The Tower of Kura no Yakata Sankakutei
The Kura no Yakata Sankakutei (Former Sakai Family Residence) Western-Style Building (倉の館三角邸（旧堺家住宅）洋館) is a small tower-like Western-style building of the early Showa era in Utazu Town, Ayauta District, Kagawa Prefecture, and was registered as a Registered Tangible Cultural Property (structure) on October 2, 2007 (Agency for Cultural Affairs). Its roof and windows were altered in 1996.
The Agency records a two-storey timber building roofed in tile, with a building area of 13 square metres; registration number 37-0314.
It covers only 13 square metres, yet its pointed roof is the landmark of Kura no Yakata Sankakutei, which Utazu Town presents as a symbol of its old quarter.
A Roof Shaped Like a Spire
The Kura no Yakata Sankakutei Western-Style Building stands toward the north of the plot (Agency for Cultural Affairs). It measures 2.5 by 1.5 ken in plan (a ken is about 1.8 m) and rises two storeys under a steep hipped roof shaped to suggest a spire.
The rendered walls are scored with joint lines and leave the corner posts exposed, and tall arched windows run along the sides (Agency for Cultural Affairs). Each floor is a single room.
Why It Was Registered
The Agency registered it as a model of design. Utazu Town singles out the pairing of a Japanese-style building in the shoin manner with a stained-glass Western-style building as the defining feature of the estate.
The 1996 Alterations
The roof was originally covered in natural slate and is now laid with flat tiles in a diamond pattern (Agency for Cultural Affairs). The stained glass in the windows is also new, and the Agency dates these changes to 1996, the year Utazu Town bought and restored Kura no Yakata Sankakutei.
What to Look For
Look at the diamond pattern of the flat tiles on the steep roof of the Kura no Yakata Sankakutei Western-Style Building, and at the stained glass in its tall arched windows.
Seen beside the tiled roofs of the Japanese-style main house, the rendered walls with their exposed corner posts make the contrast of materials plain.
Visiting
The pointed roof of the Kura no Yakata Sankakutei Western-Style Building stands out from the street, as the town notes. The official pages give no conditions for interior visits, so contact the Utazu Town Board of Education (tel. 0877-49-8007).
Q&A
- What shape is the roof of the Kura no Yakata Sankakutei Western-Style Building?
- A steep hipped roof shaped to suggest a spire, laid with flat tiles in a diamond pattern (Agency for Cultural Affairs).
- Is the stained glass of the Kura no Yakata Sankakutei Western-Style Building original?
- No. The Agency records that it was made new during the 1996 alterations.
- How big is the Kura no Yakata Sankakutei Western-Style Building?
- It is two storeys high, 2.5 by 1.5 ken in plan, with a building area of 13 square metres (Agency for Cultural Affairs).
- Can I go inside the Kura no Yakata Sankakutei Western-Style Building?
- The town's official pages do not give conditions for interior visits, so contact the Utazu Town Board of Education (tel. 0877-49-8007).
- When was the Kura no Yakata Sankakutei (Former Sakai Family Residence) Western-Style Building registered?
- On October 2, 2007 (Agency for Cultural Affairs).
Basic Information
| Name | Kura no Yakata Sankakutei (Former Sakai Family Residence) Western-Style Building (倉の館三角邸（旧堺家住宅）洋館) |
|---|---|
| Location | 2147-3 Utazucho, Ayauta-gun, Kagawa Prefecture |
| Designation | Registered Tangible Cultural Property (Structure) |
| Year Designated | Registered October 2, 2007 (Heisei 19) |
| Quantity | 1 building |
| Dimensions | Timber, two storeys, tile roof, building area 13 m² |
| Owner | Utazu Town |
| Public Access | Exterior visible from outside the grounds; ask the Utazu Town Board of Education about the interior |
References
- Kura no Yakata Sankakutei (Former Sakai Family Residence) Western-Style Building (Database of National Cultural Properties, Agency for Cultural Affairs)
- https://kunishitei.bunka.go.jp/heritage/detail/101/00006457
- Kura no Yakata Sankakutei (Former Sakai Family Residence) Western-Style Building (Cultural Heritage Online, Japanese)
- https://online.bunka.go.jp/heritages/detail/191180
- Kura no Yakata Sankakutei (Utazu Sanpomichi, Utazu Town official visitor site, Japanese)
- https://sanpomichi.town.utazu.lg.jp/spot/entry/old/007491/
Last verified: 2026.11.03
