What Is the Kato Family Residence Hamazashiki?
The Kato Family Residence Hamazashiki (加藤家住宅濱座敷, Katō-ke Jūtaku Hamazashiki), a riverside parlor, is a two-storey guest building on the northern edge of a merchant family's compound in Aboshi-ku Yokohama, Himeji City, Hyogo Prefecture; it was built in 1851 and registered as a Registered Tangible Cultural Property of Japan in 2009.
Of the eight buildings with a recorded construction date, it is the oldest. It was extended in 1874, then moved and altered in 1958. The structure is 7.0 meters by 9.7 meters, timber, two storeys, with a building area of 62 square meters.
Why the Kato Family Residence Hamazashiki Was Registered
The Kato Family Residence Hamazashiki was registered as a Registered Tangible Cultural Property for contributing to the historic landscape of the country. The Agency for Cultural Affairs points to its position on the north side next to the Inner Storehouse, looking west toward the Ibo River, and to an unusually intricate exterior.
Hama means shore, written here with an older form of the character. No source explains the name, but it suits a building that faces the river. It reads as the room where a riverside merchant family brought the view of the water indoors.
What to Look for at the Kato Family Residence Hamazashiki
The roof is Irimoya-zukuri, with both Hongawarabuki and Sangawara-buki tiling. What sets the Kato Family Residence Hamazashiki apart is the ring of Hisashi eaves around it. According to the Agency for Cultural Affairs, they wrap the building in several different forms, so small roofs of varying height and depth overlap and the outline looks far more complicated than a single two-storey block.
The walls combine vertical Tateita-bari boarding with Shikkui plaster, and the windows are fitted with lattices. Dark boards, white plaster and the fine vertical lines of the lattices give the elevations a close rhythm.
Given the extension of 1874 and the move of 1958, the layered eaves may well include work from several periods. The published sources do not say which parts date from 1851.
Visiting the Kato Family Residence Hamazashiki
The Kato Family Residence Hamazashiki is part of a private home and its interior is not open to the public. It stands on the north edge of the plot beside the Inner Storehouse, facing toward the river. Whether it can be seen from outside the property has not been confirmed.
The layered eaves are visible in the photographs on the Agency for Cultural Affairs database. Do not enter the property. Directions are on the page for the Kato Family Residence as a whole.
- 📍 Plan Your Visit to Hyogo
- Find tours, activities & transport passes near Kato Family Residence Hamazashiki (Riverside Parlor)
- [ Himeji Castle & Kobe Night View Cruise ]
Q&A
- When was the Kato Family Residence Hamazashiki built?
- In 1851. It was extended in 1874 and moved and altered in 1958.
- What does the name Kato Family Residence Hamazashiki mean?
- Hama means shore, written with an older form of the character. No source gives the origin of the name, but the building stands on the north edge of the plot looking west to the Ibo River.
- How big is the Kato Family Residence Hamazashiki?
- It is a two-storey timber building of 7.0 meters by 9.7 meters, with a building area of 62 square meters.
- What makes the exterior of the Kato Family Residence Hamazashiki distinctive?
- Eaves of several different forms wrap around its hip-and-gable roof, creating an intricate outline. The walls mix vertical boarding and plaster, with latticed windows.
- Can visitors see the Kato Family Residence Hamazashiki?
- The interior is not open, as it is part of a private home. Please do not enter the property.
Basic Information
| Name | Kato Family Residence Hamazashiki (Riverside Parlor) |
|---|---|
| Location | 53-1 Aboshi-ku Yokohama, Himeji City, Hyogo Prefecture |
| Designation | Registered Tangible Cultural Property (Building) |
| Year Designated | Registered 2009 |
| Quantity | 1 building |
| Dimensions | Building area 62 m² (7.0 m by 9.7 m) |
| Owner | Private owner |
| Public Access | Not open to the public (private residence) |
References
- Agency for Cultural Affairs Database: Kato Family Residence Hamazashiki
- https://kunishitei.bunka.go.jp/bsys/maindetails/101/00007517
- Himeji City: Kato Family Residence Hamazashiki (in Japanese)
- https://www.city.himeji.lg.jp/kanko/0000001744.html
- Himeji City: List of Registered Cultural Properties (in Japanese)
- https://www.city.himeji.lg.jp/kanko/0000001691.html
Last verified: 2026.10.01
