A Retirement House Behind the Reception Rooms
The Shinkojiya Kashiwabara Family Residence Annex (新麹屋柏原家住宅離れ, Shinkōjiya Kashiwabara-ke Jūtaku Hanare) is a two-storey detached house built in 1922 behind the main house of the Kashiwabara merchant compound in Ogawa, Ogawa-machi, Uki City, Kumamoto Prefecture, and it was registered as a Registered Tangible Cultural Property on 25 February 2016.
It was built as an inkyo-ya, a house for the older generation once they had handed the family business on. The timber building has a tiled roof and a building area of 81 square metres, and a covered corridor links it to the reception wing of the main house.
Why It Was Registered: Taishō-Era Refinement
The Shinkojiya Kashiwabara Family Residence Annex was registered as a building that contributes to the historic landscape. In its description, the Agency for Cultural Affairs points to the Osa-ranma transoms and the Kumiko latticework of the Tsukeshoin desk alcove as showing the polish typical of the Taishō era.
The main house dates from 1883; the annex arrived some forty years later, in 1922. The gate and wall and the courtyard wall also belong to the Taishō years, so the compound seems to have taken much of its present form in that period.
What to Look For: Tall Storeys and an Eastern Main Room
The Shinkōjiya annex runs east to west under an Irimoya-zukuri hip-and-gable roof laid with Sangawara-buki pantiles. The Agency calls it tall for its type, which suggests generous ceiling heights on both floors.
Both storeys follow the same plan: two rooms side by side from east to west, with a corridor along the front and another along the back. On each floor the eastern room is the principal one, with a toko alcove (Tokonoma) and a tsukeshoin.
The details worth looking for are in those rooms. An osa-ranma is a transom of fine, closely spaced vertical slats, named after the reed of a weaving loom, which lets light through in thin stripes. The tsukeshoin carries kumiko, a lattice assembled from many small, precisely cut pieces of wood. Neither is showy, but both take real skill.
Viewing the Annex
The Shinkojiya Kashiwabara Family Residence Annex stands inside the compound, behind the reception wing, and we have not been able to confirm how much of it is visible from the old highway. It is not open on a regular basis; to see the transoms and the desk alcoves you would need to contact the owners in advance and ask.
The annex is part of a lived-in home, so please do not enter the grounds without permission. If you arrange a visit, ask about photography at the same time.
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Q&A
- When was the Shinkojiya Kashiwabara Family Residence Annex built and registered?
- It was built in 1922 and registered as a Registered Tangible Cultural Property on 25 February 2016, together with the main house and the gate and wall.
- What was the Shinkojiya Kashiwabara Family Residence Annex used for?
- It was built as a retirement house for the older generation of the family, and is linked to the main house by a covered corridor.
- What are the highlights of the Shinkojiya Kashiwabara Family Residence Annex?
- The main rooms at the east end of each floor, with their toko alcoves, desk alcoves with kumiko latticework, and osa-ranma transoms, all singled out by the Agency for Cultural Affairs.
- What is the floor plan of the Shinkojiya Kashiwabara Family Residence Annex?
- Each floor has two rooms side by side from east to west, with corridors in front and behind. The building area is 81 square metres.
- Can I visit the Shinkojiya Kashiwabara Family Residence Annex?
- It is not regularly open. Because it stands inside the compound, a visit needs to be arranged with the owners beforehand.
Basic Information
| Name | Shinkojiya Kashiwabara Family Residence Annex (新麹屋柏原家住宅離れ) |
|---|---|
| Location | 58 Kamikarigaya, Ogawa, Ogawa-machi, Uki City, Kumamoto Prefecture |
| Designation | Registered Tangible Cultural Property (Building) |
| Year Designated | Registered 2016/2/25 (Heisei 28) |
| Quantity | 1 building |
| Dimensions | Timber, 2 storeys, tiled roof, building area 81 square metres, with covered corridor |
| Owner | Private individual |
| Public Access | Not open to the public (visits by prior arrangement) |
References
- 新麹屋柏原家住宅離れ (Agency for Cultural Affairs, Database of National Cultural Properties)
- https://kunishitei.bunka.go.jp/bsys/maindetails/101/00011014
- 新麹屋柏原家住宅離れ (Cultural Heritage Online)
- https://online.bunka.go.jp/heritages/detail/220874
- Shinkojiya Kashiwabara Family Residence: main house, annex, gate and wall, courtyard wall (Uki City)
- https://www.city.uki.kumamoto.jp/kankobunka/bunka/bunkazai/shitei/2264622
Last verified: 2026.09.28
