The Nakamura Family Residence Main House in Otari
The Nakamura Family Residence Main House (中村家住宅主屋, Nakamura-ke Jūtaku Omoya) in the Chikuni area of Otari Village, Kitaazumi District, Nagano Prefecture, is a farmhouse from the end of the Edo period, built between 1830 and 1868, and it was registered as a Registered Tangible Cultural Property on December 3, 2024.
It stands on high ground northeast of Minami-Otari Station on the JR Ōito Line, facing west. The house measures 11 ken by 5 ken, with a building area of 235 square meters. It is a single-story timber building with a Yosemune-zukuri hipped roof of Kayabuki thatch, now wrapped in a temporary covering of sheet metal. A raised vent, the koshiyane, runs along the ridge, and lean-to roofs extend the house on its west and north sides.
The Agency for Cultural Affairs lists both the late Edo period and the early Meiji period in its date field and also records a renovation carried out in 1992.
Why it was registered
The Nakamura Family Residence Main House was registered for its contribution to the historic landscape. The Agency describes the house on its rise as something of a local landmark.
Eleven ken comes to roughly 20 meters, since 1 ken is about 1.8 meters. A hipped roof of that length lies along the top of the terrace above the Minami-Otari settlement. Even under its metal wrapping, the roof keeps the profile of the thatch beneath, and from a distance it still reads as an old farmhouse.
Inside the plan
The northern half of the Nakamura Family Residence Main House holds the earth-floored doma and a former maya, a stall where horses or cattle were kept indoors. In snowy mountain districts it was common for people and animals to winter under one roof. The southern half is raised and floored, with a suite of connected formal rooms fitted with a tokonoma alcove and a Tsukeshoin, the built-in writing desk.
The koshiyane is a section of roof lifted above the ridge to leave an opening beneath. In farmhouses of this kind it generally lets smoke from the hearth and the doma escape and keeps air moving through the roof space. Perched on the crest of the big roof, it is one of the easiest features of the house to pick out.
The lean-tos on the west and north add depth around the core of the house. Since the house faces west, the lean-to on that side shelters the area around the entrance.
To the south, the storehouse of the same homestead stands alongside the main house.
Visiting
The Nakamura Family Residence Main House is a private home and the interior is not open. The grounds cannot be entered, and no viewing or photography contact is published (checked September 2026).
The location of the homestead and general notes for visitors are on the Nakamura Family Residence (Otari) page.
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Q&A
- When was the Nakamura Family Residence Main House in Otari built?
- The Agency for Cultural Affairs dates it to the end of the Edo period, between 1830 and 1868. Its date field also mentions the early Meiji period and a renovation in 1992.
- What kind of roof does the Nakamura Family Residence Main House in Otari have?
- A hipped roof of thatch, now protected by a temporary sheet-metal covering, with a raised koshiyane vent on the ridge and lean-to roofs on the west and north sides.
- What is the former maya in the Nakamura Family Residence Main House?
- It is a stall where horses or cattle were once kept inside the house. In the Nakamura Family Residence Main House it sits in the northern half beside the earth-floored doma.
- Can visitors go inside the Nakamura Family Residence Main House in Otari?
- No. It is a private home that is not open to the public (as of September 2026).
- When was the Nakamura Family Residence Main House in Otari registered?
- It was registered as a Registered Tangible Cultural Property on December 3, 2024, as number 20-0665, together with the storehouse of the same homestead.
Basic Information
| Name | Nakamura Family Residence Main House |
|---|---|
| Location | Otsu 10490, Aza Yanase, Oaza Chikuni, Otari Village, Kitaazumi District, Nagano Prefecture |
| Designation | Registered Tangible Cultural Property (Building) |
| Year Designated | Registered 2024/12/3 (Reiwa 6) |
| Quantity | 1 building |
| Dimensions | 11 ken by 5 ken; building area 235 square meters |
| Owner | Not listed in the Agency for Cultural Affairs database (private residence) |
| Public Access | Not open to the public (private residence) |
References
- Nakamura Family Residence Main House, Otari (Database of National Cultural Properties, Agency for Cultural Affairs)
- https://kunishitei.bunka.go.jp/bsys/maindetails/101/00015189
- Nakamura Family Residence Main House, Otari (Cultural Heritage Online)
- https://online.bunka.go.jp/heritages/detail/609533
- Nakamura Family Residence Storehouse, Otari (Database of National Cultural Properties, Agency for Cultural Affairs)
- https://kunishitei.bunka.go.jp/bsys/maindetails/101/00015190
Last verified: 2026.09.25
