The House Under the Clock
The Hatanaka Family Residence (Noradokei) Main House (畠中家住宅（野良時計）主屋, Hatanaka-ke Jūtaku Nora-dokei Shuoku) is a 2-storey timber house in Doi, Aki City, Kochi Prefecture, built in 1887 and registered as a Registered Tangible Cultural Property on 20 December 1996. This is the building that carries the handmade clock tower locals call Noradokei.
It has a tiled roof and a building area of 126 square metres. Its registration number, 39-0001, makes it the first registered building in Kochi Prefecture; the family storehouse on the same plot received 39-0002 on the same day.
Why It Was Registered
The criterion is the standard one for registered buildings: a contribution to the historic landscape of the country. What the Agency for Cultural Affairs highlights is the way the house is put together. The plan is irregular, and the clock tower sits on the roof of a wing that juts out to the north, a single pseudo-Western turret grafted onto an otherwise Japanese farmhouse with a tiled roof.
The clock itself is the second reason. The national record suggests it was made by the head of the household of the time and treats it as evidence of modern technology reaching rural Japan. Local sources name the maker as the landowner Hatanaka Genma, who is said to have learned the mechanism by dismantling an imported American clock.
Unusually, the record also mentions the nickname and the affection the building enjoys. The name local people gave the Hatanaka Family Residence (Noradokei) Main House is part of what was recognised.
What to Look For
Start by locating the tower. It is not on the centre of the Hatanaka Family Residence (Noradokei) Main House but on the northern wing, and because the roofs of the main block and the wing sit at different heights and angles, the tower looks quite different depending on where you stand.
According to the Aki City Tourist Association, everything from the gears to the weights was made by hand. It is a weight-driven mechanical clock, with the works housed behind the dial; you cannot see them from outside, but the size of the tower gives some idea of the mechanism inside.
Take away the tower and you would have an ordinary two-storey farmhouse with white walls and a local tiled roof. That plainness is exactly what makes the clock stand out.
How to Visit
The Hatanaka Family Residence (Noradokei) Main House is a private home and the interior is not open. View it from the road without entering the grounds. Since the tower sits on the north wing, the north side, from the road and the paddies, gives the clearest view of how the tower and the house fit together.
The clock does not always run; Aki City says it is set going with the owner's help during the tourist season and at events. Plenty of people photograph the house from the road, but please keep lenses away from windows and the entrance.
- 📍 Plan Your Visit to Kochi
- Find tours, activities & transport passes near Hatanaka Family Residence (Noradokei) Main House
- [ Katsurahama Beach & Kochi Castle Ryoma Tour ]
Q&A
- Can I go inside the Hatanaka Family Residence (Noradokei) Main House?
- No. It is a private residence, the interior is closed, and visitors are asked not to enter the grounds. Viewing is from the road only.
- When was the Hatanaka Family Residence (Noradokei) Main House built and registered?
- It was built in 1887 and registered as a Registered Tangible Cultural Property on 20 December 1996, with registration number 39-0001.
- Who made the clock on the Hatanaka Family Residence (Noradokei) Main House?
- Local sources credit the landowner Hatanaka Genma, who is said to have made every part himself after studying an imported clock. The national record says it was probably made by the head of the household at the time.
- Where is the best place to see the clock tower of the Hatanaka Family Residence (Noradokei) Main House?
- The tower sits on the roof of the wing projecting to the north, so the road and paddies on the north side give the clearest view.
- Does the clock on the Hatanaka Family Residence (Noradokei) Main House still run?
- Not always. Aki City says it is run with the owner's cooperation during the tourist season and at events. Ask the Aki Tourist Information Center if you want to be sure.
Basic Information
| Name | Hatanaka Family Residence (Noradokei) Main House |
|---|---|
| Location | 638-4 Doi, Aki City, Kochi Prefecture |
| Designation | Registered Tangible Cultural Property (Building) |
| Year Designated | Registered 1996/12/20 (Heisei 8) |
| Quantity | 1 building |
| Dimensions | 2-storey timber building, tiled roof, building area 126 square metres |
| Owner | Private individual |
| Public Access | Not open to the public (exterior viewable from the road) |
References
- 畠中家住宅（野良時計）主屋 (Agency for Cultural Affairs, Database of National Cultural Properties)
- https://kunishitei.bunka.go.jp/bsys/maindetails/101/00000105
- 畠中家住宅（野良時計）主屋 (Cultural Heritage Online)
- https://online.bunka.go.jp/heritages/detail/146715
- Noradokei (Aki City)
- https://www.city.aki.kochi.jp/life/dtl.php?hdnKey=42
- Noradokei (Aki City Tourist Association)
- https://www.akikanko.or.jp/kanko/noradokei.html
Last verified: 2026.09.27
