The Main House of the Gotō Compound
The Goto Family Residence Main House (五藤家住宅主屋, Gotō-ke Jūtaku Shuoku) is a single-storey timber house built in 1896 on the site of Aki Castle in Doi, Aki City, Kochi Prefecture, and entered on Japan's register of Registered Tangible Cultural Property in 2008. It is the centrepiece of the compound once occupied by the Gotō, domain elders of Tosa, and now run by the city as the Goto Family Aki Residence.
It stands almost dead centre in a lot enclosed by the castle moat, at the foot of the castle hill, with its ridge running east to west. The house measures 6 and a half by 3 and a half bays and covers 109 square metres, the largest of the seven registered structures here.
Expect no palace. What you notice first is roof, not wall: a broad, low mass of tile sitting close to the ground.
How the House Is Put Together
The core of the Goto Family Residence Main House is a hipped roof laid with pantiles, wrapped on all sides by lower lean-to eaves (Geya). At the northwest corner a gabled kitchen wing, the kamaya, juts out with its own east-west ridge. Those three layers of roof, big hip, skirt of eaves and projecting gable, give the house its silhouette.
The Agency for Cultural Affairs singles out one detail: the builders laid "right-hand" and "left-hand" pantiles on different slopes. The two tile types overlap in opposite directions, and in Doi Kachū they are chosen face by face according to the typhoon winds, so that driven rain cannot work its way under the laps. The main house follows that local practice exactly.
The house was registered under the criterion of contributing to the historic landscape of the nation. It anchors the whole compound: the board fence ties it to the barn on the north, and the detached wing and annex are ranged around it.
What to Look For
Start with the tiles. Stand in front of the Goto Family Residence Main House and compare the slopes; the direction in which the pantiles overlap switches from one face to the next. Afternoon sun, raking across the rows of tile, makes the difference easiest to read.
Then walk to the northwest corner to see the kitchen wing. Because it shares the main block's east-west orientation, the roofs step down one behind the other when seen from that angle. At the northeast corner, the board fence leaves the entrance and heads north, a reminder that the house itself forms part of the wall enclosing the compound.
Visiting the Main House
The main house is the principal building of the Goto Family Aki Residence and is rented out for tea gatherings, meetings and exhibitions. Entry to the residence is free, but on days when the main house is booked, other visitors may be turned away.
View the whole house from the garden on the south side, and the kitchen wing from the northwest. Using the main house as a venue for a photo shoot requires a permit in advance.
- 📍 Plan Your Visit to Kochi
- Find tours, activities & transport passes near Goto Family Residence Main House
- [ Katsurahama Beach & Kochi Castle Ryoma Tour ]
Q&A
- When was the Goto Family Residence Main House built?
- The Agency for Cultural Affairs dates it to 1896. It was built in the Meiji era on the site of the Gotō family's Edo-period residence.
- Can I go inside the Goto Family Residence Main House?
- The main house is the principal building of the Goto Family Aki Residence, and admission to the residence is free. The house is sometimes rented out as a venue, and visitors may be refused entry while it is in use.
- What are the right-hand and left-hand tiles on the Goto Family Residence Main House?
- They are two types of pantile that overlap in opposite directions. Tosa builders use them on different roof slopes according to the prevailing wind, so that storm rain cannot blow in under the laps.
- How is the Goto Family Residence Main House protected?
- It was entered on the national register as a Registered Tangible Cultural Property (Building) on 7 March 2008, under the criterion of contributing to the historic landscape of the nation.
- How big is the Goto Family Residence Main House?
- It measures 6 and a half by 3 and a half bays, with a building area of 109 square metres, the largest of the seven registered structures at the Goto Family Residence.
Basic Information
| Name | Goto Family Residence Main House |
|---|---|
| Location | 955 Doiato, Doi, Aki City, Kochi Prefecture |
| Designation | Registered Tangible Cultural Property (Building) |
| Year Designated | Registered 2008/3/7 (Heisei 20) |
| Quantity | 1 building |
| Dimensions | Single-storey timber building, tiled roof, building area 109 square metres |
| Owner | Aki City |
| Public Access | Open as the Goto Family Aki Residence, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., closed Mondays, free admission |
References
- 五藤家住宅主屋 (Agency for Cultural Affairs, Database of National Cultural Properties)
- https://kunishitei.bunka.go.jp/bsys/maindetails/101/00006937
- Goto Family Residence Main House (Cultural Heritage Online)
- https://online.bunka.go.jp/heritages/detail/197929
- Aki City Doi Kachu Preservation District for Groups of Traditional Buildings (Aki City)
- https://www.city.aki.kochi.jp/life/dtl.php?hdnKey=1381
- Aki City Goto Family Aki Residence Ordinance (Aki City)
- https://www.city.aki.kochi.jp/reiki/reiki_honbun/o304RG00000834.html
Last verified: 2026.09.26
