About the Mizuno Family Residence Main House
The Mizuno Family Residence Main House (水野家住宅主屋, Mizuno-ke Jūtaku Shuoku) in Shinmachi, Hachiman-cho, Gujo City, Gifu Prefecture, is a two-story timber townhouse of the Taisho period (1912 to 1925) that was registered as a Registered Tangible Cultural Property of Japan in 2007.
It faces Shinmachi street, with the Mizuno Family Residence Storehouse, registered the same day, standing immediately to the east. The house covers 165 square meters, has a sheet-metal roof, and was extended in the mid-Showa period. A building with the same name exists in Kakamigahara, but this page is about the Gujo Hachiman townhouse.
Why the Main House Was Registered
The Mizuno Family Residence Main House was registered on October 2, 2007, in the 56th round of registrations, under number 21-0150. The criterion cited is its contribution to the historic landscape of the country.
The Agency for Cultural Affairs describes it as a townhouse at the street end of a long, deep plot, built to a high standard inside and out, and credits it with helping to form the historic streetscape. In other words, what earned the listing is the face the house turns to the street.
What to Look For
A Continuous Upper-Floor Lattice
Start with the upper floor. Across its full width, the front of the Mizuno Family Residence Main House carries a continuous run of Degōshi, latticed windows set slightly proud of the wall. The thin vertical slats make it hard to see in from the street while letting the household look out, a standard device of the Japanese townhouse.
Deep Dagetazukuri Eaves
The eaves are built in the dagetazukuri manner: short brackets project from the posts and carry a beam well out from the wall, which in turn supports a deep overhang. From across the street you can see the beam ends and brackets lined up beneath the eaves, stacked above the lattice.
An Udatsu Rare for the Town
The roof raises an Udatsu, a short roofed wall that rises above the roofline at the boundary with the neighbor. Udatsu are usually explained as firebreaks, though they also came to signal a household's standing. The Agency for Cultural Affairs notes that an udatsu on the Mizuno house is unusual for Gujo Hachiman, so it is worth tracing the roofline from the street to find it.
The storehouse next door also aligns its front eaves with the main house and raises its own udatsu at its eastern end. Take in both buildings at once and it becomes clear they were planned as one household's frontage.
Visiting the Main House
The Mizuno Family Residence Main House is not open to the public, and we found no notice of interior viewings (checked October 2, 2026). The exterior can be seen from Shinmachi street. To fit the upper-floor lattice, the eaves and the udatsu into one view, step back to the opposite side of the street. Please stay off the property and keep clear of passing traffic.
- 📍 Plan Your Visit to Gifu
- Find tours, activities & transport passes near Mizuno Family Residence Main House
- [ Shirakawago & Takayama Old Town Tours ]
Q&A
- When was the Mizuno Family Residence Main House in Gujo built?
- The national database dates the Mizuno Family Residence Main House to the Taisho period (1912 to 1925), with an extension added in the mid-Showa period. The storehouse beside it is older, from the Meiji period.
- When did the Mizuno Family Residence Main House become a Registered Tangible Cultural Property?
- It was registered on October 2, 2007, under number 21-0150, for its contribution to the historic landscape of the country.
- Where can I see the udatsu on the Mizuno Family Residence Main House?
- The udatsu rises from the roof and is visible from Shinmachi street. The Agency for Cultural Affairs describes it as unusual for Gujo Hachiman.
- Can I go inside the Mizuno Family Residence Main House?
- No. The Mizuno Family Residence Main House is not open to the public, and no interior viewings are announced (checked October 2, 2026). You can see the exterior from the street.
- Is the Mizuno Family Residence Main House in Kakamigahara the same building?
- No. The one in Kawashima Matsubara-cho, Kakamigahara, is a 1928 farmhouse registered in December 2007. The Gujo building is a Taisho-period townhouse in Gujo Hachiman.
Basic Information
| Name | Mizuno Family Residence Main House |
|---|---|
| Location | 925 Shinmachi, Hachiman-cho, Gujo City, Gifu Prefecture |
| Designation | Registered Tangible Cultural Property (Building) |
| Year Designated | 2007 (registered) |
| Quantity | 1 building |
| Dimensions | Two stories, timber frame, sheet-metal roof, building area 165 square meters |
| Owner | Not listed (national database) |
| Public Access | Not open to the public (exterior visible from the street) |
References
- Database of National Cultural Properties (Agency for Cultural Affairs): Mizuno Family Residence Main House
- https://kunishitei.bunka.go.jp/bsys/maindetails/101/00006488
- Cultural Heritage Online: Mizuno Family Residence Main House
- https://online.bunka.go.jp/heritages/detail/143751
- Database of National Cultural Properties (Agency for Cultural Affairs): Mizuno Family Residence Storehouse
- https://kunishitei.bunka.go.jp/bsys/maindetails/101/00006489
- Database of National Cultural Properties (Agency for Cultural Affairs): Mizuno Family Residence Main House, Kakamigahara
- https://kunishitei.bunka.go.jp/bsys/maindetails/101/00006656
Last verified: 2026.10.02
