An L-Shaped Farmhouse Moved to Koga
The Former Tobita Family Residence (旧飛田家住宅, Kyū Tobita-ke jūtaku) is a mid-Edo-period magariya, or L-shaped farmhouse, now standing in the open-air house museum of Koga Kubo Park (Koga Sogo Park) in Konosu, Koga City, Ibaraki Prefecture; it was designated an Important Cultural Property on April 25, 1968. Its official name, Former Tobita Family Residence (from Kanasago Village, Kuji District, Ibaraki Prefecture), records where it first stood.
According to the Ibaraki Prefectural Board of Education, the house was built in Kanasago Village in Kuji District, now part of Hitachiota City, and was moved to its present site in Koga in 1975. Koga City owns it, and the house museum is run directly by the city. The work was documented in 1976 in a repair report compiled by the Japanese Association for Conservation of Architectural Monuments and published by Koga City.
The Agency for Cultural Affairs records the main block as 16.9 m by 6.6 m, with a wing projecting to the south that measures 4.7 m by 5.6 m. The roof is a Yosemune-zukuri hipped roof of Kayabuki thatch, with a dobisashi eave extension along the north side. Koga City gives slightly different figures, 16.92 m by 7.399 m and a floor area of 142.46 square metres, probably because the measuring points differ.
Why It Matters
The Former Tobita Family Residence was designated an Important Cultural Property in 1968. The Agency for Cultural Affairs describes it as a magariya in which the earthen-floored area juts out at the front, probably built in the first half of the 18th century, and one of the old surviving examples of the type in Ibaraki. Ibaraki Prefecture and Koga City both call it the oldest known L-shaped farmhouse in the prefecture.
The dating rests partly on family memorial tablets. The Koga tourism association notes that little is known of the Tobita family's history, but tablets thought to belong to the first couple record deaths in 1744 and 1748. Taken together with the construction methods, they point to the first half of the 18th century.
The same account calls the house a typical magariya of the old Hitachi region and valuable for understanding how it relates to farmhouses built as separate detached blocks. It has been altered and repaired many times, yet its structure and plan have changed little, which was a key reason for designation.
What to Look For
Walk around the outside first to see the bend in the plan. Ibaraki Prefecture explains that the southern wing held the stable, with the Doma earthen floor to the west, a board-floored room in the centre, a room at the northeast rear, and a zashiki reception room and another board-floored room continuing to the east. Bringing horses and people under one thatched roof is the point of the magariya form.
The sources describe the wing a little differently. The national record says the earthen floor projects at the front, while the prefecture places the stable in the projecting wing. Look into the wing and see how the earthen floor and the stall connect, and the two descriptions make sense together.
The house museum also holds the Former Nakayama Family Residence, a prefectural cultural property thought to date from around 1674 (Koga City). Comparing its rectangular plan with the bent plan of the Tobita house shows the difference clearly.
Visiting the Former Tobita Family Residence
The Former Tobita Family Residence is open in the house museum of Koga Kubo Park. According to the Koga City Regional Promotion Corporation, which manages the park, the house museum opens 9:00 a.m. to 4:45 p.m. from March to November and 9:00 a.m. to 3:45 p.m. from December to February. It closes on Mondays and Tuesdays and over the New Year (December 29 to January 3), but has no closing days from March to May; when a Monday or Tuesday is a public holiday it opens and closes on Wednesday instead. For temporary closures, contact the Koga City Culture Promotion Division (0280-22-5111).
A 2017 Koga City newsletter said both houses are normally for viewing only, with visitors allowed to step up inside during special events. Arrangements may change, so check with the city before you go. No public guidance on photography was found.
The Kanto Regional Development Bureau lists the park as about 10 minutes by taxi from JR Koga Station on the Utsunomiya Line or Shin-Koga Station on the Tobu Nikko Line; the city's Gururin loop bus also serves it.
Q&A
- When was the Former Tobita Family Residence built?
- It is thought to date from the first half of the 18th century, in the mid-Edo period, judging by its construction methods.
- When was the Former Tobita Family Residence designated an Important Cultural Property?
- On April 25, 1968.
- Why is the Former Tobita Family Residence in Koga?
- It originally stood in Kanasago Village, now Hitachiota City, and was moved to the house museum in Koga Sogo Park in 1975.
- What are the opening hours of the Former Tobita Family Residence?
- 9:00 a.m. to 4:45 p.m. from March to November and until 3:45 p.m. from December to February; closed Mondays, Tuesdays and over the New Year, with no closing days from March to May.
- What is a magariya?
- An L-shaped farmhouse in which part of the building projects at a right angle; at the Tobita house, the prefecture says the southern wing held the stable.
Basic Information
| Name | Former Tobita Family Residence (from Kanasago Village, Kuji District, Ibaraki Prefecture) (旧飛田家住宅) |
|---|---|
| Location | 1024 Konosu, Koga City, Ibaraki Prefecture (house museum, Koga Kubo Park) |
| Designation | Important Cultural Property (Structure) |
| Year Designated | Designated 1968/4/25 (Showa 43) |
| Quantity | 1 building |
| Dimensions | 16.9 m by 6.6 m, south wing 4.7 m by 5.6 m, hipped roof, north dobisashi eave, thatched |
| Owner | Koga City |
| Public Access | Open in the house museum (9:00 a.m. to 4:45 p.m., until 3:45 p.m. in winter; closed Mondays and Tuesdays) |
References
- Former Tobita Family Residence (Database of National Cultural Properties, Agency for Cultural Affairs)
- https://kunishitei.bunka.go.jp/bsys/maindetails/102/239
- Former Tobita Family Residence (Cultural Properties of Ibaraki, Ibaraki Prefectural Board of Education)
- https://kyoiku.pref.ibaraki.jp/bunkazai/kuni-14/
- Former Tobita Family Residence (Koga City)
- https://www.city.ibaraki-koga.lg.jp/soshiki/bunka/15/siteitourokubunnkazai/kogabunkazaikennzoubutu/2400.html
- Former Tobita Family Residence (Koga Navi, Koga Tourism Association)
- https://www.kogakanko.jp/spot/tour/tobita
- Koga Kubo Park (Koga City Regional Promotion Corporation)
- https://koga-kousya.or.jp/koga-park/
- Repair report on the Important Cultural Property Tobita Family Residence (Comprehensive Database of Archaeological Site Reports in Japan)
- https://sitereports.nabunken.go.jp/133384
- Koho Koga newsletter, 2017 (Koga City)
- https://www.city.ibaraki-koga.lg.jp/material/files/group/3/H29_kouhou_koga5-19.pdf
- Koga Kubo Park site profile (Kanto Regional Development Bureau, MLIT)
- https://www.ktr.mlit.go.jp/ktr_content/content/000759513.pdf
Last verified: 2026.10.05