The house at the centre
The Hirao Family Residence Main House (平尾家住宅主屋) in Morio, Toyooka City, Hyogo Prefecture, is the principal dwelling of the estate, built in 1896, and was registered as a Registered Tangible Cultural Property on March 7, 2008 (number 28-0304).
The Hirao Family Residence Main House stands north of the Morio River, near the middle of the site, facing south. Crossing the stone bridge from the gatehouse brings you straight to its entrance; the treasure storehouse adjoins it on the east through a covered forecourt, and the new storehouse and retirement house sit against its back. All 43 registered parts of the estate are arranged around it.
Local accounts attribute the building to a Toyooka shrine carpenter, and its roof is laid with red Sekishu tiles. Of the 43 registrations, only the main house was listed as a model of design; the rest were registered for their contribution to the landscape.
Two storeys over a truss roof frame
The Hirao Family Residence Main House is a 2-storey gabled building roofed in pantiles, with lean-to roofs on all four sides and a hipped-gable porch projecting from the middle of the south front. Its building area of 348 m² makes it far larger than anything else on the estate.
Above the ceilings, the roof is carried on Western-style trusses rather than the usual heavy log beams. The outward form is that of a traditional farmhouse; the frame inside is modern, which is the point the Tajima Encyclopedia makes when it calls the house an early adopter of Western building technique.
Earth floor to the west, formal rooms to the east
Inside, a broad earth-floored work area takes the western end and the raised timber-floored rooms run to the east, ending in an inner reception room with an alcove and other formal fittings. The Agency for Cultural Affairs describes it as a large modern farmhouse finished with outstanding design.
The earth floor opens west toward the waiting house, barn and ceramics storehouse; the formal rooms face east toward the treasure storehouse, guest house and garden. Work and hospitality are split across the same roof.
Visiting
The Hirao Family Residence Main House is a private home and its interior is not open. It stands behind the gatehouse on the far side of the river, so from the road only part of its roof can be glimpsed past the gate.
The story of the estate, what can be seen from the road and directions are on the Hirao Family Residence page.
Q&A
- Where is the Hirao Family Residence Main House?
- Near the centre of the Hirao estate in Morio, Toyooka City, on the north side of the Morio River, facing south.
- When was the Hirao Family Residence Main House registered as a cultural property?
- On March 7, 2008, as Registered Tangible Cultural Property number 28-0304. It dates from 1896.
- What is special about the Hirao Family Residence Main House?
- It keeps the form of a traditional farmhouse but uses Western-style roof trusses, and it is the only one of the 43 registered parts listed as a model of design.
- How big is the Hirao Family Residence Main House?
- A 2-storey timber building with a building area of 348 m².
- Can visitors see the Hirao Family Residence Main House?
- The interior is closed; only part of the roof is visible from the road past the gatehouse.
Basic Information
| Name | Hirao Family Residence Main House (平尾家住宅主屋) |
|---|---|
| Location | 958 Ando, Morio, Toyooka City, Hyogo Prefecture |
| Designation | National Registered Tangible Cultural Property (structure); registration number 28-0304 |
| Year Designated | Registered 2008/03/07 (Heisei 20) |
| Quantity | 1 building |
| Dimensions | Timber, 2 storeys, tiled roof; building area 348 m² |
| Owner | Private individual |
| Public Access | Not open to the public (private residence) |
References
- Database of National Cultural Properties (Agency for Cultural Affairs) — Hirao Family Residence Main House
- https://kunishitei.bunka.go.jp/heritage/detail/101/00006881
- Cultural Heritage Online — Hirao Family Residence Main House
- https://online.bunka.go.jp/heritages/detail/186783
- Tajima Encyclopedia (Tanshin Regional Promotion Fund) — Hirao Family Residence
- https://tanshin-kikin.jp/tajima/568
Last verified: 2026.10.02
