Fujiu Family Residence Retirement House: Two Stories Beside the Old Farmhouse
The Fujiu Family Residence Retirement House (藤生家住宅隠居屋, Fujiu-ke Jūtaku Inkyoya) is a two-story timber dwelling built onto the west side of the main house at the Fujiu family estate in Hirosawa-chō, Kiryu City, Gunma Prefecture; it dates to the early Meiji era, was enlarged in the later Meiji years, and became a Registered Tangible Cultural Property on May 15, 2007.
In Japanese farming households, the head of the family would hand the estate to his heir and move into a separate inkyoya, or retirement house. At the Fujiu Family Residence that role fell to this building, reached from the main house by way of a small courtyard garden. It has a hipped Yosemune-zukuri roof of pantiles (Sangawara-buki) and a building area of 93 square meters.
Inside the Fujiu Retirement House: A Plan for Living and for Guests
The ground floor of the Fujiu Family Residence Retirement House holds an eight-mat reception room and two six-mat rooms, with a veranda on the south. Upstairs is a single hall of about 14 mats with a tokonoma alcove, again opening onto a south veranda. Everyday rooms below and a hall for entertaining above suggest that retirement did not mean withdrawing from hospitality.
A bath wing projects to the west and a toilet wing to the northwest. Having its own washing and sanitary facilities made the retirement house a self-contained home rather than an annex of the main house.
Why It Was Registered
The Fujiu Family Residence Retirement House was registered for its contribution to the historic landscape of the country. The Agency for Cultural Affairs notes that it differs in character from the main house and gives the grounds a change of rhythm.
The contrast is easy to grasp. The late-Edo main house is low, single-story and thatched; the retirement house rises two stories under a tiled roof. Set side by side across the courtyard garden, the pair gives the Fujiu compound a stepped skyline.
Seeing the Fujiu Retirement House
If you catch sight of the Fujiu Family Residence Retirement House from outside, look for the upper-floor veranda on the south side and the hipped tile roof. The forecourt in front of it is closed off on the east by a short wall with its own middle gate, so the retirement house has a small garden of its own.
The house is part of a private home and neither its rooms nor the upstairs hall are open. You cannot pass through the middle gate or the front gate; please keep to the road and be considerate of the residents when taking photographs.
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Q&A
- What is the Fujiu Family Residence Retirement House?
- It is a separate dwelling where the head of the family lived after passing the household to his heir. At the Fujiu estate it is the two-story building joined to the west side of the main house through a courtyard garden.
- When was the Fujiu Family Residence Retirement House built?
- It was built in the early Meiji era and enlarged later in the Meiji era. It was registered as a Registered Tangible Cultural Property on May 15, 2007.
- What is on the upper floor of the Fujiu Family Residence Retirement House?
- A hall of about 14 mats with a tokonoma alcove and a south-facing veranda. The ground floor has an eight-mat reception room and two six-mat rooms.
- How does the Fujiu Family Residence Retirement House differ from the main house?
- The main house is a low, thatched single-story building of the late Edo period, while the retirement house is a two-story building with a hipped tile roof. The contrast in height and roofing varies the look of the whole compound.
- Can visitors enter the Fujiu Family Residence Retirement House?
- No. It belongs to a private residence that is not open to the public, so it can only be seen from outside.
Basic Information
| Name | Fujiu Family Residence Retirement House |
|---|---|
| Location | 5-1179 Hirosawacho, Kiryu City, Gunma Prefecture |
| Designation | Registered Tangible Cultural Property (Building) |
| Year Designated | Registered May 15, 2007 (54th round, registration no. 10-0213) |
| Quantity | 1 building |
| Dimensions | Building area 93 square meters |
| Owner | Private owner |
| Public Access | Not open to the public (private residence) |
References
- Agency for Cultural Affairs, National Cultural Properties Database: Fujiu Family Residence Retirement House
- https://kunishitei.bunka.go.jp/bsys/maindetails/101/00006110
- Kiryu City: Nationally Registered Cultural Properties
- https://www.city.kiryu.lg.jp/kankou/bunkazai/1010700/kunitouroku/1001989.html
Last verified: 2026.09.25
