What the Main House Is
The Inaba Family Residence Main House (稲葉家住宅主屋, Inaba-ke Jūtaku Shuoku) in Kumihama, Kyotango City, Kyoto Prefecture, is the two-storey timber home of the Inaba merchant family, completed in 1890 and registered as a Registered Tangible Cultural Property in 2003. It is the central building of the estate now open to the public as Gōshō Inaba Honke, where staff simply call it the omoya, the main house.
Ichiroemon Hidehiro, 12th head of the family, commissioned it. Work began in 1885 and took five years. The Agency for Cultural Affairs names the builder as Kurosaki Bunkichi, a local master carpenter.
The roof is a plain gable (Kirizuma-zukuri) laid with pantiles (Sangawara-buki), and the entrance is on the long side under the eaves (Hirairi). At 390 square meters of building area, the Inaba main house dwarfs the other three registered structures on the site.
A Traditional Shell with a Modern Plan
The Inaba Family Residence Main House was registered as a building that would not be easy to reproduce, and what the Agency singles out is less its size than its layout.
From the outside it keeps to the building customs of the Tango region. Inside, though, Kurosaki gave it a central corridor (Naka-roka) running between the rooms. In older Japanese houses you reached the back rooms by walking through the front ones; a corridor lets each room be entered on its own, and it was a newer, more private way of living. The Agency calls this an innovation for a house of its time and place.
A Kyotango City exhibition sheet makes a similar point: for all its grand Japanese styling, the house fitted its bedroom with Western-style joinery, which the city describes as forward-looking for the period.
The Open Hall Over the Doma
According to the operators, the Inaba main house is built around a core 6.5 by 7.5 Ken, with rooms projecting from it on all four sides. That is why the house feels deeper once you are inside than it looks from the street.
The space everyone comes to see is the double-height void (Fukinuke) that joins the earth-floored entrance hall (Doma) and the living room into one room. The Agency's description picks it out as the highlight of the interior, and the operators present it as the part of the house that shows the family's standing and wealth most plainly.
Step onto the doma and look up. The full height of both floors opens overhead, and the doma and living room read as a single room. It was very likely meant to be the first thing a guest took in.
Visiting the Main House
The interior of the Inaba Family Residence Main House is open, and during opening hours you can walk through the doma and the tatami rooms. A corridor leads from the east side of the Inaba main house to the two treasure houses, so the storehouse exhibition follows on naturally.
The official site does not publish rules on photography for ordinary visitors, so it is worth asking at reception before taking pictures. Opening days and directions are on the Inaba Family Residence group page.
Q&A
- When was the Inaba Family Residence Main House built, and by whom?
- Ichiroemon Hidehiro, the 12th family head, began it in 1885 and it was completed in 1890. The Agency for Cultural Affairs credits the local carpenter Kurosaki Bunkichi with the work.
- Can you go inside the Inaba Family Residence Main House?
- Yes. It opens as Gōshō Inaba Honke from 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m., closed on Wednesdays and over the New Year holidays. Entry is free, with a requested contribution of 100 yen per person.
- What should I look for in the Inaba Family Residence Main House?
- The double-height space that joins the earth-floored doma and the living room. Both the Agency for Cultural Affairs and the operators treat it as the highlight of the house.
- Why is the Inaba Family Residence Main House a Registered Tangible Cultural Property?
- It was registered as a building that would not be easy to reproduce. The Agency notes that it pairs a traditional regional exterior with a modern plan organized around a central corridor.
- How big is the Inaba Family Residence Main House?
- It is a two-storey timber building with 390 square meters of building area. The operators describe a core of 6.5 by 7.5 ken with rooms extending from it on every side.
Basic Information
| Name | Inaba Family Residence Main House (稲葉家住宅主屋) |
|---|---|
| Location | 3102 Kumihamacho, Kyotango City, Kyoto Prefecture |
| Designation | Registered Tangible Cultural Property (Building), register no. 26-0142 |
| Year Designated | Registered January 31, 2003 |
| Quantity | 1 building |
| Dimensions | 2-storey wooden building, tiled roof, building area 390 square meters |
| Owner | Kyotango City |
| Public Access | Open 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.; closed Wednesdays and New Year holidays |
References
- Database of National Cultural Properties: Inaba Family Residence Main House (Agency for Cultural Affairs)
- https://kunishitei.bunka.go.jp/heritage/detail/101/00003110
- Dawn of Local History: Tango in the Meiji Era, exhibition sheet (Kyotango City Tango Kodai no Sato Museum, in Japanese)
- https://www.city.kyotango.lg.jp/material/files/group/43/kyoudoshinoreimei.pdf
- Guide to the Buildings (Gosho Inaba Honke, in Japanese)
- https://www.inabahonke.com/kannai/
- Gosho Inaba Honke official site (in Japanese)
- https://www.inabahonke.com/
Last verified: 2026.09.27
