A Mountain Village of Three-Storey Silkworm Houses
The Osugi, Oyacho, Yabu City (養父市大屋町大杉, Yabu-shi Oya-cho Osugi) is a mountain village of three-storey sericulture houses in Oya-cho, Yabu City, Hyogo Prefecture, which in 2017 was selected as an Important Preservation District for Groups of Traditional Buildings.
The Agency for Cultural Affairs classifies it as a mountain village covering 5.8 hectares. Yabu City notes that it was the fourth district in Japan selected as a mountain sericulture village, the first in western Japan, and the fifth such district in Hyogo.
Important Preservation Districts are chosen by the state from preservation districts set up by municipalities; the system protects whole townscapes rather than designating individual buildings.
How the Village Grew
According to the Agency, Osugi lies on the left bank of the middle Oya River, which flows east through the city, and seems to have formed as a village by the mid-sixteenth century. Silkworm raising, a sideline in the Edo period, became the main industry from the late Meiji to the early Showa years and grew into full-time work.
With that growth, a distinctive main-house type took shape around the Taisho era: three storeys with thick plastered walls, warm yet well ventilated, suited to raising silkworms here.
Yabu City places the district among the foothills of Hyonosen, Hyogo's highest peak, along the Oya River that rises there.
What to Look For
Yabu City says the district keeps a group of main houses and storehouses built from the late Edo period to the Showa 30s. There are 27 main houses, 12 of them three-storey sericulture houses.
The sericulture houses share a common form: gabled tiled roofs, a roof ventilator called a nukike, thick plastered walls and large full-height windows. The ventilators on the ridges and the rows of large windows show how the houses were designed for air and light for the silkworms.
The Agency values how the main houses, storehouses, shrines and temples, stone walls, water channels and washing places called araito together preserve the historic character of a mountain village in the Tajima region.
Visiting Osugi
The district is a living community. Yabu City notes guesthouses and galleries in converted sericulture houses, and a wood-carving museum in the former Tochio clinic.
When visiting the Osugi, Oyacho, Yabu City district, respect residents' privacy and do not enter houses or private land without permission. Enquiries go to the Yabu City history and cultural properties section, 079-661-9042.
Q&A
- When was Osugi, Oyacho, Yabu City selected?
- It was selected as an Important Preservation District for Groups of Traditional Buildings on 31 July 2017.
- What is special about Osugi?
- A group of three-storey sericulture houses with thick plastered walls survives as a mountain village.
- What is a nukike?
- A roof ventilator on the sericulture houses, providing air for raising silkworms.
- How large is the Osugi district?
- About 5.8 hectares, with 27 main houses, 12 of them three-storey sericulture houses.
- Can I visit Osugi?
- Yes, on foot, but please respect residents and do not enter houses without permission.
Basic Information
| Name | Osugi, Oyacho, Yabu City (養父市大屋町大杉) |
|---|---|
| Location | Osugi and adjoining areas, Oya-cho, Yabu City, Hyogo Prefecture |
| Designation | Important Preservation District for Groups of Traditional Buildings (mountain village) |
| Year Designated | Selected 2017/7/31 (Heisei 29) |
| Quantity | 27 main houses (12 three-storey sericulture houses) |
| Dimensions | About 5.8 hectares |
| Owner | Not recorded in the Agency for Cultural Affairs database |
| Public Access | Open to walk through |
References
- Agency for Cultural Affairs Database: Osugi, Oyacho, Yabu City (Japanese)
- https://kunishitei.bunka.go.jp/bsys/maindetails/103/00000119
- Cultural Heritage Online: Osugi, Oyacho, Yabu City (Japanese)
- https://online.bunka.go.jp/heritages/detail/286356
- Yabu City: Osugi Preservation District (Japanese)
- https://www.city.yabu.hyogo.jp/soshiki/kyoikuiinkai/shakaikyoiku/1/denken/1631.html
- Yabu City Tourism Association: Osugi (Japanese)
- https://www.yabu-kankou.jp/sightseeing/judentiku-oosugi
Last verified: 2026.09.28