About the Tada Family Residence Retirement House
The Tada Family Residence Retirement House (多田家住宅隠居屋, Tada-ke Jūtaku Inkyoya) is a dwelling for a retired head of the family, built around 1933 in Moriyama, Chikuzen-machi, Fukuoka Prefecture, and registered as a Registered Tangible Cultural Property on March 29, 2013. It is a 2-story timber building with a tiled roof and a building area of 94 square meters.
In rural Japan, a head of household who had handed over the running of the family often moved into a separate inkyo house on the same grounds. The Tada Retirement House stands northeast of the main house, set on a staggered line to it, under a hip-and-gable irimoya roof of pantiles.
A Buddhist Altar Room and a Bell-Shaped Window
The ground floor is a reception room with a family Buddhist altar room. Beside the altar is a Katōmado, a window with a pointed, flame-like head that comes from Zen temple architecture. Placed next to the altar, it gives the room a hint of a chapel.
The arrangement fits the role an elder of the house often took on: looking after the family's memorial rites.
A Sukiya-Style Upper Floor, Glazed All Round
Upstairs are a reception room and a study, designed, the Agency for Cultural Affairs says, with a touch of the sukiya style. A retirement house with its own study suggests an occupant who valued time for reading and writing.
Both floors of the Tada Family Residence Retirement House are wrapped in verandas under eaves and closed with glazed doors. In the early Showa years, glass was the way to keep a house bright while bringing the veranda inside. A 2-story retirement house with verandas on both levels is one of the things that make this building stand out.
Why It Was Registered
The Retirement House qualified for its contribution to the historic landscape. An arched corridor links its east side to the utensil storehouse, and the north storehouse stands behind it. Around 1933, 12 of the estate's 18 registered structures were built, and the Tada Retirement House is the principal dwelling of that phase.
Seeing the Retirement House
The Tada Family Residence Retirement House sits deep in the grounds northeast of the main house and cannot be seen straight on from the road to the south. No public openings had been announced as of September 2026, so the bell-shaped window and the upstairs study remain out of view unless the house is opened. There is no guidance on photography. Directions are on the Tada Family Residence (Chikuzen) page.
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- Find tours, activities & transport passes near Tada Family Residence Retirement House
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Q&A
- When was the Tada Family Residence Retirement House built?
- Around 1933.
- How big is the Tada Family Residence Retirement House?
- It is a 2-story timber building with an irimoya pantile roof and a building area of 94 square meters.
- How were the floors of the Tada Retirement House used?
- The ground floor is a reception room with a Buddhist altar room and a bell-shaped window beside the altar; upstairs are a reception room and a study in a sukiya-influenced style.
- When was the Tada Family Residence Retirement House registered?
- On March 29, 2013.
- Can I visit the Tada Family Residence Retirement House?
- No public opening has been announced (checked September 2026). It stands deep inside the grounds and is not visible from the road.
Basic Information
| Name | Tada Family Residence Retirement House (多田家住宅隠居屋) |
|---|---|
| Location | 417-1 Mimitori, Moriyama, Chikuzen-machi, Asakura-gun, Fukuoka Prefecture |
| Designation | Registered Tangible Cultural Property (Structure) |
| Year Designated | 2013 (registered) |
| Quantity | 1 building |
| Dimensions | Building area 94 m² (2-story timber) |
| Owner | Not disclosed |
| Public Access | No public opening announced |
References
- Database of National Cultural Properties (Agency for Cultural Affairs): Tada Family Residence Retirement House
- https://kunishitei.bunka.go.jp/bsys/maindetails/101/00009544
- Cultural Heritage Online: Tada Family Residence Retirement House
- https://online.bunka.go.jp/heritages/detail/206427
- Database of National Cultural Properties (Agency for Cultural Affairs): Tada Family Residence Utensil Storehouse
- https://kunishitei.bunka.go.jp/bsys/maindetails/101/00009551
- Database of National Cultural Properties (Agency for Cultural Affairs): Tada Family Residence North Storehouse
- https://kunishitei.bunka.go.jp/bsys/maindetails/101/00009550
Last verified: 2026.09.30
