About the Kozuki Family Residence North Detached Parlor
The Kozuki Family Residence North Detached Parlor (上月家住宅北離座敷, Kōzuki-ke Jūtaku Kita-hanare-zashiki) is a single-storey reception wing built in 1930 in Bozumachi, Himeji, Hyogo Prefecture, and registered as a Registered Tangible Cultural Property on July 25, 2011.
It stands just north of the main house, reached by a covered corridor, and covers 54 square metres. The registered storehouse sits right beside it to the west.
The roof is a hip-and-gable (Irimoya-zukuri) of pan tiles (Sangawara-buki) running north to south, but the eaves themselves are finished in copper sheet. Edging a heavy tiled roof with thin metal keeps the eave line crisp and light.
Why the Kozuki Family Residence North Detached Parlor Was Registered
The Kozuki Family Residence North Detached Parlor was registered for its contribution to the historic townscape, but what the official description dwells on is the money that went into it.
Its posts are Japanese cypress (hinoki) cut so that all four faces show straight, parallel grain. Getting four clean faces from one post takes a large log and careful sawing, and such timber has long been a mark of a formal room. The Agency for Cultural Affairs describes the parlor as built with fine materials used lavishly and an interior finished with real care.
What to Look For
Inside, the Kozuki Family Residence North Detached Parlor is essentially one room: an 18-mat hall with no partitions, wrapped on the south and west by a wooden veranda of long boards (Kure-en). It is a space for receiving a sizable group at once.
The hall carries the full set of formal fittings: an alcove (Tokonoma), shelving, and a built-in writing desk (Tsukeshoin). Together these make up the Zashiki-kazari, the classic arrangement of a formal reception room, and they mark this wing as the place for guests and occasions rather than daily life.
The two-sided veranda appears designed to open the room to the garden in both directions, with the long boards drawing the eye outward.
Visiting
The Kozuki Family Residence North Detached Parlor is part of a private home and is not open to the public. No public opening had been announced as of October 2026.
It stands at the back of the property, north of the main house, and cannot be seen from the street. From outside the grounds, only the front gate is visible.
Q&A
- When was the Kozuki Family Residence North Detached Parlor built?
- It was built in 1930 and registered as a national Registered Tangible Cultural Property on July 25, 2011.
- Can I visit the Kozuki Family Residence North Detached Parlor?
- No. It is part of a private home, no public opening had been announced as of October 2026, and it is not visible from the street.
- How large is the Kozuki Family Residence North Detached Parlor?
- It is a single-storey timber building of 54 square metres, made up of one 18-mat hall and a veranda along its south and west sides.
- What fittings does the Kozuki Family Residence North Detached Parlor have?
- The hall has an alcove, shelving and a built-in writing desk, and its posts are hinoki cypress with straight grain on all four faces.
- How is the Kozuki Family Residence North Detached Parlor linked to the main house?
- It stands north of the main house and is connected to it by a covered corridor. The registered storehouse stands immediately to its west.
Basic Information
| Name | Kozuki Family Residence North Detached Parlor (上月家住宅北離座敷) |
|---|---|
| Location | 37-7 Bozumachi, Himeji City, Hyogo Prefecture |
| Designation | Registered Tangible Cultural Property (Building) |
| Year Designated | Registered 2011/7/25 (Heisei 23) |
| Quantity | 1 building |
| Dimensions | Building area 54 square metres (single-storey timber, tiled roof) |
| Owner | Private owner |
| Public Access | Not open to the public (private residence) |
References
- 上月家住宅北離座敷 / Kozuki Family Residence North Detached Parlor (Database of National Cultural Properties, Agency for Cultural Affairs)
- https://kunishitei.bunka.go.jp/bsys/maindetails/101/00008740
- 上月家住宅北離座敷 (Cultural Heritage Online)
- https://bunka.nii.ac.jp/heritages/detail/185741
- 上月家住宅北離座敷 (City of Himeji, Registered Tangible Cultural Properties)
- https://www.city.himeji.lg.jp/kanko/0000001724.html
- List of Registered Cultural Properties in Himeji (City of Himeji)
- https://www.city.himeji.lg.jp/kanko/0000001691.html
Last verified: 2026.10.07
