The Oldest and Largest Building on the Estate
The Akagi Family Residence Main House (赤木家住宅主屋, Akagi-ke Jūtaku Shuoku) is a farmhouse built in 1870 at the heart of the Akagi estate, 972 Hikino in Toyooka, Hyogo Prefecture, registered as a Registered Tangible Cultural Property on 2 March 2006.
It is a timber house of 2 storeys, rising to 3 in part, under a tiled roof, with a building area of 278 square metres. At 10 bays by 7, it is the largest of the 16 structures registered here on the same day.
According to Tajima no Hyakka Jiten, a regional encyclopedia, the shoin-style annex, the storehouses and the gates went up in the middle and later Meiji years. The Akagi Family Residence Main House is the only building on the estate recorded with a single year of construction; everything else grew up around it.
It stands east of centre on the grounds, a little toward the north-east.
Living, Guests and Silkworms on Three Floors
Each floor of the Akagi Family Residence Main House had its own job.
The ground floor is a rokumadori plan, 6 rooms arranged in a rough grid, the family's everyday quarters. The floor above has formal reception rooms, and the top floor was a silkworm room.
A raised ridge, a second small roof lifted above the main one, lets air and light in through the gap. The feature is common on sericulture farmhouses, where the rooms where silkworms fed needed constant ventilation.
Gabled at One End, Hipped at the Other
The roof changes form from one end of the house to the other: gabled at the south and hip-and-gable at the north.
The entrance has a shikidai, a low boarded step between the earth-floored entry and the raised rooms. It marked a house of standing that expected formal visitors.
Judged on Quality and Scale
The Agency for Cultural Affairs describes the Akagi Family Residence Main House, with its formal entrance, as outstanding farmhouse architecture in both quality and scale. It was registered for contributing to the historic landscape of the country.
Tajima no Hyakka Jiten adds that the family held to a plain, sturdy house style, and that the building has an imposing presence without any showiness.
Seeing the Main House
The house stands at the centre of the estate, with a forecourt garden before its entrance and a second garden to the north; the middle gate and wall east of the house divide the two. The Hokuryokan annex stands to the north-west, joined to the house by a corridor.
The residence is a family home and is generally closed to the public, and there is no regular opening of the house's interior. 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 Main House built and registered?
- It was built in 1870 and registered as a Registered Tangible Cultural Property (Building) on 2 March 2006, together with the other 15 registered structures of the residence.
- How large is the Akagi Family Residence Main House?
- It is a timber house of 2 storeys, 3 in part, measuring 10 by 7 bays with a building area of 278 square metres, the largest registered building on the estate.
- What was the top floor of the Akagi Family Residence Main House used for?
- Raising silkworms. The ground floor has a six-room plan, the floor above has formal reception rooms, and a raised ridge ventilates the roof.
- What shape is the roof of the Akagi Family Residence Main House?
- Tiled, gabled at the south end and hip-and-gable at the north end, so the two ends of the same house differ.
- Can visitors go inside the Akagi Family Residence Main House?
- The residence is generally closed and there is no regular opening of the interior. Check the Akagi Family Residence page for visiting terms.
Basic Information
| Name | Akagi Family Residence Main House (赤木家住宅主屋) |
|---|---|
| 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 | Timber, 2 storeys with 3 in part, tiled; 10 by 7 bays; building area 278 square metres; gabled at the south, hip-and-gable at the north |
| Owner | Not listed in the ACA database |
| Public Access | No regular interior opening; residence generally closed |
References
- Agency for Cultural Affairs, Database of National Cultural Properties: Akagi Family Residence Main House (赤木家住宅主屋)
- https://kunishitei.bunka.go.jp/bsys/maindetails/101/00005312
- Cultural Heritage Online: Akagi Family Residence Main House (赤木家住宅主屋)
- https://online.bunka.go.jp/heritages/detail/190040
- 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
- Agency for Cultural Affairs, Database of National Cultural Properties: Akagi Family Residence Middle Gate and Wall (赤木家住宅中門及び塀)
- https://kunishitei.bunka.go.jp/bsys/maindetails/101/00005324
- 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
