A Small Barn Dressed Like the House
The Hattori Family Residence Barn (服部家住宅納屋) is the barn of a rice merchant's house of about 1938 in Kosugi-cho, Yokkaichi City, Mie Prefecture, and was registered as a Registered Tangible Cultural Property (structure) on March 29, 2019 (Agency for Cultural Affairs).
The Agency records a single-storey timber building with a tiled roof and a building area of 20 square metres, altered in the later Showa era; registration number 24-264.
A Barn That Was Meant to House a Student
The Hattori Family Residence Barn stands in front of the main house, just east of the front gate (Agency for Cultural Affairs). The west half was planned as a room for a live-in student, but the building was finished as a barn with a single earth-floored room.
It is a single-storey building, 3 bays by 2 bays, under a tiled hip-and-gable roof, with cedar bark on the walls to a high dado (Agency for Cultural Affairs). The east doorway has a small copper-roofed canopy, and the west window is a bay window.
Why It Was Registered
The Agency registered it for its contribution to the historic landscape, noting careful workmanship that harmonises with the main house. Yokkaichi City likewise remarks on the hip-and-gable roof and cedar-bark walls chosen to match the house.
What to Look For
Look for the copper-roofed canopy over the east doorway and the bay window on the west side (Agency for Cultural Affairs). Because roof and walls match the main house, the two read as the same design at two scales.
It is only a barn, yet the bay window and the copper canopy were finished with care. It was altered in the later Showa era, and the Agency's record does not say how much is original.
Visiting
The Hattori Family Residence Barn stands inside a private property and is not open to the public. It lies just east of the front gate, but there is no official guidance on how much can be seen from the road.
Q&A
- When was the Hattori Family Residence Barn built?
- In about 1938, with alterations in the later Showa era (Agency for Cultural Affairs).
- What was the Hattori Family Residence Barn originally meant to be?
- Its west half was planned as a room for a live-in student, but it was finished as a one-room, earth-floored barn (Agency for Cultural Affairs).
- What should I look for at the Hattori Family Residence Barn?
- The hip-and-gable roof and cedar-bark walls that match the main house, the copper canopy on the east side and the west bay window.
- Can I visit the Hattori Family Residence Barn?
- It stands inside a private property and is not open to the public.
- When was the Hattori Family Residence Barn registered?
- On March 29, 2019 (Agency for Cultural Affairs).
Basic Information
| Name | Hattori Family Residence Barn (服部家住宅納屋) |
|---|---|
| Location | 604 and other lots, Kosugi-cho, Yokkaichi City, Mie Prefecture |
| Designation | Registered Tangible Cultural Property (Structure) |
| Year Designated | Registered 2019/03/29 (Heisei 31) |
| Quantity | 1 building |
| Dimensions | Single-storey timber, tiled roof, 20 m² |
| Owner | Private owner |
| Public Access | Not open to the public (private residence) |
References
- Hattori Family Residence Barn (Database of National Cultural Properties, Agency for Cultural Affairs)
- https://kunishitei.bunka.go.jp/heritage/detail/101/00012748
- Hattori Family Residence Main House, Barn, Storehouse and Front Gate (Yokkaichi City, Japanese)
- https://www.city.yokkaichi.lg.jp/www/contents/1542592489487/index.html
- Summary of newly recommended registrations (Mie Prefecture, Japanese)
- https://www.pref.mie.lg.jp/common/content/000806950.pdf
Last verified: 2026.10.20
