About the Former Miura Family Residence Main House
The Former Miura Family Residence Main House (旧三浦家住宅主屋, Kyū Miura-ke Jūtaku Shuoku) is a one-story timber residence of the Taisho era (1912 to 1926) in Aokicho, Susaki City, Kochi Prefecture, entered on the register as a Registered Tangible Cultural Property on February 25, 2016. It joins the west side of the corner shop and is where the merchant family lived and received guests.
The gabled roof (Kirizuma-zukuri) runs east to west and is covered in sangawara pantiles, with lean-to eaves (Geya) added on the south and north. The building area is 126 square meters; the Susaki Machikado Gallery gives the plan as 9.91 by 11.7 meters.
Why It Was Registered
The Former Miura Family Residence Main House was registered for its contribution to the historic landscape. The Agency for Cultural Affairs notes a plain, uncomplicated exterior and an interior that makes generous use of fine timber. From the street it is a modest single-story house; the quality shows once you step inside. If the black shop is the face the family turned to the town, the main house is the face it kept for itself and its guests.
According to the gallery, the Miura were linked to buyers in the Kyoto, Osaka and Kobe region through the forest trade of the Shimanto River basin, and the main house was used to lodge and entertain visitors from far away. The gallery sees in it the plan and finish of a merchant's residence and a record of trade in the Taisho years.
What to Look For
Right-hand and left-hand tiles
The roof of the Former Miura Family Residence Main House mixes right-hand and left-hand sangawara tiles. Each pantile overlaps its neighbor in a fixed direction, and the two types overlap in opposite directions. The gallery says the lean-to roofs, too, switch from one type to the other at the center, a traditional Tosa technique common in Kochi's coastal settlements for coping with strong winds from the east and south. The tiles are carefully bedded in Shikkui plaster. Look for the line near the middle of the roof where the pattern of the tile joints changes direction.
A cypress log for an eave beam
Under the south eaves, the beam that carries the lean-to roof is a round log of fine Tosa hinoki cypress, left unsquared. The gallery stresses how solidly the frame of posts and beams is built.
The eight-mat room facing south
The entrance is toward the east end of the south side, and along the south front lies an eight-mat Zashiki with a tokonoma alcove and display shelves. The gallery's photographs show shoji screens and carved transoms along the south face.
Visiting
The tatami rooms of the Former Miura Family Residence Main House are used for exhibitions, events and rentals at the Susaki Machikado Gallery. Which rooms you can enter depends on what is on, so ask at reception (checked September 27, 2026).
For the split tiling, the gallery's photograph is taken from the north side of the Miura Main House, looking at the switch in the middle of the roof. If you are allowed into the grounds, the north side is the place to look up. Under the south eaves the hinoki log beam can be seen at close range. Ask at reception about photography. Opening hours and directions are on the Former Miura Family Residence page.
Q&A
- When was the Former Miura Family Residence Main House built?
- The Agency for Cultural Affairs dates it to the Taisho era, 1912 to 1926.
- What is the split tiling on the Former Miura Family Residence Main House roof?
- Right-hand and left-hand pantiles, which overlap in opposite directions, are used on different parts of the roof. The gallery describes it as a traditional Tosa way of coping with strong winds from the east and south.
- What was the Former Miura Family Residence Main House used for?
- It was the family's home, and according to the gallery it was also used to lodge and entertain guests who came from far away.
- Can visitors enter the rooms of the Former Miura Family Residence Main House?
- The rooms are used for exhibitions and rentals at the Susaki Machikado Gallery. Access depends on current use, so ask at reception during opening hours.
- How large is the Former Miura Family Residence Main House?
- It is a one-story timber building with a building area of 126 square meters. The gallery gives the plan as 9.91 by 11.7 meters.
Basic Information
| Name | Former Miura Family Residence Main House (旧三浦家住宅主屋) |
|---|---|
| Location | 7-1 Aokicho, Susaki City, Kochi Prefecture |
| Designation | Registered Tangible Cultural Property (Structure), registration no. 39-0285 |
| Year Designated | Registered February 25, 2016 |
| Quantity | 1 building |
| Dimensions | One-story timber, tile roof, building area 126 square meters |
| Owner | Susaki City |
| Public Access | Open (Susaki Machikado Gallery); accessible rooms depend on exhibitions |
References
- Database of National Cultural Properties: Former Miura Family Residence Main House (Agency for Cultural Affairs)
- https://kunishitei.bunka.go.jp/heritage/detail/101/00011005
- Former Miura House (Susaki Machikado Gallery, in Japanese)
- https://machikado-gallery.com/miuratei/
- Machikado Gallery (Susaki City, in Japanese)
- https://www.city.susaki.lg.jp/life/detail.php?hdnKey=152
Last verified: 2026.09.27
