A Barn With a Guest Room
The Nishio Family Residence Barn (西尾家住宅納屋, Nishio-ke Jūtaku Naya) is an early Taisho-period single-storey timber barn at the Nishio Family Residence in Nahari, Aki District, Kochi Prefecture, registered as a Registered Tangible Cultural Property on 18 October 2000. It has a tiled roof and a floor area of 24 square metres.
The Nishio Family Residence Barn stands south of the main house's two-storey wing, facing the kitchen across the courtyard, with the toilet built against its north end. Its registration number is 39-0023.
Why It Was Registered: Storage and a Detached Room in One
The barn is long and narrow, 4.5 bays by 1.5 bays with its ridge running north to south, under a hipped Yosemune-zukuri roof of Sangawara-buki pantiles. Lean-to eaves (Geya) wrap three sides: north, east and south.
It was built for storage, yet part of the south end holds a tatami room. The Agency for Cultural Affairs explains that this gave the barn a second role as a hanare, a detached room for guests or family, so tools and a sitting room share one roof.
The Agency counts the Nishio Family Residence Barn among the main elements of the courtyard layout behind the main house. It was registered as a model of form.
What to Look For: A Link Between Courtyard and Wall
The shallow 1.5-bay depth shows how the barn was fitted along the west edge of the lot. Its east eave faces the courtyard, where the kitchen's west eave faces back across the open space.
The southwest end of the barn is also where the brick wall begins. The wall runs from here, turns at the southwest corner of the lot and ends at the storehouse in the southeast corner, so the barn ties the inner courtyard to the outer boundary.
Visiting
The Nishio Family Residence Barn is part of a private home and is not open. It stands inside the lot behind the main house, so little of it is visible from outside.
The grounds are closed. When viewing the property from the road, choose a spot that does not block the household's comings and goings.
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Q&A
- When was the Nishio Family Residence Barn built and registered?
- It dates to the early Taisho period and was registered as a Registered Tangible Cultural Property on 18 October 2000.
- Why is the Nishio Family Residence Barn described as a detached room?
- Part of its south end is a tatami room, which the Agency for Cultural Affairs says let the barn serve as a hanare as well as storage.
- How big is the Nishio Family Residence Barn and what is its roof like?
- It is 4.5 by 1.5 bays with a floor area of 24 square metres, under a hipped pantile roof with lean-to eaves on three sides.
- Where does the Nishio Family Residence Barn stand?
- South of the main house's two-storey wing, facing the kitchen across the courtyard. The toilet adjoins its north end and the brick wall starts at its southwest end.
- Can I see the Nishio Family Residence Barn?
- The interior is not open, and because it stands inside the lot, very little is visible from the road.
Basic Information
| Name | Nishio Family Residence Barn (西尾家住宅納屋) |
|---|---|
| Location | 1578 Otsu, Nahari-cho, Aki District, Kochi Prefecture |
| Designation | Registered Tangible Cultural Property (Building) |
| Year Designated | Registered 2000/10/18 (Heisei 12) |
| Quantity | 1 building |
| Dimensions | Timber, single storey, tiled roof, building area 24 square metres |
| Owner | Private individual |
| Public Access | Not open to the public (inside the lot, limited view from outside) |
References
- 西尾家住宅納屋 (Agency for Cultural Affairs, Database of National Cultural Properties)
- https://kunishitei.bunka.go.jp/bsys/maindetails/101/00001973
- Registered Tangible Cultural Properties (Buildings), Kochi Prefecture
- https://www.pref.kochi.lg.jp/doc/2023062200186/
Last verified: 2026.09.29
