Kiuchi Family Residence Main House

The House at the Back of the Lot

The Kiuchi Family Residence Main House (木内家住宅主屋) is a stone residence of 1929–1931 in Tako, Tako-machi, Katori District, Chiba Prefecture, and was registered as a Registered Tangible Cultural Property (structure) on October 14, 1999 (Agency for Cultural Affairs).

The Agency records a 2-storey stone building with a tile roof and a building area of 50 square metres; registration number 12-0031.

The Kiuchi Family Residence Main House was the dwelling of the Kiuchi family of rice dealers and stands at the very back of the lot, behind the former shop on the street and the former storehouse (Agency for Cultural Affairs; Chiba Prefecture).

Ōya Stone Walls Banded with Inada Stone

The Kiuchi Family Residence Main House rises two full storeys under a hipped roof of interlocking pan tiles (Yosemune-zukuri, Sangawara-buki). Its outer walls are laid in Ōya stone, and Inada stone is set at the line between the floors, along the eaves and around the windows and doors, so that a second stone draws bands and frames across the walls (Agency for Cultural Affairs).

The Chiba Prefectural Board of Education explains that Inada stone is a granite cut near Kasama in Ibaraki Prefecture, and notes that the house also took up Western-style touches such as glazed windows that open outward.

Why It Was Registered

The Agency registered the Kiuchi Family Residence Main House as a model of design, noting that its play of two stones gives variety to the exterior and shows the fashion of its day.

What to Look For

On the Kiuchi Family Residence Main House, follow the band of Inada stone that runs between the two floors and the stone frames around the openings, set against the Ōya stone of the walls. It is also the only one of the three buildings with a hipped tile roof; the storehouse and shop have gabled copper roofs (Agency for Cultural Affairs).

Visiting

The Kiuchi Family Residence Main House is privately owned, and no official information on interior access was found. It stands at the back of the lot, so view it only from outside the property.