About the Reception Wing
The Fukuda Family Residence Reception Wing (福田家住宅応接棟, Fukuda-ke Jūtaku Ōsetsutō) in Higashisako, Noichi-cho, Konan City, Kochi Prefecture, is a single-storey reinforced concrete Western-style building of around 1924, registered as a Registered Tangible Cultural Property on August 21, 2002. It covers 39 square meters.
The Fukuda Family Residence Reception Wing adjoins the guest hall on its south side and faces west. It was more than a parlor: the Agency for Cultural Affairs notes that it also served as the office of the family brewery, so guests and business were received in the same small building.
Early Concrete in Kochi
The Fukuda Family Residence Reception Wing was registered as a model of architectural design, under register number 39-0058.
The Agency for Cultural Affairs places it among the earliest reinforced concrete buildings in Kochi Prefecture. In the mid-1920s, on a country property otherwise built of timber and earthen walls, that was a new way of building. The gate on the same lot is registered as another early concrete example.
Flat Roof and Rooftop Posts
The Fukuda Family Residence Reception Wing measures about 7 meters by 5 meters. Instead of a tiled roof it has a flat roof (Flat roof) edged with a railing.
Two design points are singled out. The exterior walls carry a rough, textured finish in the manner the Japanese call German wall (doitsu-kabe). And decorative posts rise along the rooftop railing, giving the flat silhouette a vertical rhythm.
Next to the tiled roofs of the main house and guest hall, this boxy, eaveless outline looks deliberately different, and the contrast is part of what makes the compound worth seeing.
Seeing the Reception Wing
The Fukuda Family Residence Reception Wing is one of the buildings lined up along the west edge of the compound, with its front facing west. The guest hall lies to its north and the storehouse to its south.
No interior opening has been announced, and the grounds are not open to visitors. Access details for the whole compound are on the Fukuda Family Residence group page.
- 📍 Plan Your Visit to Kochi
- Find tours, activities & transport passes near Fukuda Family Residence Reception Wing
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Q&A
- How do you read the name of the Fukuda Family Residence Reception Wing?
- Fukuda-ke Jūtaku Ōsetsutō, following the furigana in the Agency for Cultural Affairs database.
- When was the Fukuda Family Residence Reception Wing built?
- Around 1924. It was registered as a Registered Tangible Cultural Property on August 21, 2002.
- What was the Fukuda Family Residence Reception Wing used for?
- Receiving guests, and also as the office of the family brewery.
- What is special about the structure of the Fukuda Family Residence Reception Wing?
- It is single-storey reinforced concrete, counted among the earliest concrete buildings in Kochi Prefecture, with a flat roof.
- What should I look for on the Fukuda Family Residence Reception Wing?
- The rough German-wall style finish on the exterior and the decorative posts on the rooftop railing.
Basic Information
| Name | Fukuda Family Residence Reception Wing (福田家住宅応接棟) |
|---|---|
| Location | 105 Higashisako, Noichi-cho, Konan City, Kochi Prefecture |
| Designation | Registered Tangible Cultural Property (Building), register no. 39-0058 |
| Year Designated | Registered August 21, 2002 |
| Quantity | 1 building |
| Dimensions | Single-storey reinforced concrete building, building area 39 square meters |
| Owner | Not listed in the Agency for Cultural Affairs database |
| Public Access | No public opening announced |
References
- Database of National Cultural Properties: Fukuda Family Residence Reception Wing (Agency for Cultural Affairs)
- https://kunishitei.bunka.go.jp/bsys/maindetails/101/00003008
- Cultural Heritage Online: Fukuda Family Residence Reception Wing
- https://online.bunka.go.jp/heritages/detail/138778
- List of Designated and Registered Cultural Properties (Konan City, in Japanese)
- https://www.city.kochi-konan.lg.jp/soshikikarasagasu/kyoikuiinkaishogaigakushuka/rekishi_bunkazai/2/2189.html
- Registered Tangible Cultural Properties (Buildings) in Kochi Cities (Kochi Prefecture, in Japanese)
- https://www.pref.kochi.lg.jp/doc/2024031100056/
Last verified: 2026.09.27
