A Shoin-Style Guest Wing North-West of the House
The Akagi Family Residence Annex (Hokuryokan) (赤木家住宅離れ（北涼館）, Akagi-ke Jūtaku Hanare, Hokuryōkan) is a single-storey timber reception wing of the mid-Meiji period north-west of the main house of the Akagi estate at 972 Hikino in Toyooka, Hyogo Prefecture, registered as a Registered Tangible Cultural Property on 2 March 2006.
Hokuryokan, read Hokuryōkan, stands apart from the main house but is joined to it by a corridor, so guests could be brought through without stepping outside.
It measures 6 and a half bays by 3 bays, with a building area of 68 square metres, under a gabled roof of pantiles.
Two Eight-Mat Rooms in a Row
At its heart are two 8-mat rooms laid end to end, a formal zashiki suite finished in the shoin-zukuri manner. Take out the sliding partitions and they become one long room.
A veranda wraps the south and east sides, floored not with boards but with tatami, so the sitting room simply continues outward toward the garden.
The main house was where the family lived and ran the farm. Hokuryokan was built for receiving guests.
Deep Eaves on Cedar Logs
Outside, look at the eaves. The underside is left exposed and finished as a display surface, rafters and boards on view, and the eaves reach far out on the degeta-zukuri system: arms project from the posts to carry an outer beam, here a length of cedar left in the round.
The Agency for Cultural Affairs sums up the building as fine work throughout.
The One Building Registered for Its Craft
Of the 16 structures at the Akagi estate registered on the same day, 15 were entered for contributing to the historic landscape of the country. The Akagi Family Residence Annex is the only one registered as difficult to reproduce.
In other words, it was judged not as part of the scenery of the estate but on the quality of its joinery and finish.
The name, meaning something like 'north cool hall', suggests a place to catch the breeze on the shaded side of the house, but no record of how it was named has been found.
Seeing Hokuryokan
Hokuryokan stands north-west of the main house, deep inside the compound, with its rooms and veranda turned toward the garden rather than the road.
The residence is a family home and is generally closed to the public, and no opening of the annex has been announced. Photography rules are not published; ask when you visit.
Directions and the terms for visiting the property are on the Akagi Family Residence page.
Q&A
- When was the Akagi Family Residence Annex (Hokuryokan) registered?
- It was registered as a Registered Tangible Cultural Property (Building) on 2 March 2006, on the same day as the other 15 registered structures of the residence.
- How do you pronounce Hokuryokan at the Akagi Family Residence?
- Hokuryōkan. The annex stands north-west of the main house and is linked to it by a corridor.
- What kind of building is the Akagi Family Residence Annex (Hokuryokan)?
- A shoin-style reception wing with two 8-mat rooms in a row, a tatami-floored veranda on the south and east, exposed eave undersides, and deep eaves carried on cedar-log beams.
- Why is the Akagi Family Residence Annex (Hokuryokan) registered on a different basis?
- It is the only one of the 16 registered structures entered as difficult to reproduce; the other 15 were registered for contributing to the historic landscape of the country.
- Can visitors see inside the Akagi Family Residence Annex (Hokuryokan)?
- The residence is generally closed and no opening of the annex has been announced. Check the Akagi Family Residence page for visiting terms.
Basic Information
| Name | Akagi Family Residence Annex (Hokuryokan) (赤木家住宅離れ（北涼館）) |
|---|---|
| Location | 972 Hikino, Toyooka City, Hyogo Prefecture |
| Designation | Registered Tangible Cultural Property (Building) |
| Year Designated | Registered 2006/03/02 (Heisei 18) |
| Quantity | 1 building |
| Dimensions | Single-storey timber, gabled, pantiled; 6 and a half by 3 bays; building area 68 square metres; two 8-mat rooms in a row |
| Owner | Not listed in the ACA database |
| Public Access | No announced opening of the rooms; residence generally closed |
References
- Agency for Cultural Affairs, Database of National Cultural Properties: Akagi Family Residence Annex (Hokuryokan) (赤木家住宅離れ（北涼館）)
- https://kunishitei.bunka.go.jp/bsys/maindetails/101/00005313
- Cultural Heritage Online: Akagi Family Residence Annex (Hokuryokan) (赤木家住宅離れ（北涼館）)
- https://online.bunka.go.jp/heritages/detail/142581
- Tajima no Hyakka Jiten (Tanshin Regional Promotion Fund): Akagi Family Residence (赤木家住宅)
- https://tanshin-kikin.jp/tajima/564
Last verified: 2026.09.26
