The House Behind the Front Gate
The Goto Textile Main House (後藤織物主屋, Gotō Orimono Shuoku) is a two-storey timber house from the early Meiji era in Higashi 1-chome, Kiryu City, Gunma Prefecture, extended at the back and east side around 1925 and listed as a Registered Tangible Cultural Property on March 27, 2006. It faces south near the front of the property, with a building area of 226 square metres under a sheet-iron roof.
The original block measures 6 and a half ken by 4 Ken, with an earth-floored Doma to the east and raised timber floors to the west. A strip along the north side and a bay 1 and a half ken wide on the east were added later. The Agency for Cultural Affairs sums the Goto Textile Main House up as a weaving master's home that was turned into an office and workroom.
Family tradition places its construction in 1870, the year founder Gotō Sadakichi settled here as head of a branch household. No document confirms that date, and the national record simply says early Meiji.
Why It Was Registered
The house was listed under the criterion of contributing to the historic landscape of the nation. Its real interest lies in the floor plan, which records how the balance between home and workplace shifted inside a single building.
Kiryu City's survey reads the Goto Textile Main House in three parts: an office carved out of the original earth-floored area, a suite of 8 rooms where finished cloth was inspected and prepared for sale, and the doma itself. Four of those workrooms, filling the northern half, and the doma on the east were added in 1925. To make room for finishing obi fabric, the family pushed the floor out behind the living quarters.
Two geomantic house plans, or kasōzu, survive, dated 1900 and 1925. On the 1900 plan the four front reception rooms match what stands today, which is why they are taken to be original; the same sheet has a paste-on overlay showing a planned extension where the Inner Room reception wing now stands. The 1925 plan is close to the present house, although the doma has been altered since. Being able to lay these drawings against the building is what makes an undated house legible.
What to Look For
Pass through the Front Gate and the Goto Textile Main House is right in front of you. The walk from gate to entrance is short: the master's home was also the counter where buyers and suppliers were received.
Look first at the upper floor. Kiryu City's survey points to its low ceiling as a mark of its age. Keeping the upper floor low was common in houses of the period, and it shows in the restrained height of the eaves.
Then read the facade from east to west. The split between doma on the east and raised rooms on the west is original; when the Agency for Cultural Affairs recorded the house, the doma side was the office and the raised side the workroom. On the west, the later Inner Room wing is joined to the house.
Round the back is the 1925 extension. Just to its west, between house and factory, stands the Well House. The enlarged finishing rooms and the dye-works well sit shoulder to shoulder, which shows how the rear of the home turned into production space.
Visiting
Because the Main House stands at the front of the compound, it is the first building you meet on a reserved tour. It has long served as an office and workroom, so how much of the interior you see depends on the guide on the day. Ask about photography when you book.
Directions, booking and opening details for the whole mill are on the Goto Textile Mill page.
- 📍 Plan Your Visit to Gunma
- Find tours, activities & transport passes near Goto Textile Main House
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Q&A
- When was the Goto Textile Main House built?
- The national record says the early Meiji era. Tradition dates it to 1870, when founder Gotō Sadakichi settled here, but no document confirms this. The rear and east side were extended around 1925.
- What was the Goto Textile Main House used for?
- It was built as the weaving master's home and later converted into an office and workroom. When it was recorded, the earth-floored east side was the office and the raised west side the workroom.
- What are the house plans kept in the Goto Textile Main House?
- Two geomantic plans dated 1900 and 1925 that record the orientation and extensions of the house. They are the main evidence for how the building changed.
- How big is the Goto Textile Main House?
- It is a two-storey timber building with a building area of 226 square metres. The original block is 6 and a half ken by 4 ken.
- Can I visit the Goto Textile Main House?
- Yes, as part of a reserved tour of Goto Textile Mill, where it is the first building you see. Check which rooms are shown and whether photography is allowed when you book.
Basic Information
| Name | Goto Textile Main House (後藤織物主屋) |
|---|---|
| Location | 730 Higashi 1-chome, Kiryu City, Gunma Prefecture |
| Designation | Registered Tangible Cultural Property (Structure), registration no. 10-0159 |
| Year Designated | Registered 2006/3/27 (Heisei 18) |
| Quantity | 1 building |
| Dimensions | Timber, 2 storeys, sheet-iron roof, building area 226 square metres |
| Owner | Texte Kiryu Co., Ltd. |
| Public Access | Open by advance reservation (weekdays) |
References
- Cultural Heritage Database, Agency for Cultural Affairs: 後藤織物主屋 (Goto Textile Main House)
- https://kunishitei.bunka.go.jp/heritage/detail/101/00005410
- Goto Orimono (Kiryu City official website, Japanese)
- https://www.city.kiryu.lg.jp/kankou/bunkazai/1010700/kunitouroku/1007533.html
- Goto Orimono: Gate, Main House, Inner Room, Well House, Water Tower (Kiryu City, PDF, Japanese)
- https://www.city.kiryu.lg.jp/_res/projects/default_project/_page_/001/007/533/01goto-pdf.pdf
Last verified: 2026.09.24
