Takiguchi Family Residence Barn
The Takiguchi Family Residence Barn (瀧口家住宅納屋, Takiguchi-ke Jūtaku Naya) is a Taishō-period (1912–1926) outbuilding in Haruta-cho, Shobara City, Hiroshima Prefecture, registered as a Registered Tangible Cultural Property on 27 March 2018.
It stands on the east side of the estate: a 2-storey Dozo-zukuri building with a tiled roof and a building area of 87 square metres. Its doorway opens toward the main house, and on the west side a lean-to Geya has been absorbed into the main body. The storehouse also stands on the east side, and the woodshed runs at right angles to the barn, grouping the estate's working buildings along the east side.
A Barn for the Doctor's Horse and the Silkworms
More than any other building on the estate, the Takiguchi Family Residence Barn shows that this was both a medical practice and a farm. According to the national description, its ground floor held the stable for the horse that pulled the doctor's carriage on house calls, along with what had been a silkworm workroom; the upper floor stored fodder. The logistics of rural medicine and the silk farming that sustained many households in the Chūgoku Mountains shared one roof.
The description also points to curved chestnut timbers used as posts, a mark of regional building practice, and calls the barn indispensable to the layout of the estate. The Council for Cultural Affairs made the same observations in its recommendation.
What to Look for at the Takiguchi Barn
Curved chestnut posts
Using crooked chestnut trunks as posts, rather than only straight timber, made full use of what the local hillsides provided. Chestnut is hard and tolerates damp, which suits a stable and an earth-floored workroom. The posts of the Takiguchi Family Residence Barn tie the building directly to its surroundings.
A door facing the house
The doorway opens toward the main house, not the road. Tending the horse, moving fodder and working the silkworms would all have happened within sight of the household.
The enclosed lean-to
On the west side, the former lean-to has been drawn inside the building, enlarging the ground floor to fit both the stable and the workroom.
Visiting the Takiguchi Family Residence Barn
The Takiguchi Family Residence Barn is privately owned and no interior opening is published. Its doorway faces inward toward the main house, so the interior cannot be glimpsed from outside. Keep to the public road and do not enter the grounds.
Photograph only the exterior from the street, with consideration for residents. Directions are on the Takiguchi Family Residence page.
- 📍 Plan Your Visit to Hiroshima
- Find tours, activities & transport passes near Takiguchi Family Residence Barn
- [ Itsukushima Shrine & Hiroshima Peace Memorial ]
Q&A
- When was the Takiguchi Family Residence Barn built?
- In the Taishō period (1912–1926).
- What was the Takiguchi Family Residence Barn used for?
- The ground floor held a stable for the horse that drew the doctor's house-call carriage and a former silkworm workroom; the upper floor stored fodder.
- How big is the Takiguchi Family Residence Barn?
- It is a 2-storey dozo-zukuri building with a tiled roof and a building area of 87 square metres.
- What should I notice about the Takiguchi Family Residence Barn?
- Its posts of curved chestnut timber, a regional building practice that makes full use of local wood.
- Can I visit the Takiguchi Family Residence Barn?
- The interior is not open and the doorway faces inside the grounds. Please view the exterior from the public road only.
Basic Information
| Name | Takiguchi Family Residence Barn |
|---|---|
| Location | 1-1 Iwami, Haruta-cho, Shobara City, Hiroshima Prefecture |
| Designation | Registered Tangible Cultural Property (Building) |
| Year Designated | Registered 2018/3/27 (Heisei 30) |
| Quantity | 1 building |
| Dimensions | 2-storey dozo-zukuri, tiled roof, building area 87 square metres |
| Owner | Private (owner not disclosed) |
| Public Access | Not open to the public (private residence) |
References
- Agency for Cultural Affairs, Database of National Cultural Properties: 瀧口家住宅納屋
- https://kunishitei.bunka.go.jp/heritage/detail/101/00012241
- Agency for Cultural Affairs, Council recommendation on new Registered Tangible Cultural Properties (Buildings) (PDF, Japanese)
- https://www.bunka.go.jp/seisaku/bunkazai/shokai/yukei_kenzobutsu/pdf/r1392281_21.pdf
- Shobara City, Registered Cultural Properties (Japanese)
- https://www.city.shobara.hiroshima.jp/main/education/shogaigakushu/cat02/02/post_192.html
Last verified: 2026.09.25
