A Merchant House in the Castle Town of Tono
The Oikawa Family Residence (Furuken) Main House (及川家住宅（古軒）主屋) is a two-storey wooden town house built in 1888 in Muikamachi, Tono City, Iwate Prefecture, and was registered as a Registered Tangible Cultural Property (structure) on February 17, 2022. It is the main house of an old family, facing south onto the highway in the former castle town of the Tono Nanbu clan (Agency for Cultural Affairs), and is now run as the inn Minshuku Furuken (Tono Tourism Association).
The Agency for Cultural Affairs records it as a two-storey wooden building with a sheet-iron roof and a building area of 170 square metres; registration number 03-0113, with no owner listed. It was renovated in 1974 and 1979 and moved in 1985 (Agency for Cultural Affairs).
Why It Was Registered
The Oikawa Family Residence main house was registered as a building that contributes to the historic landscape of the country. The Agency for Cultural Affairs describes it as a large town house that preserves the typical form of the Tono region well.
According to the inn, what was valued was the traditional Tono town-house plan with a central passage of beaten earth, and the house came to notice after it was included in a survey of town houses in 1940.
What to Look For
The Oikawa Family Residence main house is two storeys, gabled (Kirizuma-zukuri) with a sheet-iron roof and its entrance on the long side. Facing the highway, it has formal rooms to east and west of a central passage. From the west rooms the living quarters run back to the north, and the joi living room at their south end rises open to the roof (Agency for Cultural Affairs).
The front has a pent roof, and the upper floor has projecting lattice windows (Agency for Cultural Affairs). From the street, the central passage, the flanking rooms and the upstairs lattice make up the face of a large Tono town house.
Visiting the Oikawa House (Furuken)
The Oikawa Family Residence (Furuken) Main House operates as an inn, and staying there is the way to see inside. Room-only stays start at 4,500 yen, payment is cash only, there are 3 guest rooms and free parking (Tono Tourism Association). Telephone 0198-62-0028. We found no official information on visits by non-guests. The inn gives its address as 6-21 Muikamachi, which differs from the lot number in the national record (111 Muikamachi).
Q&A
- When was the Oikawa Family Residence (Furuken) Main House built?
- In 1888; it was moved in 1985 (Agency for Cultural Affairs).
- Why is the Oikawa Family Residence Main House a registered cultural property?
- It is a large town house that preserves the typical Tono form well (Agency for Cultural Affairs). It was registered on February 17, 2022.
- What is the layout of the Oikawa Family Residence Main House?
- Formal rooms either side of a central passage facing the highway, with living quarters behind and an open-roofed joi room (Agency for Cultural Affairs).
- Can you stay at Furuken?
- Yes. It is the inn Minshuku Furuken; room-only stays start at 4,500 yen, cash only (Tono Tourism Association).
- Can you visit the Oikawa Family Residence without staying?
- There is no official information on visits by non-guests.
Basic Information
| Name | Oikawa Family Residence (Furuken) Main House (及川家住宅（古軒）主屋) |
|---|---|
| Location | 111 Muikamachi, Tono City, Iwate Prefecture |
| Designation | Registered Tangible Cultural Property (Structure) |
| Year Designated | Registered 2022/2/17 (Reiwa 4) |
| Quantity | 1 building |
| Dimensions | Wooden, 2 storeys, sheet-iron roof, building area 170 square metres |
| Owner | Not listed in the national record |
| Public Access | Operating as an inn (interior for guests) |
References
- Oikawa Family Residence (Furuken) Main House (Database of National Cultural Properties, Agency for Cultural Affairs)
- https://kunishitei.bunka.go.jp/heritage/detail/101/00014128
- Minshuku Furuken (Tono Tourism Association)
- https://tonojikan.jp/stay/minsyuku-furuken/
Last verified: 2026.10.06