A Village Headman's House Dated 1809
The Former Taguchi Family Residence (旧田口家住宅) is a farmhouse built in 1809 that now stands in the Hida Folk Village (Hida no Sato) in Kamiokamoto-machi, Takayama City, Gifu Prefecture, and was designated an Important Cultural Property on June 27, 1977. It originally stood at Unohara in Kanayama, on the border between the provinces of Hida and Mino (now part of Gero City), and was the home of a family who served as village headmen for generations (Takayama City).
The Agency for Cultural Affairs records it as 25.2 metres by 13.3 metres, gabled (Kirizuma-zukuri), with eaves on all four sides, a projecting wing on the south and a sheet-iron roof. Takayama City adds that 7 building ledgers and 2 roof stones are designated with it. It was moved in 1970 to the Hida Folk Village, a collection of farmhouses run by Takayama City (Agency for Cultural Affairs), which owns it.
A House That Records Its Own Building
The Agency notes that, unusually, the date is known not only from the building ledgers but also from ink writing on the stones that weighed down the roof. According to Takayama City, 7 ledgers cover the work from 1808 into 1809, from felling the timber to the completion celebration, recording labour duties, payments for materials and wages, and how each log was cut. A roof stone bears an inscription of 1809.
Why It Was Designated
The Former Taguchi Family Residence was designated in 1977. The Agency for Cultural Affairs notes that its gabled form, once roofed with stone-weighted boards (now sheet iron), is typical of central Gifu, and that its size, quality and lack of alteration make it a benchmark of the later Edo period.
Takayama City adds that Kanayama lay on the Mino-Hida border, and that the Taguchi house is a typical blend of the two regions' farmhouse styles.
What to Look For
According to Takayama City, the Former Taguchi Family Residence is a large farmhouse, 14 and a half bays wide and 7 deep, with shallow eaves. Because it was used for village meetings it has many rooms, with one small hearth and 2 large rectangular ones to receive guests.
The earth-floored passage runs through to the back door in the Mino manner, but the kitchen projects into it, narrowing the passage and making room for a boarded work area. The whole upper floor is one open room for raising silkworms, and from the storeroom stairs you reach a hidden room that cannot be seen from outside (Takayama City).
Built in the mild, low-snow south of Hida, the house has a corridor outside its storm shutters and a roof not made for heavy snow; after the move, snow once broke a beam at the back (Takayama City).
Visiting the Former Taguchi House
The Former Taguchi Family Residence is open inside the Hida Folk Village, 8:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. every day of the year. Admission is 700 yen for adults and 200 yen for elementary and junior high pupils (Hida no Sato), and parking costs 300 yen for a car. The Sarubobo bus, a loop service, runs from central Takayama (Hida no Sato). Telephone 0577-34-4711.
Q&A
- When was the Former Taguchi Family Residence built?
- In 1809, a date known from its building ledgers and an inscribed roof stone (Agency for Cultural Affairs, Takayama City).
- Where did the Former Taguchi Family Residence originally stand?
- At Unohara in Kanayama, on the Hida-Mino border (now Gero City); it was moved to the Hida Folk Village in 1970.
- Why is the Former Taguchi Family Residence an Important Cultural Property?
- It is a large, high-quality, little-altered benchmark of a later Edo farmhouse in central Gifu (Agency for Cultural Affairs). It was designated on June 27, 1977.
- What is upstairs in the Former Taguchi house?
- A single open silkworm room and a hidden room invisible from outside (Takayama City).
- Can you visit the Former Taguchi Family Residence?
- Yes, inside Hida no Sato: 8:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. daily, 700 yen for adults (Hida no Sato).
Basic Information
| Name | Former Taguchi Family Residence (旧田口家住宅) |
|---|---|
| Location | 1-590 Kamiokamoto-machi, Takayama City, Gifu Prefecture (Hida Folk Village) |
| Designation | Important Cultural Property (Structure) |
| Year Designated | Designated 1977/6/27 (Showa 52) |
| Quantity | 1 building (with 7 building ledgers and 2 roof stones) |
| Dimensions | 25.2 metres by 13.3 metres, gabled, eaves on four sides, south projecting wing, sheet-iron roof |
| Owner | Takayama City |
| Public Access | Open inside Hida no Sato (admission charged, open daily) |
References
- Former Taguchi Family Residence (Database of National Cultural Properties, Agency for Cultural Affairs)
- https://kunishitei.bunka.go.jp/bsys/maindetails/102/1040
- Former Taguchi Family Residence with building documents (Takayama City)
- https://www.city.takayama.lg.jp/kurashi/1000021/1000119/1000847/1000848/1000855.html
- Hida Folk Village (Hida no Sato)
- https://hidanosato.com/
- Access (Hida no Sato)
- https://hidanosato.com/access/
Last verified: 2026.10.06