An L-Shaped House of Rooms in a Row
The Ae Family Residence Main House South and East Wings (阿江家住宅主屋南・東棟, Ae-ke Jūtaku Shuoku Minami Higashi-tō) is a single-storey timber house of about 1948 at 590 Shimotakino, Kato City, Hyogo Prefecture, registered as a Registered Tangible Cultural Property on June 28, 2017. It covers 209 square meters under a tiled roof and has a covered corridor attached.
This is the heart of the Ae household. The entrance faces west, and from it four rooms run in a single line: a reception room, a guest room, the family's everyday room (chanoma) and the kitchen. At the east end the building turns north to take a tatami room and the Buddhist altar room, so the plan forms an L. The south and east wings are registered together because that L is one continuous building.
To the northwest, the Main House Northwest Wing, registered the same day, is reached by a covered corridor, and the Inner Storehouse is attached to the north end of the east wing.
Why the South and East Wings Were Registered
The Ae Family Residence Main House South and East Wings was registered as a building that has become a model of design, the criterion of the Registered Tangible Cultural Property system that rewards the quality of design and workmanship.
The Agency for Cultural Affairs points to the fine timber, including domestic pine (jimatsu), the generous ceiling heights, and coffered ceilings that vary from room to room, and calls the building a distinctive example of modern Japanese-style architecture.
Around 1948 building materials were scarce, only three years after the war. Assembling good timber and building tall-ceilinged reception rooms at that moment says a good deal about what the owners wanted from this house.
What to Look For in the Ae Main House
The first thing to notice in the Ae Main House is the straight run of rooms from entrance to kitchen. The rooms for guests sit nearest the door and the rooms for family life lie further in, so the use of space shifts step by step from front to back.
Round the corner of the L, the east wing gathers the tatami room and the altar room, a quieter zone for family ritual and private life kept apart from the line of reception rooms. Two sequences, one straight and one turned, share a single roof.
According to the Agency, the coffered ceilings change their pattern from room to room. Together with the ceiling heights, they mark the rank of each room overhead, a technique typical of modern Japanese-style houses.
Visiting the Ae Family Residence Main House South and East Wings
The Ae Family Residence Main House South and East Wings is a private home, and there is no published arrangement for seeing its coffered ceilings or reception rooms. Kato City lists the building as open to the public but gives no dates or booking method.
The west-facing entrance front is the part to look for from the road. Please stay outside the grounds and view the exterior only. 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 South and East Wings?
- It is a single-storey timber house of about 1948 in Shimotakino, Kato City, Hyogo, forming the L-shaped south and east wings of the Ae family's main house. Its building area is 209 square meters.
- When was the Ae Family Residence Main House South and East Wings registered?
- It became a Registered Tangible Cultural Property on June 28, 2017, as No. 28-0663, recognized as a building that has become a model of design.
- How is the Ae Family Residence Main House South and East Wings laid out?
- From a west-facing entrance, a reception room, guest room, family room and kitchen run in a line; the building then turns north for a tatami room and a Buddhist altar room.
- What are the highlights of the Ae Family Residence Main House South and East Wings?
- The Agency cites fine timber such as domestic pine, high ceilings and coffered ceilings that vary from room to room, and calls it a distinctive example of modern Japanese-style architecture.
- Can visitors go inside the Ae Family Residence Main House South and East Wings?
- It is a private home and no interior visits are advertised. Kato City marks it as open but gives no method, so contact the Kato City Board of Education's cultural properties section before visiting.
Basic Information
| Name | Ae Family Residence Main House South and East Wings (阿江家住宅主屋南・東棟) |
|---|---|
| Location | 590 Shimotakino, Kato City, Hyogo Prefecture |
| Designation | Registered Tangible Cultural Property (building), No. 28-0663 |
| Year Designated | Registered June 28, 2017 |
| Quantity | 1 building |
| Dimensions | Single-storey timber building, tiled roof, building area 209 square meters, with covered corridor |
| 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: 阿江家住宅主屋南・東棟
- https://kunishitei.bunka.go.jp/bsys/maindetails/101/00011776
- Cultural Heritage Online: 阿江家住宅主屋南・東棟
- https://online.bunka.go.jp/heritages/detail/275112
- Kato City: 阿江家住宅主屋南・東棟 (Japanese)
- https://www.city.kato.lg.jp/kakukanogoannai/kyouikushinkoubu/shogaigakushuka/bunkazai/siteibunkazai/tourokuyuukeibunkazai/1545453625553.html
Last verified: 2026.09.30
