Former Koyama Family Residence (Tamuraya Hotaruan)

Former Koyama Family Residence (Tamuraya Hotaruan): A Headman's Farmhouse in Miyama

The Former Koyama Family Residence (Tamuraya Hotaruan; 旧小山家住宅（田村屋螢庵）) is a Meiji-period farmhouse estate in Mino, Miyama-cho, Nantan City, Kyoto Prefecture; its thatched main house, a storehouse built in 1893, and its garden gate and fence were entered on the national register as three Registered Tangible Cultural Properties in 2008.

The Agency for Cultural Affairs describes the main house as a farmhouse that conveys the dignity of a former district headman's family (ojoya). All three items were registered on 18 April 2008 and belong to Nishio Asset Co., Ltd.

How the Estate Is Laid Out

The lot lies at the western foot of a low hill, and the main house stands at the rear centre, facing west. It has a large hip-and-gable thatched roof ringed by tiled pent roofs and is dated to the early Meiji period.

The storehouse stands northwest of the main house, the two side by side on a raised terrace. The agency says this arrangement gives the estate an imposing presence.

The garden gate is a one-bay ridge-roofed gate on the west side of the main house, and from its western post a fence runs in a U shape to the storehouse, enclosing the garden in front of the main reception room. Thatch, white plaster and cedar-bark roofing combine within one estate.

Visiting

The Former Koyama Family Residence is at Oyamanomoto, Mino, Miyama-cho, Nantan. Miyama lies in the mountains of central Kyoto Prefecture, where public transport is limited, so a car is the practical way to get there.

The estate is privately owned, and no official information on access to the grounds or buildings could be found. If you hope to visit, check the owner's information or signs on site, and do not enter the grounds without permission. The surroundings are a village, so be considerate of residents if you look from the road.