A Wing of Four Tatami Rooms
The Ae Family Residence Main House Northwest Wing (阿江家住宅主屋北西棟, Ae-ke Jūtaku Shuoku Hokusei-tō) is a single-storey timber wing of about 1948 at the Ae Family Residence, 590 Shimotakino, Kato City, Hyogo Prefecture, registered as a Registered Tangible Cultural Property on June 28, 2017. It has a building area of 58 square meters and a tiled roof.
The Northwest Wing stands at the end of a corridor leading from the L-shaped south and east wings of the main house. It belongs to the same home but is a separate building, and it was registered as a separate entry.
Inside are four tatami living rooms arranged two by two in the pattern Japanese builders call ta-no-ji, after the character 田. There is no entrance hall or kitchen: the wing consists of rooms and nothing else.
An Unusual Exterior
Like the south and east wings, the Ae Family Residence Main House Northwest Wing was registered as a building that has become a model of design. What the Agency for Cultural Affairs singles out is its exterior.
Though only one storey, it has high eaves, and a small pent roof runs round all four sides, held up on bracket supports projecting from the wall. The windows on the east and west faces are single sliding sashes with small openings.
Most of the outer wall is clad in boards. Only the narrow wall above the windows and the band of wall just below the eaves are finished in coloured clay plaster, so a strip of earth-coloured wall rides above the boarding.
What to Look For at the Northwest Wing
Look first at the balance between height and window size. The Ae Northwest Wing is tall for a single-storey building, yet its east and west windows are modest, giving a closed, private look that suits four quiet tatami rooms.
Then follow the little pent roof and its brackets around the building. Set at regular intervals, the brackets cast an even rhythm of shadows on the boarded wall.
Finally, notice where boarding meets clay plaster: two finishes laid at different heights, one above the other.
Visiting the Ae Family Residence Main House Northwest Wing
The Ae Family Residence Main House Northwest Wing stands toward the back of the property, northwest of the main house, and how much of it can be seen from the road has not been confirmed. It is a private home, and no viewing of its tatami rooms is advertised.
Please stay outside the grounds. Visiting conditions and directions are on the Ae Family Residence page.
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Q&A
- What is the Ae Family Residence Main House Northwest Wing?
- It is a single-storey timber wing of about 1948, reached by a corridor from the south and east wings of the Ae family's main house, with four tatami rooms laid out two by two.
- When was the Ae Family Residence Main House Northwest Wing registered?
- It became a Registered Tangible Cultural Property on June 28, 2017, as No. 28-0664.
- What is distinctive about the exterior of the Ae Family Residence Main House Northwest Wing?
- It has high eaves and a small pent roof on brackets all round. Most walls are boarded, with coloured clay plaster only above the windows and just below the eaves.
- How large is the Ae Family Residence Main House Northwest Wing?
- Its building area is 58 square meters, a little over a quarter of the 209 square meters of the south and east wings.
- Can visitors see the Ae Family Residence Main House Northwest Wing?
- It is a private home and no interior visits are advertised. It stands toward the back of the site, and how well it can be seen from the road has not been confirmed.
Basic Information
| Name | Ae Family Residence Main House Northwest Wing (阿江家住宅主屋北西棟) |
|---|---|
| Location | 590 Shimotakino, Kato City, Hyogo Prefecture |
| Designation | Registered Tangible Cultural Property (building), No. 28-0664 |
| Year Designated | Registered June 28, 2017 |
| Quantity | 1 building |
| Dimensions | Single-storey timber building, tiled roof, building area 58 square meters |
| Owner | Private owner |
| Public Access | Private house; Kato City lists it as open but gives no dates or visiting method |
References
- Agency for Cultural Affairs, Database of National Cultural Properties: 阿江家住宅主屋北西棟
- https://kunishitei.bunka.go.jp/bsys/maindetails/101/00011777
- Cultural Heritage Online: 阿江家住宅主屋北西棟
- https://online.bunka.go.jp/heritages/detail/289713
- Kato City: 阿江家住宅主屋北西棟 (Japanese)
- https://www.city.kato.lg.jp/kakukanogoannai/kyouikushinkoubu/shogaigakushuka/bunkazai/siteibunkazai/tourokuyuukeibunkazai/1545454415806.html
Last verified: 2026.09.30
