The Brewing Family's Home
The Kobayashi Family Residence Main House (小林家住宅主屋) is the house of a sake-brewing family of 1901 (enlarged 1930) in Nishiki, Kuriyama Town, Yubari District, Hokkaido, and was registered as a Registered Tangible Cultural Property (structure) on October 18, 2006 (Agency for Cultural Affairs). It stands on the grounds of Kobayashi Sake Brewery and is open to visitors as the family home of the brewers.
The Agency records a timber building of two storeys and one storey with a sheet-iron roof and a building area of 355 square metres; registration number 01-0089.
The House in the South of the Site
The Kobayashi Family Residence Main House stands toward the south in the middle of the Kobayashi Sake Brewery site. It is a two-storey timber house, 9 ken by 6 ken, under a hip-and-gable sheet-iron roof (Agency for Cultural Affairs). A two-storey wing runs north at the east end, and a detached room and an inner storehouse adjoin on the west.
The walls are clad in overlapping boards held by battens, and the upper windows have small canopies (Agency for Cultural Affairs). According to the brewery, it was the home of successive company presidents, and the family lived in it until 2013.
Why It Was Registered
The Agency registered the Kobayashi Family Residence Main House for its contribution to the historic landscape, praising carefully made interior fittings and a house outstanding in both size and design. The Japan Heritage portal also lists it among the brewery buildings.
The Agency dates it to 1901, with an extension of 1930; the brewery, however, gives 1897, so the sources differ.
What to Look For
From outside, look at the big hip-and-gable roof and the row of canopied upper windows in the board-clad walls (Agency for Cultural Affairs). The wing reaching north and the detached room and storehouse running west show how the house grew over time.
The fine interior fittings can be seen up close on a guided tour. The brewery says its guides tell the story of the house through the women of the Kobayashi family, who kept it going through cold winters.
Visiting
The Kobayashi Family Residence Main House opened to the public in 2014 as the family home of the brewers (brewery information). The interior is shown on paid guided tours, which the brewery says run four times a day (three times from November to March). A report on the Hokkaido tourism organization's LINE account says tours must be booked by the previous day.
Q&A
- Can I visit the Kobayashi Family Residence Main House?
- Yes, on paid guided tours, four a day (three from November to March), booked by the previous day.
- When was the Kobayashi Family Residence Main House built?
- In 1901 according to the Agency, enlarged in 1930; the brewery gives 1897.
- What should I look for at the Kobayashi family house?
- The hip-and-gable roof, the board-clad walls with canopied windows and the fine interior fittings.
- Where is the Kobayashi Family Residence?
- On the Kobayashi Sake Brewery grounds in Kuriyama, Hokkaido, toward the south of the site.
- When was the Kobayashi Family Residence Main House registered?
- On October 18, 2006 (Agency for Cultural Affairs).
Basic Information
| Name | Kobayashi Family Residence Main House (小林家住宅主屋) |
|---|---|
| Location | 3-109 Nishiki, Kuriyama Town, Yubari District, Hokkaido |
| Designation | Registered Tangible Cultural Property (Structure) |
| Year Designated | Registered 2006/10/18 (Heisei 18) |
| Quantity | 1 building |
| Dimensions | Two-storey and single-storey timber, sheet-iron roof, 355 m² |
| Owner | Not listed in the Agency database |
| Public Access | Paid guided tours (reservation required) |
References
- Kobayashi Family Residence Main House (Database of National Cultural Properties, Agency for Cultural Affairs)
- https://kunishitei.bunka.go.jp/heritage/detail/101/00005714
- Kobayashi Sake Brewery Buildings (Japan Heritage Portal, Japanese)
- https://japan-heritage.bunka.go.jp/ja/culturalproperties/result/4075/
- Kobayashi Sake Brewery report (HOKKAIDO LOVE! LINE account, Japanese)
- https://visit-hokkaido.jp/line/kuriyamakobayashi/
- Registered Cultural Properties in Hokkaido (Hokkaido Board of Education, Japanese)
- https://www.dokyoi.pref.hokkaido.lg.jp/hk/bnh/bun-hogo-tourokuitiran.html
Last verified: 2026.10.19
