A wing for the retired elder
Within the Otoshi family compound in Shinnobe, Befu, the retirement room sat aside from the busy centre of the house. In a farming and administrative household of this rank, the elder who had handed over the headship often moved to a smaller, quieter building, and this wing filled that role.
It stands east of the main house and south-east of the detached wing, following the outer wall along the north-east edge of the site and linking to a storage barn at its south-east end. The core measures four and a half by two and a half bays under a hongawara roof, with a half-bay eave across the front; the plan sets a six-mat room with a veranda beside a four-mat anteroom to the south-east, and an earthen entrance one bay wide runs between the room and the barn.
Part of a registered ensemble
The retirement room was registered on 18 November 1999 as one of the nine Otoshi buildings. On its own it is a small structure, but it is valued as a working part of a complete headman's residence, where quarters for the elder, for guests and for storage each had their place.
Its position, tucked against the wall with the detached bath wing and the utensil storehouses nearby, shows how the north end of the compound was given over to the private, back-garden side of family life rather than to reception or display.
What to look for
The interest here is in scale and arrangement rather than grandeur. The six-mat room with its veranda would have opened toward the quieter inner ground, and the small anteroom marks the shift from public to private in a compact form.
Because the wing hugs the north-east wall, its tiled roof and plastered face form part of the outer edge of the compound, which can be read from outside even though the residence itself is private and not open for regular visits.
- 📍 Plan Your Visit to Hyogo
- Find tours, activities & transport passes near Retirement Room in the Otoshi Family Residence
- [ Himeji Castle & Kobe Night View Cruise ]
Q&A
- What was this building for?
- It housed the retired elder of the Otoshi household, apart from the main living quarters.
- How big is it?
- About 56 square metres: a six-mat room with veranda, a four-mat anteroom and an earthen entrance.
- When was it registered?
- On 18 November 1999, together with eight other Otoshi buildings.
- Is it open to visitors?
- No; it is part of a private residence, though its roof and wall are visible from outside along the north-east edge.
Basic Information
| Name | Otoshi Family Residence Retirement Room (Otoshike Jutaku Inkyobeya) |
|---|---|
| Location | 881 Shinnobe, Befu-cho, Kakogawa City, Hyogo Prefecture |
| Category | Registered Tangible Cultural Property (Structure) |
| Registered | 18 November 1999 |
| Structure | Wooden, one storey, tiled roof; building area approx. 56 sq m; 1 building |
| Period | Edo period, 19th century |
| Access | Part of a private residence; not open for regular visits |
References
- Kakogawa City — Otoshi Family Residence, nine Registered Tangible Cultural Properties
- https://www.city.kakogawa.lg.jp/soshikikarasagasu/kyouiku/kakuka/kyoikushidobu/bunkazai_cyosa/bunkazai/kunitourokukaisetu/kunitourokuootosikejuutaku.html
- Kakogawa City — List of designated and registered cultural properties
- https://www.city.kakogawa.lg.jp/soshikikarasagasu/kyouiku/kakuka/kyoikushidobu/bunkazai_cyosa/bunkazai/siteitourokubunkazaiitiran20230320.html
- Kakogawa City — Registered cultural properties, individual entries
- https://www.city.kakogawa.lg.jp/soshikikarasagasu/kyouiku/kakuka/kyoikushidobu/bunkazai_cyosa/bunkazai/kunitourokukaisetu/index.html
- Agency for Cultural Affairs — Cultural Properties
- https://www.bunka.go.jp/seisaku/bunkazai/
Last verified: 2026.07.04