What is the Yuasa Family Residence New Reception Wing?
The Yuasa Family Residence New Reception Wing (湯浅家住宅新座敷, Yuasa-ke Jūtaku Shin-zashiki) is a wing of formal rooms built in 1933 onto the northwest of the main house at the Yuasa Family Residence in Miyazaki, Takahama-cho, Oi District, Fukui Prefecture, and it was listed as a Registered Tangible Cultural Property (Registered Tangible Cultural Property) on March 13, 2025. It is a single-story wooden building with a tiled roof and 138 square meters of building area, and it was extended between 1935 and 1944.
Of the four buildings registered at the compound, the Yuasa Family Residence New Reception Wing is the only one registered as a model of design rather than for its place in the historic landscape. Its registration number is 18-0258. The Agency for Cultural Affairs calls it a refined example of modern Japanese-style architecture, carefully made down to the details, and Fukui Prefecture points to its well-chosen timber.
A formal entrance and three linked rooms
The Yuasa Family Residence New Reception Wing is a single-story building with its ridge running east to west and a hip-and-gable roof (Irimoya-zukuri) laid with pan tiles (Sangawara-buki). A bathroom and toilet extend from its northwest side.
Inside, a corridor divides the wing in two. East of the corridor are an entrance with a Shikidai, the low raised step where guests were formally received, and a reception room. To the west are three Zashiki rooms that open into one another. Putting the entrance, reception room and formal rooms together in one wing suggests that it was meant above all for receiving guests.
Fukui Prefecture notes the tatami rooms have high ceilings and an open, airy feel.
A Western reception room with a tokonoma
The room that draws the eye in the Yuasa Family Residence New Reception Wing is the reception room. According to the agency, it is designed in a Western manner throughout, yet its north wall holds a Tokonoma, the alcove for a hanging scroll and flowers that is the focal point of a Japanese room. Fukui Prefecture describes the room as a blend of Japanese and Western design.
A Western-style room, with a single element taken from the Japanese interior set into it: that refusal to settle on one side or the other is what makes the room worth noticing.
Seeing the Yuasa Family Residence New Reception Wing
The Yuasa Family Residence New Reception Wing is part of a privately owned home, and no opening of the interior has been confirmed. There is no information on any chance to see the reception room or the tatami rooms.
The wing stands behind the main house in the northwest of the compound, and how much of it can be seen from the street has not been confirmed. Do not enter the grounds, and keep any photographs to what can be taken from the public road.
Q&A
- When was the Yuasa Family Residence New Reception Wing built?
- It was built in 1933 onto the northwest of the main house and extended between 1935 and 1944.
- Why is the Yuasa Family Residence New Reception Wing a Registered Tangible Cultural Property?
- It was registered on March 13, 2025, as a model of design, a refined and carefully detailed example of modern Japanese-style architecture.
- What is special about the reception room in the Yuasa Family Residence New Reception Wing?
- It is designed in a Western style throughout but has a tokonoma alcove on its north wall, mixing Japanese and Western elements.
- What is the layout of the Yuasa Family Residence New Reception Wing?
- A formal entrance with a shikidai step and the reception room lie east of a corridor, three linked tatami rooms lie to the west, and a bathroom and toilet extend to the northwest.
- Can I see inside the Yuasa Family Residence New Reception Wing?
- It is part of a private home and no opening of the interior has been confirmed. Please do not enter the grounds.
Basic Information
| Name | Yuasa Family Residence New Reception Wing |
|---|---|
| Location | 10 Nishimiyazaki, 45 Miyazaki, Takahama-cho, Oi-gun, Fukui Prefecture |
| Designation | Registered Tangible Cultural Property (Building) |
| Year Designated | Registered March 13, 2025 |
| Quantity | 1 building |
| Dimensions | Wooden, single-story, tiled roof, building area 138 m² |
| Owner | Private individual |
| Public Access | Interior closed (private home); visibility from the street unconfirmed |
References
- Database of National Cultural Properties: Yuasa Family Residence New Reception Wing (Agency for Cultural Affairs, Japanese)
- https://kunishitei.bunka.go.jp/heritage/detail/101/00015306
- Cultural Heritage Online: Yuasa Family Residence New Reception Wing (Japanese)
- https://online.bunka.go.jp/heritages/detail/616170
- Cultural Assets of Fukui: Yuasa Family Residence New Reception Wing (Fukui Prefectural Board of Education, Japanese)
- https://bunkazai.pref.fukui.lg.jp/search_category/content?detail_id=984-0
Last verified: 2026.10.02
