A Grand Headman's House in the Yasaka Hills
The Former Kitazawa Family Residence Main House (旧北澤家住宅主屋) is the house of a village headman in the hills of around 1849 in Yasaka, Omachi City, Nagano Prefecture, and was registered as a Registered Tangible Cultural Property (structure) on September 10, 2019 (Agency for Cultural Affairs).
The Agency records a timber building of one storey, partly two, with a thatched roof under temporary metal sheeting and a building area of 365 square metres, altered in the late Meiji period and between 1975 and 1984; registration number 20-541.
A Grand Headman's House
The former Kitazawa house belonged to the headman of a hill village in the east of Omachi: a broad two-storey house under a hipped thatched roof, now covered in metal, with eaves on projecting beams (Agency for Cultural Affairs). The entrance is towards the east of the south front, and a veranda projects at the centre of the upper floor.
The earth-floored area lies to the west and four rows of rooms to the east; the earth floor shows a massive frame of beams, and the back of the easternmost row is a fine formal room (Agency for Cultural Affairs).
Why It Was Registered
The Agency calls it a grand farmhouse at the heart of the mountain village landscape, and registered it for its contribution to the historic landscape.
What to Look For
Look for the massive beams over the earth floor and the veranda at the centre of the upper floor (Agency for Cultural Affairs).
Visiting
The Agency database does not list the owner. No official information on public access was found.
Q&A
- When was the house built?
- Around 1849 (Agency for Cultural Affairs).
- Whose house was it?
- The headman's house of a hill village.
- How is it laid out?
- An earth floor to the west and four rows of rooms to the east.
- What should I look for?
- The massive beams over the earth floor and the fine formal room.
- When was the Former Kitazawa Family Residence Main House registered?
- On September 10, 2019 (Agency for Cultural Affairs).
Basic Information
| Name | Former Kitazawa Family Residence Main House (旧北澤家住宅主屋) |
|---|---|
| Location | 908 Yasaka, Omachi City, Nagano Prefecture |
| Designation | Registered Tangible Cultural Property (Structure) |
| Year Designated | Registered 2019/09/10 (Reiwa 1) |
| Quantity | 1 building |
| Dimensions | Timber, 1 storey (partly 2), thatch under temporary metal, 365 m² |
| Owner | Not listed in the Agency database |
| Public Access | No official information on access |
References
- Former Kitazawa Family Residence Main House (Database of National Cultural Properties, Agency for Cultural Affairs)
- https://kunishitei.bunka.go.jp/heritage/detail/101/00012904
Last verified: 2026.10.23