A Thatched House in the Mitake Hills
The Tanaka Family Residence Main House (田中家住宅主屋, Tanaka-ke Jūtaku Shuoku) is a thatched farmhouse of the late Edo period (1751 to 1829) in Mitake, Misugicho, Tsu City, Mie Prefecture, registered as a Registered Tangible Cultural Property on September 10, 2010, under registration number 24-0089.
It stands at the center of a south-facing hillside plot, its front turned to the south. The house is a single-storey timber building under a thatched irimoya (hip-and-gable) roof, measuring 13 metres by 8.3 metres with a building area of 110 square metres.
Another Tanaka Family Residence Main House, registered in 2018, stands in Hase in Matsusaka City; it belongs to a different family.
A Floor Plan from Southern Iga
The raised-floor rooms of the Tanaka Family Residence Main House lie on its west side and follow the maezashiki-gata sanmadori plan, three rooms with the formal guest room at the front. The Agency for Cultural Affairs notes that this layout was found in southern Iga and the areas around it, which makes its appearance here, in the mountains of Misugi near the Nara border, a telling link to that regional tradition.
A sanmadori house divides its raised floor into three rooms; in the maezashiki type the room at the front, facing the south yard, is kept as the reception room.
Thatch and Mountain Cherries
The house was registered for its contribution to the historic landscape, and the Agency points to the way it forms a rich mountain-village scene together with the famous cherry trees around it. Mitake is the hamlet of the Mitake cherries, some 500 trees lining the approach of about 1.5 kilometres to Shinpukuin temple, designated a national Place of Scenic Beauty in July 1942.
Almost all are wild yamazakura cherries, blooming from mid to late April, when the big thatched roof on the slope sits among the blossoms.
Visiting and Access
The Tanaka Family Residence Main House appears to be a private home, and no official information on public opening could be found. Please view it only from the road without entering the grounds, and be considerate of the residents.
Tsu City gives the access to Mitake as about 10 minutes by Tsu City community bus from Ise-Okitsu Station, the terminus of the JR Meisho Line; bus schedules change by day of the week and during the cherry and autumn-leaf seasons. By car it is about 70 minutes from either Hisai Interchange on the Ise Expressway or Hari Interchange on the Meihan National Highway. In blossom season the narrow approach road gets crowded, so use the parking areas the city designates. Details were checked in September 2026.
Q&A
- When was the Tanaka Family Residence Main House in Mitake built?
- In the late Edo period (1751 to 1829); it was registered in 2010.
- How big is the Tanaka Family Residence Main House in Misugi?
- A single-storey thatched house measuring 13 metres by 8.3 metres, with a building area of 110 square metres.
- Can I visit the Tanaka Family Residence Main House in Tsu?
- It appears to be a private home with no announced opening; please view it from the road only.
- How do I get to the Tanaka Main House in Mitake?
- Tsu City gives about 10 minutes by community bus from Ise-Okitsu Station on the JR Meisho Line; schedules vary by day and season.
- How is the Tanaka Main House connected to the Mitake cherry trees?
- It was registered for forming a mountain-village scene with the famous cherries, which became a national Place of Scenic Beauty in 1942.
Basic Information
| Name | Tanaka Family Residence Main House |
|---|---|
| Location | 162 Mitake, Misugicho, Tsu City, Mie Prefecture |
| Designation | Registered Tangible Cultural Property (building) |
| Year Designated | Registered 2010/9/10 (Heisei 22) |
| Quantity | 1 building |
| Dimensions | Single-storey timber, thatched, building area 110 square metres (13 metres by 8.3 metres) |
| Owner | Apparently private (blank in the national database) |
| Public Access | Not open (no opening announced) |
References
- Database of National Cultural Properties: Tanaka Family Residence Main House (Agency for Cultural Affairs)
- https://kunishitei.bunka.go.jp/bsys/maindetails/101/00008292
- Cultural Heritage Online: Tanaka Family Residence Main House
- https://bunka.nii.ac.jp/heritages/detail/145824
- Mitake cherry blossoms (Tsu City)
- https://www.info.city.tsu.mie.jp/kankou_bunka_sports/kankou_citypromotion/1010921/1004744/1004756/1004751.html
Last verified: 2026.09.26