Timber Rooms Behind a Brick Wall
The Soga Family Residence New Reception Wing (曽我家住宅新座敷, Soga-ke Jūtaku Shinzashiki) is a two-storey timber-and-brick reception building of 1922 in Honchō 1-chōme, Kiryu City, Gunma Prefecture, entered on the register of Registered Tangible Cultural Properties on 18 October 2006.
It is the westernmost of the three buildings lined along the north edge of the plot, set immediately west of the storehouse with its ridge running east to west. At 37 square metres, three and a half ken by three ken (about 6.4 by 5.5 metres), it is the smallest of the three.
1922 was also the year the family built its stone sawtooth weaving shed at the back of the plot, and Kiryu City considers the street gateposts to date from about the same time. The Japanese name, shinzashiki, simply means the new reception rooms: new, that is, beside the Meiji-period main house and storehouse.
One Wall of Brick
The New Reception Wing was registered for its contribution to the historic landscape of the country. The Agency for Cultural Affairs highlights the way its construction reinforces fire protection on the north side of the property.
The key is the north wall. The frame is timber, but the wall facing the alley to the north is laid in brick and pierced only by small windows. The lane side is closed in masonry, while the other three sides remain a timber house.
Along this northern edge, the fire barrier is white lime plaster (Shikkui) on the main house and earthen storehouse wall in the middle. At the west end it turns to brick. The Taishō-era builders carried on a line that the Meiji buildings had held with plaster and clay.
The roof is gabled (Kirizuma-zukuri) and covered in pantiles (Sangawara-buki), matching the storehouse next door.
Two Rooms Upstairs
The upper floor of the Soga Family Residence New Reception Wing holds two Zashiki rooms of seven and a half tatami mats each. A corridor runs along the south side, and the rooms look out through it toward the garden.
Brick shuts the building off on the north; the corridor opens it on the south. From the garden side, it is that upper-floor corridor that faces you; the masonry faces the other way.
Visiting the Soga Family Residence New Reception Wing
The Soga Family Residence New Reception Wing is privately owned and the interior is not open. It sits deep in the plot, is hard to see from Honchō-dōri, and cannot be approached through the grounds.
Its signature brick wall faces the lane on the north, a side that cannot be seen from the garden or from Honchō-dōri. Kiryu City asks for permission to be obtained before photographing buildings in the preservation district.
- 📍 Plan Your Visit to Gunma
- Find tours, activities & transport passes near Soga Family Residence New Reception Wing
- [ Kusatsu Onsen & Tomioka Silk Mill Heritage Tours ]
Q&A
- When was the Soga Family Residence New Reception Wing built?
- In 1922. The stone weaving shed at the back of the plot went up the same year, and the street gateposts are thought to date from about then too.
- Why is the north wall of the Soga Family Residence New Reception Wing brick?
- For fire protection. Only the wall facing the northern alley is brick, with small windows; the Agency for Cultural Affairs describes it as construction that strengthens fire safety on that side of the property.
- What is upstairs in the Soga Family Residence New Reception Wing?
- Two reception rooms of seven and a half tatami mats each, with a corridor along the south side.
- How large is the Soga Family Residence New Reception Wing?
- It is a two-storey timber-and-brick building three and a half ken long and three ken deep (about 6.4 by 5.5 metres), with a building area of 37 m².
- Can you visit the Soga Family Residence New Reception Wing?
- No. The interior is closed, the building stands deep inside the plot and is hard to see from the street, and the grounds are private. Photography requires permission.
Basic Information
| Name | Soga Family Residence New Reception Wing (曽我家住宅新座敷) |
|---|---|
| Location | 1-7-7 Honcho, Kiryu City, Gunma Prefecture |
| Designation | Registered Tangible Cultural Property (Structure) |
| Year Designated | Registered on 18 October 2006 |
| Quantity | 1 building |
| Dimensions | Two-storey timber and brick building, tiled roof; building area 37 m². About 6.4 m long, about 5.5 m deep |
| Owner | Private (owner not listed in the Agency for Cultural Affairs database) |
| Public Access | Not open to the public (exterior viewable from the street only) |
References
- National Cultural Properties Database (Agency for Cultural Affairs): Soga Family Residence New Reception Wing
- https://kunishitei.bunka.go.jp/heritage/detail/101/00005753
- Kiryu City: Soga Family Residence (in Japanese)
- https://www.city.kiryu.lg.jp/kankou/bunkazai/1010700/kunitouroku/1002005.html
- Kiryu City: Soga Family Residence New Reception Wing, commentary PDF (in Japanese)
- https://www.city.kiryu.lg.jp/_res/projects/default_project/_page_/001/002/005/soga_shinzashiki.pdf
- Kiryu City: Outline of the Kiryu Shinmachi Preservation District (in Japanese)
- https://www.city.kiryu.lg.jp/kankou/spot/denken/about/1003081.html
Last verified: 2026.09.24
