A two-storey timber barn on the north edge of the estate
The Takahashi Family Residence Barn (高橋家住宅納屋, Takahashi-ke Jūtaku Naya) is a two-storey timber barn of the mid-Meiji period, built between 1883 and 1896, at 5-4077 Obi, Nichinan City, Miyazaki Prefecture, and was listed as a Registered Tangible Cultural Property (building) on 10 September 2010.
It stands on the north edge of the plot, east of the west storehouse, with its ridge running east to west under a Kirizuma-zukuri gable roof of Sangawara-buki pantiles. A deep lean-to Geya runs along the south side, and with it the building measures 11 metres by 7.9 metres. At 84 square metres, it is the largest of the estate's service buildings.
The Takahashi Family Residence Barn and the shape of the estate
The Takahashi Family Residence Barn was registered for its contribution to the historic landscape, and the Agency for Cultural Affairs describes it as one of the elements that make up the look of the site.
A 2010 local news report explains that a roofed wall divides the garden seen from the reception rooms from the yard behind, so that the barn and other service buildings stay out of view. In an estate planned to keep work apart from the rooms where guests were received, the barn was the building behind the scenes.
Walls boarded two ways
The south wall of the Takahashi Family Residence Barn, its front, is clad in vertical boards, while the other sides use overlapping horizontal Shitami-itabari weatherboarding. Walking from the lean-to on the south round to a side wall makes the change easy to see.
On the ground floor, a central Doma earth floor is flanked by raised board floors. Only the north-west corner is partitioned off, the one break in an otherwise even arrangement around the earth floor.
The barn shares the east-west ridge line of the neighbouring west storehouse, and both face south. Together the two buildings on the north edge form the working face of the estate, quite separate from the formal main house at the front.
Visiting the Takahashi Family Residence Barn (as of September 2026)
The estate has been closed since 1 August 2023. The news report on the closure named the barn, along with the main house, among the buildings where heavy rain had caused leaks, and all buildings except the main house were off-limits just before the closure.
The Takahashi barn stands at the far north of the plot and cannot be seen from Honmachi-dori. No official guidance on photography could be found. The Nichinan City Tourism and Sports Division (0987-27-3315) is the listed contact for reopening news.
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Q&A
- Can I visit the Takahashi Family Residence Barn?
- No. The estate has been closed since 1 August 2023. The barn was one of the buildings reported to have rain leaks and was off-limits even before the closure.
- What is special about the walls of the Takahashi Family Residence Barn?
- The south front is clad in vertical boards and the other sides in horizontal weatherboarding.
- What is the ground floor of the Takahashi Family Residence Barn like?
- A central earth floor with raised board floors on either side, and a partitioned corner at the north-west.
- Where is the Takahashi Family Residence Barn on the estate?
- On the north edge, next to the west storehouse. A roofed wall reportedly keeps it out of sight from the reception rooms.
- When was the Takahashi Family Residence Barn registered?
- On 10 September 2010. It is a two-storey timber building of the mid-Meiji period, between 1883 and 1896, covering 84 square metres.
Basic Information
| Name | Takahashi Family Residence Barn |
|---|---|
| Location | 5-4077 Obi, Nichinan City, Miyazaki Prefecture |
| Designation | Registered Tangible Cultural Property (Building) |
| Year Designated | 2010 (registered) |
| Quantity | 1 building |
| Dimensions | 2-storey timber building, tiled roof, building area 84 square metres, 11 metres by 7.9 metres |
| Owner | Not recorded in the Agency for Cultural Affairs database (managed and operated by Nichinan City, according to a 2023 local news report) |
| Public Access | Closed since 2023; no reopening date announced |
References
- Database of National Cultural Properties: Takahashi Family Residence Barn (Agency for Cultural Affairs)
- https://kunishitei.bunka.go.jp/bsys/maindetails/101/00008395
- Meiji-era house opened for a special viewing (Nichinan TV, 26 February 2010)
- https://www.nichinan.tv/2010/02/26/takahashike/
- Former Takahashi Genjiro House, Obi Castle Town Preservation Society
- https://obijyo.com/ayumimap/takahashigenjirou/
- Former Takahashi Genjiro House temporarily closed over leaks and safety risks (Nichinan TV, 31 July 2023)
- https://www.nichinan.tv/2023/07/31/otcs/
Last verified: 2026.09.16
