A Taishō-Era Reception Wing Open to the Garden
The Suzuki Family Residence Annex (鈴木家住宅離れ, Suzuki-ke Jūtaku Hanare) is a reception wing built around 1923 in Nishimachi, Kamogawa City, Chiba Prefecture, and registered as a Registered Tangible Cultural Property (building) in 2002. It is a single-storey timber building of 66 square metres, 5 by 3 bays (Ken), running east to west under a hipped roof (Yosemune-zukuri) of pantiles (Sangawara-buki).
Its southeast corner meets the northwest corner of the thatched Main House. Tradition names the local master carpenter Ishii Masakichi as its builder, and the Stone Storehouse he is also said to have built stands at the west end of its veranda. Within a working brewery compound, the Suzuki Family Residence Annex was the place set apart from brewing, for family life and for receiving guests.
Why It Was Registered
The Suzuki Family Residence Annex was registered under the criterion of serving as a model of design, and its open, garden-facing construction is the main reason.
Inside are just two tatami rooms: a 10-mat room with an alcove (Tokonoma) on the west, and an 8-mat room beside it. A toilet and similar facilities are on the east side and a bathroom to the northeast, keeping the plumbing well away from the reception rooms. It follows a familiar Taishō-era pattern for a guest wing, with formal rooms and the services that support them packed into one compact building.
Set it beside the Main House and the change is plain. The early Meiji house keeps the farmhouse plan of work floor and five rooms; half a century later the family built a wing that is nothing but reception rooms turned toward the garden.
What to Look For
The entire south side is a veranda (Engawa), and in front of that runs a second, earth-floored eave (Tsuchibisashi). With the sliding doors opened, the two tatami rooms, the veranda, the covered strip and the garden become one continuous space. That half-outdoor zone under deep eaves is the heart of the design.
Follow the veranda west and it ends at the Stone Storehouse, which looks like a plastered earthen storehouse but is built of Ōya stone, reportedly by the same carpenter at about the same time. A light pavilion and a heavy stone store joined by a single veranda sums up the character of this corner of the compound.
Visiting
The Suzuki Family Residence Annex is part of a private home and is not open. It is attached to the northwest corner of the Main House, deep inside a compound that already stands back from the old road, so it is essentially invisible from the street. The grounds are closed; the layout of the rooms and veranda is known through the Agency for Cultural Affairs description.
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Q&A
- Can you visit the Suzuki Family Residence Annex in Kamogawa?
- No. It is part of a private home and stands inside the compound, so it can hardly be seen from the street.
- When was the Suzuki Family Residence Annex built, and by whom?
- Around 1923. Tradition names the local master carpenter Ishii Masakichi as its builder.
- What is the layout of the Suzuki Family Residence Annex?
- Two tatami rooms of 10 and 8 mats, the larger with an alcove on the west, with a toilet on the east side and a bathroom to the northeast.
- Why is the Suzuki Family Residence Annex described as open in design?
- Its whole south side is a veranda with an earth-floored eave in front, so the rooms open straight onto the garden.
- How is the Suzuki Family Residence Annex related to the Stone Storehouse?
- The Stone Storehouse stands at the west end of the Annex veranda, and both are credited to the same carpenter, Ishii Masakichi.
Basic Information
| Name | Suzuki Family Residence Annex (鈴木家住宅離れ) |
|---|---|
| Location | 1139-3 Nishimachi, Kamogawa City, Chiba Prefecture |
| Designation | Registered Tangible Cultural Property (Building) |
| Year Designated | Registered 2002/2/14 (Heisei 14) |
| Quantity | 1 building |
| Dimensions | Timber, single storey, tiled roof; building area 66 square metres |
| Owner | Private owner |
| Public Access | Not open to the public |
References
- Agency for Cultural Affairs database: Suzuki Family Residence Annex (Japanese)
- https://kunishitei.bunka.go.jp/bsys/maindetails/101/00002610
- Chiba Prefectural Board of Education: Suzuki Family Residence Main House and others, Kamogawa (Japanese)
- https://www.pref.chiba.lg.jp/kyouiku/bunkazai/bunkazai/q111-067.html
Last verified: 2026.09.25
