A wholesaler's house facing its garden
The Arakawa Family Residence Main House stands at 929-1 Tamachi-Ko in Chikusei City, Ibaraki Prefecture, a two-storey wooden building of 1892 (Meiji 25) that was listed as a Registered Tangible Cultural Property in 2011 (Heisei 23). Its roof is copper sheet and it covers 131 square meters.
Placed in the middle of the plot, it turns its south side toward a garden. The main ridge runs east to west, hipped at the east end and gabled at the west, with a lower hipped wing stepping out on the east face. The roof changes form more than once within a single building.
The family traded here under the name Aratame, wholesaling fertiliser, household sundries and general goods. Chikusei City records that they bought a single-storey wooden house in 1888 (Meiji 21) to open the business, and that a Munafuda ridge tag survives for the second storey added in 1892. What stands today is the Arakawa Family Residence Main House after that addition.
Rooms sorted by the rank of the visitor
The ground floor of the Arakawa Family Residence Main House is organised around a central corridor, with Zashiki reception rooms on both levels. The Agency for Cultural Affairs singles out the upper reception room, which has a well-made Tokonoma alcove and a Tsukeshoin writing bay.
Set that beside the city's account and the plan starts to explain itself. Ordinary customers were received on the ground floor; better customers went upstairs, into a room finished in Shoin-zukuri. Beyond those lay the inner rooms kept for the most important guests, split between a Japanese room below and a Western room above, the latter in an Art Deco manner.
Which staircase you climbed depended on who you were. The building wears the form of a home while working as an instrument of trade.
Registration number 08-0253 covers the Arakawa Family Residence Main House, listed as a building that contributes to the historic character of the landscape.
The years it moved and the years it was mended
Three later dates attach to this building: a relocation with additions in 1933 (Showa 8), and repairs in 1989 (Heisei 1) and 2005 (Heisei 17).
The year 1933 is when national Route 50 in front was widened. The former shop storehouse on the same plot shifted position then as well. Moving buildings out of the way of a road was ordinary practice along modern highways, but the arrangement visitors see now is the result of that shift rather than of an original plan.
The 1989 work covered three buildings here, reroofing them and repairing external walls. The copper roof over the Arakawa Family Residence Main House still sheds water because of it.
Visiting the Arakawa Family Residence Main House
The Arakawa Family Residence Main House is a private home with no public access. It sits at the centre of the plot, the garden to its south and the former shop storehouse to its north, so there is almost no line of sight to it from the road.
Photography from within the grounds is not permitted. From the Route 50 side you may catch part of the roof over the storehouse in front, and little more.
From the north exit of Shimodate Station the walk north is about 700 meters, roughly 10 minutes. The JR Mito Line, the Kanto Railway Joso Line and the Moka Railway all serve the station. For news of any special opening, contact the Culture and Sports Division of Chikusei City. Details confirmed on 5 September 2026.
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Q&A
- Can I visit the Arakawa Family Residence Main House at Tamachi in Chikusei?
- No. The Arakawa Family Residence Main House is a private home, closed to visitors, and stands at the centre of the plot where it is barely visible from the street. Chikusei City can advise on any special opening.
- When was the Arakawa Family Residence Main House built and listed?
- It dates from 1892 (Meiji 25), was relocated and extended in 1933 (Showa 8), and repaired in 1989 (Heisei 1) and 2005 (Heisei 17). Listing followed on 25 July 2011, registration number 08-0253.
- How were the rooms in the Arakawa Family Residence Main House used?
- Chikusei City records that ordinary customers were received on the ground floor, better customers in a shoin-style room upstairs, and the most important guests in the inner rooms, a Japanese room below and an Art Deco Western room above.
- What business did the family of the Arakawa Family Residence Main House run?
- They were wholesalers of fertiliser, household sundries and general goods, trading under the name Aratame. The city records that they bought a single-storey house in 1888 (Meiji 21) and started the business there.
- How do I get to the Arakawa Family Residence Main House?
- Walk about 700 meters north from the north exit of Shimodate Station, roughly 10 minutes. The station is served by the JR Mito Line, the Kanto Railway Joso Line and the Moka Railway.
Basic Information
| Name | Arakawa Family Residence Main House |
|---|---|
| Location | 929-1 Tamachi-Ko, Chikusei City, Ibaraki Prefecture, and adjacent lots |
| Designation | Registered Tangible Cultural Property (Building) |
| Year Designated | Registered in 2011 (Heisei 23) |
| Quantity | 1 building |
| Dimensions | Wooden, 2 storeys, copper-sheet roof, building area 131 square meters |
| Owner | Private individual |
| Public Access | Interior closed. Barely visible from the street |
References
- Agency for Cultural Affairs, National Cultural Properties Database (Registered Tangible Cultural Property, Buildings)
- https://kunishitei.bunka.go.jp/bsys/maindetails/101/00008633
- Ibaraki Prefectural Board of Education: Arakawa Family Residence, Main House and Two Others
- https://kyoiku.pref.ibaraki.jp/bunkazai/bunkazai-registered-6038/
- Chikusei City: Arakawa Family Residence (registration numbers 08-0253 to 08-0255)
- https://www.city.chikusei.lg.jp/kyouiku-bunka-sports/bunkazai/nationally-registered/page001170.html
Last verified: 2026.09.05