Horiguchi Family Residence
Look up inside the Horiguchi Family Residence and you will see why specialists single it out: five of its main posts are mata-bashira, "forked pillars" cut from naturally branching trees so that a single timber splits into two arms to carry the beams above. A house might use one or two such posts; this one uses five, the most of any building in Fukui Prefecture. The forked timbers were chosen for strength, bracing a heavy thatched roof against the deep snow and hard winds of this mountain country. It is a structural signature found only in the old farmhouses of Fukui, and nowhere is it shown off as plainly as here.
The house stands in Ikeda, a small town in the mountains of central Fukui. It dates from the early eighteenth century, the middle of the Edo period, and measures about 12 metres across the front and 9 metres deep beneath a thatched irimoya roof, the hipped-and-gabled form, entered from the long side. It is regarded as the oldest datable example of its regional house type, and was designated an Important Cultural Property in 1969.
The Family, and Why the House Matters
The Horiguchi were an old and prominent family, known by the trade name Saburobei. They were counted among the "twelve houses," a group of families who served Suwa-Asuki Shrine, the principal shrine of the district, and they held the office of shoya, the village headman, marking them as wealthy landholding farmers. A house of that standing was built solidly and to last, which is part of the reason so much of its original structure survives.
For the study of regional architecture, the residence is valued as the earliest well-dated farmhouse of the central Fukui plan, a benchmark against which later houses of the type can be measured. Its forked pillars, its sturdy snow-country framing, and its plain earthen walls finished by hand in the shinkabe manner, with the posts left exposed, together preserve the building methods of an early-Edo mountain village. In 1972 the house was carefully dismantled and rebuilt, restoring it to its original form; this is why its name is sometimes given with the word "former."
What to Look For on a Visit
Step inside and the first thing you notice is the cool of the wide earthen-floored work space, the doma, with the remains of a sunken hearth where the household once cooked and gathered. From here the roof framing is open to view, and the forked pillars rise into the structure overhead, the clearest lesson in how a snow-country house was built to stand. The walls are earth, pressed and smoothed by trowel, with the wooden posts showing through. There is no fee to look.
The residence sits within easy reach of Ikeda's other distinctive heritage. The town is known for its Dengaku Nomai, an old form of ritual dance-theatre performed at Suwa-Asuki Shrine, the same shrine the Horiguchi family once served. The shrine itself, with its long history, is nearby. Ikeda is reached by car: it is roughly 30 minutes from the Takefu or Sabae interchange on the Hokuriku Expressway. Because the town lies in the mountains and sees heavy winter snow, it is worth checking access and conditions before a cold-season visit.
- 📍 Plan Your Visit to Fukui
- Find tours, activities & transport passes near Horiguchi Family Residence (Ikeda Town, Imadate County,
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Q&A
- What are "mata-bashira"?
- They are "forked pillars," posts cut from naturally branching trees so a single timber divides into two arms to support the beams above. They were used for strength against snow and wind, and are a feature of old Fukui farmhouses.
- What makes this house special?
- It uses five forked pillars, the most of any building in Fukui Prefecture, and is considered the oldest datable example of the central Fukui farmhouse type.
- Who were the Horiguchi family?
- An old, prominent family known by the trade name Saburobei. They were among the "twelve houses" serving Suwa-Asuki Shrine and held the office of village headman, marking them as wealthy landholding farmers.
- Can I visit, and is there a fee?
- The house can be viewed free of charge. It is in Ikeda, about 30 minutes by car from the Takefu or Sabae interchange on the Hokuriku Expressway. As the town has heavy winter snow, check conditions before a cold-season visit.
Basic Information
| Name | Horiguchi Family Residence |
|---|---|
| Location | Inari 32-17, Ikeda Town, Imadate District, Fukui Prefecture |
| Designation | Important Cultural Property (designated 18 December 1969) |
| Count | 1 building |
| Structure | Frontage 12.3 m, depth 9.1 m; thatched irimoya roof, entered from the long side |
| Date | Mid-Edo period, early 18th century |
| Owner | Ikeda Town |
| Access | Free to view; about 30 min by car from the Takefu or Sabae IC on the Hokuriku Expressway |
References
- National Database of Designated Cultural Properties, Agency for Cultural Affairs: Horiguchi Family Residence
- https://kunishitei.bunka.go.jp/bsys/maindetails/102/835
- Ikeda Town official site: Horiguchi Family Residence
- https://www.e-ikeda.jp/see/p004043.html
- Fukui no Rekishi (regional history reference): Horiguchi Residence, Ikeda
- https://www.fukureki.com/ikeda/horiguti.html
Last verified: 2026.06.22