The Smallest Registered Building on the Property
The Nishio Family Residence Toilet (西尾家住宅便所, Nishio-ke Jūtaku Benjo) is an early Taisho-period privy building at the Nishio Family Residence in Nahari, Aki District, Kochi Prefecture, registered as a Registered Tangible Cultural Property on 18 October 2000. A single-storey timber building with a tiled roof, it covers just 3.6 square metres, the smallest of the six registered parts.
The Nishio Family Residence Toilet stands south of the main house's two-storey wing, built against the north end of the barn, and faces the kitchen across the courtyard. Its registration number is 39-0025.
Why It Was Registered: Small but Essential
The building is 2.5 bays by 1 bay, its ridge running north to south, under a hipped Yosemune-zukuri roof of Sangawara-buki pantiles. Four doors line its east face.
The Agency for Cultural Affairs calls it a small but solidly built toilet and an indispensable part of the household layout. Like the main house, kitchen and barn, it was registered as an item in its own right, as a model of form.
Registering even the outbuildings keeps the whole arrangement around the courtyard intact.
What to Look For: Four Doors in a Row
The east face of the Nishio Family Residence Toilet looks onto the courtyard. In a building only one bay deep, four doors sit side by side from north to south, each opening onto its own compartment.
The little hipped roof is tiled with the same care as the larger buildings. Eave to eave with the main house to the north and the barn to the south, it completes the west side of the courtyard.
Visiting
The Nishio Family Residence Toilet is part of a private home and is not open. It stands inside the lot behind the main house, so almost nothing of it is visible from outside.
The grounds are closed; the property can be viewed only from the road, where the main house is the building you will see.
- 📍 Plan Your Visit to Kochi
- Find tours, activities & transport passes near Nishio Family Residence Toilet
- [ Katsurahama Beach & Kochi Castle Ryoma Tour ]
Q&A
- When was the Nishio Family Residence Toilet built and registered?
- It dates to the early Taisho period and was registered as a Registered Tangible Cultural Property on 18 October 2000.
- How big is the Nishio Family Residence Toilet?
- It is 2.5 bays by 1 bay with a floor area of 3.6 square metres, the smallest of the six registered parts of the property.
- Why was the Nishio Family Residence Toilet registered?
- The Agency for Cultural Affairs describes it as small but solidly built and an indispensable part of the household layout.
- What should I look for on the Nishio Family Residence Toilet?
- The four doors in a row on its east face, toward the courtyard, and its small hipped pantile roof.
- Can I see the Nishio Family Residence Toilet?
- No. It is part of a private home and stands inside the lot, so it is almost entirely hidden from the road.
Basic Information
| Name | Nishio Family Residence Toilet (西尾家住宅便所) |
|---|---|
| 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 3.6 square metres |
| Owner | Private individual |
| Public Access | Not open to the public (inside the lot, almost hidden from outside) |
References
- 西尾家住宅便所 (Agency for Cultural Affairs, Database of National Cultural Properties)
- https://kunishitei.bunka.go.jp/bsys/maindetails/101/00001975
- Registered Tangible Cultural Properties (Buildings), Kochi Prefecture
- https://www.pref.kochi.lg.jp/doc/2023062200186/
Last verified: 2026.09.29
