About the Nagata Family Residence Detached Zashiki
The Nagata Family Residence Detached Zashiki (永田家住宅離れ座敷, Nagata-ke Jūtaku Hanare Zashiki) is a reception wing built in 1888 at the Nagata Family Residence in Shitori Nagata, Minamiawaji City, Hyogo Prefecture, and it became a Registered Tangible Cultural Property on January 26, 2011. It stands west of the main house, linked to it through a toilet block, and opens toward a pond on the south.
The single-story building measures 9.8 meters by 8.0 meters under a hipped roof of hongawara tiles and covers 96 square meters. Among the Nagata buildings, only this wing and the 1904 nagayamon gate are dated to a specific year.
Why It Was Registered
The Nagata Family Residence Detached Zashiki was registered for its contribution to the historic landscape. The Agency for Cultural Affairs describes it as an open, airy building for receiving guests.
Building a separate wing beside a pond just for visitors says a good deal about the standing of a large farming family in the Meiji countryside. Its date of 1888 falls within the middle Meiji span given for the main house, so the family dwelling and the guest wing took shape at roughly the same time.
A Veranda over the Pond
Inside the Nagata Family Residence Detached Zashiki are two eight-mat rooms, with tatami-floored corridors along their north and south sides and an open veranda, or Engawa, running around all four sides. The western room is the principal zashiki, fitted with a tokonoma alcove and shelves; the eastern room serves as the anteroom.
The detail to look for is the front veranda. It projects out over the pond to the south and carries a Western-style handrail. Seated in the zashiki, a guest would have had the water almost at their feet. The pond stonework is registered separately, and the wing and pond were clearly meant to be seen together.
Visiting the Nagata Family Residence Detached Zashiki
The Nagata Family Residence Detached Zashiki is part of a private home and is not open to the public. It sits inside the gates, behind the west end of the main house, so it is unlikely to be visible from outside the plot.
For a sense of the wing and the pond, the photographs and descriptions in the national database and on the Minamiawaji City cultural property pages are the best available guide.
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- Find tours, activities & transport passes near Nagata Family Residence Detached Zashiki
- [ Himeji Castle & Kobe Night View Cruise ]
Q&A
- When was the Nagata Family Residence Detached Zashiki built?
- The national database dates it to 1888.
- What kind of building is the Nagata Family Residence Detached Zashiki?
- It is a single-story reception wing with two eight-mat rooms, tatami corridors on two sides and a veranda all around. The western room has an alcove and shelves.
- Where is the Western-style handrail on the Nagata Family Residence Detached Zashiki?
- On the front veranda, which projects over the pond on the south side.
- How large is the Nagata Family Residence Detached Zashiki?
- It measures 9.8 meters by 8.0 meters, with a building area of 96 square meters.
- Can I visit the Nagata Family Residence Detached Zashiki?
- No. It is part of a private home, sits inside the gates and is hardly visible from outside.
Basic Information
| Name | Nagata Family Residence Detached Zashiki |
|---|---|
| Location | 1493 Aza-Yoshinobo, Shitori Nagata, Minamiawaji City, Hyogo Prefecture |
| Designation | Registered Tangible Cultural Property (Building) |
| Year Designated | Registered January 26, 2011 |
| Quantity | 1 building |
| Dimensions | 9.8 m × 8.0 m; building area 96 m² |
| Owner | Private individual (blank in the national database; per Minamiawaji City) |
| Public Access | Not open to the public (private residence) |
References
- Database of National Cultural Properties: 永田家住宅離れ座敷 (Agency for Cultural Affairs)
- https://kunishitei.bunka.go.jp/heritage/detail/101/00008537
- Minamiawaji City: 永田家住宅離れ座敷（はなれざしき）
- https://www.city.minamiawaji.hyogo.jp/bunkaisan/bunkazai/r-83.html
Last verified: 2026.10.04
