The Thatched Home of Noguchi Hideyo
The Noguchi Hideyo Birthplace Main House (野口英世生家主屋) is a farmhouse of 1823 in Mitsuwa, Inawashiro Town, Yama District, Fukushima Prefecture, and was registered as a Registered Tangible Cultural Property (structure) on March 29, 2019 (Agency for Cultural Affairs).
The Agency records a single-storey timber farmhouse with a thatched roof, covering 131 square metres, restored in 1981; registration number 07-209.
A Farmhouse by Lake Inawashiro
The Noguchi Hideyo Birthplace Main House is the birthplace of the bacteriologist Noguchi Hideyo, a farmhouse facing south by Lake Inawashiro (Agency for Cultural Affairs). It has a thatched hipped roof, with the front of the earth-floored area on the east projecting under the sweeping eaves.
Inside are an earth-floored area with a stable, a main room with a sunken hearth, and a tatami room and storeroom at the back (Agency for Cultural Affairs). The Noguchi Hideyo Memorial Museum says the house where he lived until the age of 16 is preserved and open to the public on its original site and at its original size.
Why It Was Registered
The Agency registered it as a model of design, a dated farmhouse that serves as a benchmark for the traditional houses of the Aizu region.
What to Look For
Look for the main room with its sunken hearth and the earth-floored area with its stable (Agency for Cultural Affairs).
Visiting
It is open to the public within the grounds of the Noguchi Hideyo Memorial Museum, which closes only from December 29 to January 3. It is 10 minutes by bus from Inawashiro Station. Check the museum for admission fees.
Q&A
- When was the Noguchi Hideyo birthplace built?
- In 1823 (Agency for Cultural Affairs).
- Until what age did Noguchi Hideyo live there?
- Until he was 16 (Noguchi Hideyo Memorial Museum).
- Can I visit the birthplace?
- Yes, at the Noguchi Hideyo Memorial Museum.
- How is the house laid out?
- An earth floor with a stable, a hearth room, a tatami room and a storeroom.
- When was the Noguchi Hideyo Birthplace Main House registered?
- On March 29, 2019 (Agency for Cultural Affairs).
Basic Information
| Name | Noguchi Hideyo Birthplace Main House (野口英世生家主屋) |
|---|---|
| Location | 139 Mitsuwa, Inawashiro Town, Yama District, Fukushima Prefecture |
| Designation | Registered Tangible Cultural Property (Structure) |
| Year Designated | Registered 2019/03/29 (Heisei 31) |
| Quantity | 1 building |
| Dimensions | Single-storey timber, thatched roof, 131 m² |
| Owner | Noguchi Hideyo Memorial Foundation |
| Public Access | Noguchi Hideyo Memorial Museum (closed Dec 29 to Jan 3) |
References
- Noguchi Hideyo Birthplace Main House (Database of National Cultural Properties, Agency for Cultural Affairs)
- https://kunishitei.bunka.go.jp/heritage/detail/101/00012688
- Noguchi Hideyo Memorial Museum leaflet (2024, Japanese)
- https://noguchihideyo.or.jp/about/pdf/pamphlet20240409.pdf
Last verified: 2026.10.17