The Heart of the Compound
The Nobuoka Family Residence Main House (信岡家住宅主屋, Nobuoka-ke Jūtaku Shuoku) is a house of 1826 standing toward the back of the Nobuoka Family Residence in Tode, Shin’ichi-cho, Fukuyama City, Hiroshima Prefecture, and was listed as a Registered Tangible Cultural Property on 18 April 2008.
It runs east to west, parallel to the old Fukuyama–Fuchu highway that the plot faces. It is a single-storey timber house with a tiled roof and a building area of 346 square metres, and at 29 metres from end to end it is the largest of the eight registered buildings.
The Nobuoka main house dates from the same year as the east storehouse, eighteen years after the west storehouse of 1808. The family appears to have built its living quarters and its rice store together.
Why It Was Registered
The main house was listed as a model of design. The Agency for Cultural Affairs values it as a well-preserved example of how an influential household of Jodo Shinshu followers lived in the provinces.
The clue lies in the reception wing at the western end, which holds a Buddhist altar presented by the Honganji, the head temple of the sect. Shin Buddhist families place the household altar at the centre of domestic life, but an altar bestowed by the head temple suggests a family whose support for the temple was exceptional. That an entire wing was built to house it says a good deal about the Nobuoka family’s standing among local believers.
At the other end of the same building is a broad earth-floored work area. A village headman’s administrative duties, the running of a farm and the observance of religious rites all had their place under one long roof.
What to Look At
Stepped gables
The roof is a gable clad in pantiles, but rather than one great roof it is a series of gables at different heights joined end to end. The working section, the living rooms and the reception wing each have their own roof level, which keeps the long building from looking monotonous.
A low loft
Although the house is a single storey, it has a Tsushi-nikai, a low-ceilinged loft tucked under the roof and commonly used for storage or as sleeping space for servants. From outside it shows as a short strip of wall above the eaves.
Earth floor to the east, raised rooms to the west
The plan places the Doma, the earth-floored kitchen and work area, at the eastern end, close to the east storehouse, the charcoal shed and the well house. The raised rooms for family life and guests occupy the western half, toward the teahouse and the west storehouse.
The altar wing
Beyond the living rooms a Zashiki wing extends further west to house the altar, bringing the Nobuoka main house to its full 29 metres. The teahouse and its waiting bench sit just south of this wing, so guests could move between the formal rooms and the tea garden.
Visiting
As of October 2026 there is no notice of public access to the main house, and the interior cannot be visited. It has long been a family home, and visitors should not enter the grounds on days without an event.
The long nagayamon gate stands between the house and the road, so the main house is unlikely to be visible in full from the street. On days when the Nobuoka Flat Museum holds events in the gate and the teahouse, you may glimpse its exterior from inside the grounds, but check with the organisers whether the main house is included.
Q&A
- When was the Nobuoka Family Residence Main House built?
- It was built in 1826 (Bunsei 9), the same year as the east storehouse and eighteen years after the west storehouse.
- How large is the Nobuoka Family Residence Main House?
- It is a single-storey timber house with a tiled roof, a building area of 346 square metres and a length of 29 metres, the largest of the eight registered buildings.
- What is in the reception wing of the Nobuoka main house?
- The wing holds a Buddhist altar presented by the Honganji. The Agency for Cultural Affairs regards the house as a record of how an influential Shin Buddhist family lived in the provinces.
- Why is the Nobuoka Family Residence Main House a Registered Tangible Cultural Property?
- It was registered on 18 April 2008 as a model of design.
- Can I go inside the Nobuoka Family Residence Main House?
- No public access to the interior was announced as of October 2026. On event days at the Nobuoka Flat Museum, ask the organisers whether the main house is open.
Basic Information
| Name | Nobuoka Family Residence Main House (信岡家住宅主屋) |
|---|---|
| Location | 2166 Tode, Shin'ichi-cho, Fukuyama City, Hiroshima Prefecture |
| Designation | Registered Tangible Cultural Property (Building) |
| Year Designated | Registered 2008/4/18 (Heisei 20) |
| Quantity | 1 building |
| Dimensions | Timber, single storey, tiled roof, building area 346 square metres |
| Owner | Nobuoka Jisho Co., Ltd. |
| Public Access | Not open to the public (no notice of public access) |
References
- Agency for Cultural Affairs, Database of National Cultural Properties: Nobuoka Family Residence Main House (Japanese)
- https://kunishitei.bunka.go.jp/bsys/maindetails/101/00007127
- Cultural Heritage Online: Nobuoka Family Residence Main House (Japanese)
- https://online.bunka.go.jp/heritages/detail/198119
Last verified: 2026.10.08
