The Headman's House
The Former Ueno Family Residence Main House (旧上野家住宅主屋, Kyū Ueno-ke Jūtaku Shuoku) is the thatched home of the Ueno family, grand village headmen of Saihoji in Maizuru, Kyoto Prefecture, built in the Tenpō era (1830–1843) and registered as a Registered Tangible Cultural Property on August 3, 2006. It is the centrepiece of the eight registered structures in the compound, and the Agency for Cultural Affairs describes it simply as the house of a village headman of the late Edo period.
The Ueno main house stands in the middle of the plot, facing south. It is a single-storey timber building 9.5 Ken by 5 ken, with a building area of 191 square metres. A thatched hip-and-gable roof rises over the core, and a skirt of tiled pent roofs runs around all four sides beneath it, giving the house its stepped, two-tier profile.
The national database dates the house to the Tenpō era, and Maizuru City narrows it to the last years of that era. Some local guides point to ridge-end tiles inscribed with the years 1842 and 1846 as evidence. According to the city, the inner reception rooms at the back were added in the Taishō era.
Why the Main House Was Registered
The Former Ueno Family Residence Main House was registered on the criterion that it contributes to the historic landscape. That is easy to see from the village road: the great thatched roof is the dominant shape in the valley.
There is more to it than bulk. The Uenos were ōjōya, senior headmen who answered to the Tanabe domain for 14 village shōya, and the house was built to receive officials as well as to run a farm. It has a Shikidai, a raised formal step at the entrance of the kind found in samurai houses, and a guest room, the kami-no-ma, projecting from the east side. Working farmhouse and official reception hall share one roof.
The finishes say the same thing. The walls are coated in white lime plaster above a skirting of vertical boards that sheds rain, the ridge is capped with tile rather than bound thatch, and the gables carry a carved Gegyo pendant. Thatched farmhouses survive across Japan; what sets this one apart is that the full kit of a headman's status is still in place.
What to Look For
Start at the front and take in the whole roof. The heavy thatch sits on top; the thin line of the tiled pent roof wraps around its base. Comparing the two lines tells you which parts are the old frame and which were added to keep weather off the walls.
Then walk round to the east, where the kami-no-ma juts out from the main body of the house and the carpentry becomes noticeably more formal. The gegyo hanging at the peak of the gable is the most decorative piece of woodwork on the building.
Back at the entrance, look at the shikidai. A raised formal step like this belonged to the houses of samurai and the rural elite, where guests of rank were received; finding one on a farmhouse tells you the Uenos were expected to host officials.
Late afternoon light brings out the depth of the thatch against the white plaster. In winter, with snow on the roof, the house looks exactly like what it is: a big farmhouse in the hills of northern Kyoto.
Visiting the Main House
The Former Ueno Family Residence Main House is the core of the public facility and is open on opening days free of charge. Part of the house is used as a café, so which rooms you can enter varies; the staff on site can tell you what is open that day.
No published rule on photographing the interior turned up. Ask before photographing rooms in use or any exhibition. The exterior can be viewed freely from inside the compound. Opening hours and directions are covered on the Former Ueno Family Residence page.
Q&A
- When was the Former Ueno Family Residence Main House built?
- The national database dates it to the Tenpō era (1830–1843), and Maizuru City places it at the end of that era. The inner reception rooms were added in the Taishō era.
- Can you go inside the Ueno Main House, and is there an admission fee?
- Yes. It is open free of charge from 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. on opening days, and closed on Wednesdays and over the New Year holidays. Part of the house is a café, so the rooms open to visitors vary.
- Why does the roof of the Ueno Main House look like two roofs?
- A tiled pent roof runs around all four sides beneath the main thatched hip-and-gable roof.
- How does the Ueno Main House show the family's rank as headmen?
- Look for the raised shikidai entrance, the projecting guest room on the east side, the carved gegyo on the gable and the tiled ridge.
- Is the Ueno Main House an Important Cultural Property?
- No. It is a Registered Tangible Cultural Property, registered on August 3, 2006, on the same day as the other seven structures in the compound.
Basic Information
| Name | Former Ueno Family Residence Main House |
|---|---|
| Location | 285 Saihoji, Maizuru City, Kyoto Prefecture |
| Designation | Registered Tangible Cultural Property (Building) |
| Year Designated | Registered 2006/08/03 (Heisei 18) |
| Quantity | 1 building |
| Dimensions | Single-storey timber, thatched with partial tile roofing; 9.5 ken by 5 ken; building area 191 square metres |
| Owner | Maizuru City |
| Public Access | Open free of charge 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. on opening days (closed Wednesdays and New Year holidays) |
References
- Former Ueno Family Residence Main House (Agency for Cultural Affairs database, Japanese)
- https://kunishitei.bunka.go.jp/bsys/maindetails/101/00005627
- Former Ueno Family Residence Main House (Cultural Heritage Online, Japanese)
- https://online.bunka.go.jp/heritages/detail/152235
- Maizuru City Basic Concept for History and Culture, Ch. 2 (2-3): list of designated and registered properties (Japanese)
- https://www.city.maizuru.kyoto.jp/kyouiku/cmsfiles/contents/0000004/4317/2-2.2_2019013109530129.pdf
- Maizuru City Basic Concept for History and Culture, Ch. 3 (3-2) [3-4] (Japanese)
- https://www.city.maizuru.kyoto.jp/kyouiku/cmsfiles/contents/0000004/4317/3-2.3-4_2019013109315068.pdf
- Ordinance on the Kasa Area Ōjōya Ueno-ke Facility (Maizuru City bylaws, Japanese)
- https://www.city.maizuru.kyoto.jp/html/reiki_int/reiki_honbun/k104RG00000789.html
- Kasa Area Ōjōya Ueno-ke (Maizuru City official website, Japanese)
- https://www.city.maizuru.kyoto.jp/kankou/0000010433.html
- Ōjōya Ueno-ke (Kyoto Maizuru Port area guide, Japanese)
- https://kyoto-maizuru-area-navi.net/tourist_attractions/ueno-family/
Last verified: 2026.09.25
