Former Koyama Family Residence Main House: A Thatched Farmhouse of a District Headman
The Former Koyama Family Residence Main House (Tamuraya Hotaruan; 旧小山家住宅（田村屋螢庵）主屋) is an early Meiji single-storey thatched farmhouse in Mino, Miyama-cho, Nantan City, Kyoto Prefecture, and was entered on the national register as a Registered Tangible Cultural Property in 2008.
The Agency for Cultural Affairs lists a single-storey timber building with a thatched roof and a building area of 156 square metres. It was registered on 18 April 2008 under number 26-0300, as a building that has become a model of form.
Why It Was Registered
The agency describes the Former Koyama Family Residence Main House as a farmhouse that conveys the dignity of a former ojoya, the head of a group of villages under the Edo-period system. Such families' standing shows in the size of their houses and the formality of their reception rooms.
Here, the main reception room has a tokonoma alcove and a built-in writing desk (tsukeshoin), a room fit for receiving guests of rank in what is otherwise a working farmhouse.
What to Look For
The house has a hip-and-gable thatched roof surrounded by tiled pent roofs and faces west. The two tiers, thatch above and tile below, define its exterior.
Inside, the southern half is a broad earthen-floored work area (doma), while the northern half holds reception rooms, a board-floored room and a storeroom (nando). The main reception room, with its alcove and desk, is at the north end of the west side. Work and living are divided cleanly between south and north.
From outside, look at the depth of the thatch and the line of the tiled eaves running beneath it.
Viewing the Main House
No official information on public access to the interior could be found. Unless the owner states otherwise, stay off the grounds and view the building from outside.
Location and notes on visiting the estate as a whole are on the Former Koyama Family Residence (Tamuraya Hotaruan) page.
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Q&A
- When was the Former Koyama Family Residence Main House built?
- In the early Meiji period, according to the agency. It was registered in 2008.
- What kind of roof does the Former Koyama Family Residence Main House have?
- A hip-and-gable thatched roof surrounded by tiled pent roofs.
- How is the Former Koyama Family Residence Main House laid out?
- The southern half is an earthen-floored work area; the northern half holds reception rooms, a board-floored room and a storeroom, with the main reception room at the northwest.
- Why was the Former Koyama Family Residence Main House registered?
- As a farmhouse conveying the dignity of a former district headman, under the criterion of a model of form.
- Can I visit the Former Koyama Family Residence Main House?
- No official access information was found. Do not enter the grounds without permission.
Basic Information
| Name | Former Koyama Family Residence Main House (Tamuraya Hotaruan) |
|---|---|
| Location | 38 Oyamanomoto, Mino, Miyama-cho, Nantan City, Kyoto Prefecture |
| Designation | Registered Tangible Cultural Property (Building) |
| Year Designated | Registered 2008/04/18 (Heisei 20) |
| Quantity | 1 building |
| Dimensions | Single-storey timber, thatched roof, building area 156 m² |
| Owner | Nishio Asset Co., Ltd. |
| Public Access | No official information on public access |
References
- Agency for Cultural Affairs Database: Former Koyama Family Residence Main House
- https://kunishitei.bunka.go.jp/bsys/maindetails/101/00007078
- Cultural Heritage Online: Former Koyama Family Residence Main House
- https://online.bunka.go.jp/heritages/detail/191800
Last verified: 2026.09.27
