A Silk-Farming House in Tome
The Kato Family Residence Main House (加藤家住宅主屋) is a timber farmhouse of the early Meiji period, two storeys with a single-storey part, at Hinenushi in Toyoma-machi, Tome City, Miyagi Prefecture, and was registered as a Registered Tangible Cultural Property (structure) on July 31, 2007. It is a modern farmhouse built for sericulture (Agency for Cultural Affairs).
The Agency for Cultural Affairs records it as timber, two storeys with a single-storey part, with a slate roof and a building area of 189 square metres, renovated around 1935; registration number 04-0064, with no owner listed.
Why It Was Registered
The Kato Family Residence Main House was registered as a building that contributes to the historic landscape of the country. The Agency for Cultural Affairs notes that it shows the features of a modern farmhouse adapted for silkworm raising.
The farmhouse form with an upper floor for silkworms survives together with its natural slate roof (Agency for Cultural Affairs).
What to Look For
The Kato Family Residence Main House stands in the north of its plot, nine and a half bays by five and a half, under a hip-and-gable (Irimoya-zukuri) roof of natural slate topped by a raised ventilating roof (Agency for Cultural Affairs).
It has projecting eaves (segai) on three sides and stands tall because of the upper floor for silkworms. The raised living area is a five-room plan around a hiroma hall, with a corridor all round (Agency for Cultural Affairs). The raised roof on top served to ventilate and light the silkworm rooms.
Visiting the Kato Family Residence
We found no official information on public access to the Kato Family Residence Main House. As it appears to be a private home, please view it only from the road. The address is 138 Minebata, Hinenushi, Toyoma-machi, Tome City.
Q&A
- When was the Kato Family Residence Main House in Tome built?
- In the early Meiji period, renovated around 1935 (Agency for Cultural Affairs).
- What is the roof of the Kato Family Residence Main House like?
- Hip-and-gable natural slate with a raised ventilating roof (Agency for Cultural Affairs).
- Why is the Kato Family Residence Main House so tall?
- It has an upper floor for raising silkworms (Agency for Cultural Affairs).
- What is the plan of the Kato Family Residence Main House?
- A five-room plan around a hiroma hall with a corridor all round (Agency for Cultural Affairs).
- When was the Kato Family Residence Main House registered?
- On July 31, 2007.
Basic Information
| Name | Kato Family Residence Main House (Tome) (加藤家住宅主屋) |
|---|---|
| Location | 138 Minebata, Hinenushi, Toyoma-machi, Tome City, Miyagi Prefecture |
| Designation | Registered Tangible Cultural Property (Structure) |
| Year Designated | Registered 2007/7/31 (Heisei 19) |
| Quantity | 1 building |
| Dimensions | Timber, 2 storeys with single-storey part, slate roof, building area 189 square metres |
| Owner | Not listed in the national record |
| Public Access | No official information on public access |
References
- Kato Family Residence Main House (Database of National Cultural Properties, Agency for Cultural Affairs)
- https://kunishitei.bunka.go.jp/heritage/detail/101/00006744
Last verified: 2026.10.07