What is the Machida Family Residence Main House?
The Machida Family Residence Main House (町田家住宅主屋, Machida-ke Jūtaku Shuoku) is a large late Edo-period townhouse on National Route 353 in Nakanojo, Agatsuma District, Gunma Prefecture, registered as a Registered Tangible Cultural Property in 2001.
It is a two-story timber building, now roofed in sheet metal, with a building area of 266 square meters. The Agency for Cultural Affairs dates it to the late Edo period, which it defines as 1751 to 1829, making it the oldest of the five registered structures at the Machida estate.
The plan is L-shaped, 12 ken wide by 10 ken deep. Taking one ken as roughly 1.8 meters, the street frontage comes to about 22 meters and the depth to about 18 meters, which is very large for a house in a town center.
Why the main house was registered
The Machida Family Residence Main House was registered as a Registered Tangible Cultural Property on August 28, 2001, under number 10-0080, for contributing to the historic landscape of the country.
What the Agency's description stresses is that the building was a workplace for public duties as well as a home. The Machida family served as ōjōya, senior headmen over several villages in the Edo period, and later as ward chiefs under the Meiji government, and the main house doubled as their official residence. For a time it also housed the district office, and the Agency values the Machida main house as evidence of what district office buildings looked like in the early Meiji era.
Most registered buildings are recognized mainly for how they look in their surroundings. Here the Agency's text goes further and also records the public role the house once played.
What to look for at the Machida main house
The entrance under a swelling gable
The main front of the Machida Family Residence Main House is its south side, facing Route 353. Toward the west end of that front stands a large entrance porch with a mukuri gable, one whose line swells gently upward instead of curving down at the ends, which gives it a softer, fuller look than a typical upturned gable. This is the "gabled entrance" the Nakanojo Tourism Association tells visitors to look for, and it is the most striking part of the house from the street.
The entrance is not centered but set toward the west end of the frontage. Its oversized gable stands out from the street and marks it clearly as the formal way in.
A long frontage along the road
To take in the Machida main house, stand on the far side of Route 353 so that the whole frontage fits in view. About 22 meters of facade runs along the road, with the entrance gable rising near its west end. At the east gable end there is a wall of rounded fieldstones, and beyond it the estate's gate.
An L-shaped plan you cannot see from the street
The L shape of the main house is hard to read from outside. The plot itself is L-shaped too, turning west behind the house, so the estate runs deeper than the street front suggests. The interior is not open, so how the rooms were divided between household and official use cannot be checked from outside.
Visiting the Machida Family Residence Main House
The Machida Family Residence Main House is still a private home, and we found no notice of interior openings or tours (checked October 2, 2026). What you can see is the exterior from Route 353, and the entrance gable and long frontage are easy to appreciate from the sidewalk.
Please take photos only from the road and do not step through the gate or onto the entrance. Route 353 carries steady traffic, so stop on the sidewalk if you want to look from the opposite side. Directions from Nakanojo Station are on the Machida Family Residence page.
- 📍 Plan Your Visit to Gunma
- Find tours, activities & transport passes near Machida Family Residence Main House
- [ Kusatsu Onsen & Tomioka Silk Mill Heritage Tours ]
Q&A
- When was the Machida Family Residence Main House built?
- The Agency for Cultural Affairs dates it to the late Edo period, a span of 1751 to 1829. It is the oldest of the five registered structures at the estate.
- Why is the Machida Family Residence Main House a Registered Tangible Cultural Property?
- It is a large townhouse that doubled as the official residence of a family of senior headmen and ward chiefs, and it briefly housed the district office, so it shows what early Meiji district offices were like. It was registered in 2001.
- How big is the Machida Family Residence Main House?
- It is a two-story timber building with a building area of 266 square meters, on an L-shaped plan 12 ken wide and 10 ken deep.
- Can I go inside the Machida Family Residence Main House?
- It is a private home and we found no notice of interior openings. You can view the exterior from Route 353.
- What should I not miss at the Machida Family Residence Main House?
- The large entrance with a gently swelling mukuri gable, toward the west end of the south front. Seen from across Route 353, it reads best together with the long facade.
Basic Information
| Name | Machida Family Residence Main House |
|---|---|
| Location | 982 Nakanojo, Nakanojo-machi, Agatsuma-gun, Gunma Prefecture |
| Designation | Registered Tangible Cultural Property (Structure) |
| Year Designated | 2001 (registered) |
| Quantity | 1 building |
| Dimensions | Two-story timber building, building area 266 square meters (12 ken wide, 10 ken deep) |
| Owner | Private (owner not listed in the Agency for Cultural Affairs database) |
| Public Access | No interior opening announced; exterior visible from Route 353 |
References
- Machida Family Residence Main House (Agency for Cultural Affairs, Database of National Cultural Properties)
- https://kunishitei.bunka.go.jp/bsys/maindetails/101/00002215
- Machida Family Residence Gate (Agency for Cultural Affairs, Database of National Cultural Properties)
- https://kunishitei.bunka.go.jp/bsys/maindetails/101/00002218
- Machida-ke (Nakanojo Tourism Association, in Japanese)
- https://nakanojo-kanko.jp/spots/%E7%94%BA%E7%94%B0%E5%AE%B6/
Last verified: 2026.10.01
