The Working Wing
The Hamada Norihiro Family Residence Kamaya (濱田典彌家住宅かま屋, Hamada Norihiro-ke Jūtaku Kamaya) is the single-storey timber kitchen and bath wing built in 1934 for the Hamada Norihiro family's compound in Otsu, Nahari Town, Aki District, Kochi Prefecture, and it was registered as a Registered Tangible Cultural Property on 8 November 2004.
Kamaya means the building that houses the cooking range. The Hamada Norihiro kamaya joins the east face of the main house, its ridge running east to west, with Geya lean-to roofs on its north and south sides. The Kirizuma-zukuri gable roof is tiled in Sangawara-buki, the plan is 3.5 ken by 4 ken, and the building area is 67 square meters. The national database lists it as coming with a well.
A Plan Built Around Daily Work
According to the Agency for Cultural Affairs, the Hamada Norihiro Family Residence Kamaya has a veranda and a six-mat room on the south. North of these are a maid's room of about four mats and an earth-floored work area of about six mats. A toilet and bathroom sit at the southeast, and at the northeast is the well area, left open to the air on its east side.
Cooking floor, well and bath are gathered under one roof, along with the room of a live-in maid. Where the main house's parlor was for receiving guests, the kamaya was where the people who kept the household running did their work.
Why It Matters
The Hamada Norihiro Family Residence Kamaya was registered for its contribution to the historic landscape. Service wings attached to a main house are often the first parts to be rebuilt or remodeled, and this one survives in the form it took in the same year as the house.
Its plain gable roof sits lower than the main house's hip-and-gable roof, the difference in rank drawn in the roof lines. On its north side the rice deposit house stands against it, so the kamaya links the main house to the building where rice was handled.
Visiting
The Hamada Norihiro Family Residence Kamaya is not open to the public, and its interior and well area cannot be seen. The grounds are private.
The kamaya stands inside the compound to the east of the main house, and it is not confirmed how much of it is visible from outside. Directions are on the Hamada Norihiro Family Residence page.
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Q&A
- What does kamaya mean in the Hamada Norihiro Family Residence Kamaya?
- It is a name for the kitchen building where the cooking range stood. Here it also holds a maid's room, a bath, a toilet and the well area.
- When was the Hamada Norihiro kamaya built and registered?
- It dates from 1934 and was registered as a Registered Tangible Cultural Property on 8 November 2004, under registration number 39-0178.
- How big is the Hamada Norihiro Family Residence Kamaya?
- It is a single-storey timber building with a tiled gable roof, 3.5 ken by 4 ken in plan and 67 square meters in area.
- Can visitors see inside the Hamada Norihiro Family Residence Kamaya?
- No. There is no public opening, and neither the building nor the grounds can be entered.
- Which buildings does the Hamada Norihiro kamaya connect to?
- Its west side is attached to the main house, and the rice deposit house stands against its north side.
Basic Information
| Name | Hamada Norihiro Family Residence Kamaya (濱田典彌家住宅かま屋) |
|---|---|
| Location | 1028-1 Otsu, Nahari-cho, Aki-gun, Kochi Prefecture |
| Designation | Registered Tangible Cultural Property (Building) |
| Year Designated | Registered 8 November 2004 |
| Quantity | 1 building |
| Dimensions | Single-storey timber, tiled roof, building area 67 square meters, with well |
| Owner | Not listed (owner field blank in the ACA database) |
| Public Access | Not open to the public (no public opening announced) |
References
- 濱田典彌家住宅かま屋 (Agency for Cultural Affairs, Database of National Cultural Properties)
- https://kunishitei.bunka.go.jp/bsys/maindetails/101/00004464
- 濱田典彌家住宅かま屋 (Cultural Heritage Online)
- https://online.bunka.go.jp/heritages/detail/117344
- Registered Tangible Cultural Properties (Buildings), Kochi Prefecture
- https://www.pref.kochi.lg.jp/doc/2023062200186/
Last verified: 2026.10.01
