&A
- When was the Kato Family Residence Main House in Futtsu built?
- It was built in the late Meiji period (1898 to 1912) and moved to its present site in the early Taisho period (1912 to 1918).
- Where did the Kato Family Residence Main House in Futtsu originally stand?
- According to the Chiba Prefectural Board of Education, it was a doctor's house in the castle town of Kururi. It was moved to Koito in Kimitsu, then bought by a Futtsu fishing master and moved to Sasage.
- Why is the Kato Family Residence Main House in Futtsu a Registered Tangible Cultural Property?
- Its samurai-style entrance and fine reception rooms make it a notable modern Japanese-style house that contributes to the historic landscape. It was registered on 13 August 2012.
- Can I go inside the Kato Family Residence Main House in Futtsu?
- No public opening has been announced. It is a private home, so view it from the road without entering the property.
- What is the nearest station to the Kato Family Residence Main House in Futtsu?
- Sanukimachi Station on the JR Uchibo Line. The house is about 1.5 kilometers south-southwest of it in a straight line.
Basic Information
| Name | Kato Family Residence Main House (加藤家住宅主屋) |
|---|---|
| Location | 1 Sasage Kitagen, Futtsu City, Chiba Prefecture |
| Designation | Registered Tangible Cultural Property (Structure), No. 12-0161 |
| Year Designated | Registered 13 August 2012 |
| Quantity | 1 building |
| Dimensions | Single-storey timber building, pantiled roof, building area 159 square meters |
| Owner | Private |
| Public Access | Not open (no opening announced) |
References
- Database of National Cultural Properties: Kato Family Residence Main House (Agency for Cultural Affairs, in Japanese)
- https://kunishitei.bunka.go.jp/bsys/maindetails/101/00009258
- Cultural Heritage Online: Kato Family Residence Main House (Agency for Cultural Affairs, in Japanese)
- https://online.bunka.go.jp/heritages/detail/230331
- Kato Family Residence Main House (Chiba Prefectural Board of Education, in Japanese)
- https://www.pref.chiba.lg.jp/kyouiku/bunkazai/bunkazai/q111-077.html
- Designated and Registered Cultural Properties in Futtsu City (Chiba Prefectural Board of Education, in Japanese)
- https://www.pref.chiba.lg.jp/kyouiku/bunkazai/shitei/shichouson/futtsu.html
Last verified: 2026.09.29