The Long Wing on the West Side
The Former Ueno Family Residence Nagaya (旧上野家住宅長屋, Kyū Ueno-ke Jūtaku Nagaya) is a long single-storey building on the west side of the Ueno family compound in Saihoji, Maizuru, Kyoto Prefecture, built in the Meiji 10s (1877–1886) and registered as a Registered Tangible Cultural Property on August 3, 2006. It is the one building in the group added after the Edo period gave way to Meiji.
The Ueno nagaya stands along the western edge of the plot, facing east. It measures 11.5 Ken by 2 ken, with a building area of 145 square metres; the long side is more than five times the short one. A tiled gabled roof runs north to south, with half-ken pent roofs on the south and west sides and a deep eave canopy along the east front.
A nagaya on a Japanese farm typically gathers barns, workrooms and staff quarters under one long roof. The Agency for Cultural Affairs description of this one mentions only that a reception room occupies its north end.
Why the Nagaya Was Registered
The Former Ueno Family Residence Nagaya was registered as a building that contributes to the historic landscape. The national description singles out its long plan, with a reception room at the north end, as giving the compound a distinctive character.
Length is the point. Some 11.5 ken of wall along the west edge closes that side of the compound and gives the whole place a clear outline. If the thatched main house defines the compound by height, the tiled nagaya defines it by reach.
Its date matters too. The Uenos remained a leading local family after the Meiji Restoration, and adding a building of this size to an Edo-period compound in the Meiji 10s shows the household was still growing. A reception room tucked into the end of a service wing suggests a family that received many callers.
What to Look For
From the front of the main house, look west: the east face of the nagaya reads as a single long wall. The eave canopy runs its full length, keeping a dry walkway along the front.
The walls are finished in white lime plaster over a skirting of vertical boards, the same combination used on the main house, which ties the compound together visually.
Walk to the south end to see the half-ken pent roofs wrapping the south and west sides beneath the main gable. With the east canopy, the building is sheltered on three sides. At the north end, look at how the openings change where the reception room sits.
Visiting the Nagaya
Maizuru City's ordinance lists the nagaya among the facility's buildings, alongside the main house, the storehouses and the garden. According to the facility's history, it now houses the Kasa Area Agriculture and Rural Revitalisation Centre, so the interior is used as working space and is not regularly open.
The exterior can be viewed freely from inside the compound. No published rule on photography turned up; ask the staff before photographing indoors. Opening hours and directions are covered on the Former Ueno Family Residence page.
Q&A
- Can you visit the Ueno Nagaya, and is there a fee?
- Yes. The Ueno Nagaya stands inside the compound, which 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.
- When was the Former Ueno Family Residence Nagaya built?
- The national database dates it to the Meiji 10s (1877–1886), later than the main house and storehouses, which date from the Edo period.
- How large is the Ueno Nagaya?
- It is a single-storey building 11.5 ken by 2 ken, with a building area of 145 square metres and a tiled gabled roof running north to south.
- Can you go inside the Ueno Nagaya?
- Not normally. The facility says the building houses a rural revitalisation centre, so the interior is working space. The exterior is open to view.
- Is the Former Ueno Family Residence Nagaya an Important Cultural Property?
- No. The Former Ueno Family Residence Nagaya 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 Nagaya |
|---|---|
| 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, tiled roof; 11.5 ken by 2 ken; building area 145 square metres |
| Owner | Maizuru City |
| Public Access | Exterior viewable free of charge 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. on opening days (closed Wednesdays and New Year holidays); interior not regularly open |
References
- Former Ueno Family Residence Nagaya (Agency for Cultural Affairs database, Japanese)
- https://kunishitei.bunka.go.jp/bsys/maindetails/101/00005628
- 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
- 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
- History of the Ōjōya Ueno-ke (facility website, Japanese)
- https://www.uenoke.com/history
Last verified: 2026.09.25
