A Small Kitano House Rebuilt after the Earthquake
The Kitano Monogatarikan (Former Shea House) (北野物語館（旧Ｍ．Ｊ．シェー邸）) is a small Western-style house of 1907 in Kitanocho, Chuo Ward, Kobe City, Hyogo Prefecture, and was registered as a Registered Tangible Cultural Property (structure) on January 31, 2003 (Agency for Cultural Affairs).
The Agency records a two-storey timber building with a tiled roof, covering 148 square metres; registration number 28-0113.
A Western House Moved after the Earthquake
Kitano Monogatarikan (the former Shea House) is a clapboarded Western-style house of two storeys in timber under a hipped pantile roof (Agency for Cultural Affairs).
It was taken down after the Great Hanshin-Awaji Earthquake and re-erected on its present site in 2001, where it serves as a shop and small museum (Agency for Cultural Affairs). Its oriel window and its plan are distinctive.
Why It Was Registered
The Agency registered it as a model of design, a good example of a small Western-style house.
What to Look For
Look for the oriel window and the clapboarded walls (Agency for Cultural Affairs).
Visiting
At registration the Agency noted that it was used as a shop and small museum. No official information on current opening hours was found.
Q&A
- When was it built?
- In 1907; it was moved to its present site in 2001 (Agency for Cultural Affairs).
- Why was it moved?
- It was taken down after the Great Hanshin-Awaji Earthquake and re-erected here.
- What marks its exterior?
- An oriel window and clapboarded walls.
- What was it called before?
- The Shea House (M J Shea).
- When was the Kitano Monogatarikan (Former Shea House) registered?
- On January 31, 2003 (Agency for Cultural Affairs).
Basic Information
| Name | Kitano Monogatarikan (Former Shea House) (北野物語館（旧Ｍ．Ｊ．シェー邸）) |
|---|---|
| Location | 3-1-31 Kitanocho, Chuo Ward, Kobe City, Hyogo Prefecture |
| Designation | Registered Tangible Cultural Property (Structure) |
| Year Designated | Registered 2003/01/31 (Heisei 15) |
| Quantity | 1 building |
| Dimensions | Two-storey timber, tiled roof, 148 m² |
| Owner | Fuji Sangyo Co., Ltd. |
| Public Access | Current business not confirmed |
References
- Kitano Monogatarikan (Former Shea House) (Database of National Cultural Properties, Agency for Cultural Affairs)
- https://kunishitei.bunka.go.jp/heritage/detail/101/00003127
Last verified: 2026.10.18