A Wholesaler's Lodging House on the Nakasendo
The Sanayama Family Residence (Mochizuki Town, Kitasaku District, Nagano Prefecture) (真山家住宅（長野県北佐久郡望月町）) is the residence of the Sanayama family, wholesalers and keepers of a hatago lodging house at Mochizuki-juku on the Nakasendo, in Mochizuki, Saku City, Nagano Prefecture, which in 1973 was designated an Important Cultural Property.
The Agency for Cultural Affairs records the main house as built in 1766, 10.9 by 17.8 metres, partly two-storey and gabled, with a two-storey wing projecting on the north, pantiled.
According to the Agency, its street front is especially fine.
The Main House
According to the Agency, the gabled main body has a two-storey wing 9.8 by 4.6 metres projecting on the north.
The roof is pantiled, and part of the house has an upper floor.
What to Look For
The Agency notes that compared with the Ono residence, another hatago lodging house, its upper floor is less developed and its structure older, so together they show how post-town architecture evolved.
As a house that combined the roles of wholesaler and hatago lodging house, it conveys the character of a Nakasendo post town.
Visiting the Sanayama Family Residence (Mochizuki Town, Kitasaku District, Nagano Prefecture)
No official visitor information could be found.
Enquiries go to the Saku City board of education.
Q&A
- When was the Sanayama residence designated?
- On 2 June 1973.
- What was the family's business?
- Wholesalers who also kept a hatago lodging house at Mochizuki-juku.
- When was the main house built?
- In 1766.
- Why is it important?
- With the Ono residence, it shows how post-town buildings developed.
- How is 真山 read?
- Sanayama.
Basic Information
| Name | Sanayama Family Residence (Mochizuki Town, Kitasaku District, Nagano Prefecture) (真山家住宅（長野県北佐久郡望月町）) |
|---|---|
| Location | 201-1 Mochizuki, Saku City, Nagano Prefecture |
| Designation | Important Cultural Property (building) |
| Year Designated | Designated 1973/6/2 (Showa 48) |
| Quantity | Main house and other buildings |
| Dimensions | Main house 10.9 by 17.8 metres |
| Owner | Not recorded in the Agency for Cultural Affairs database |
| Public Access | No official visitor information found |
References
- Agency for Cultural Affairs Database: Sanayama Family Residence Main House (Japanese)
- https://kunishitei.bunka.go.jp/bsys/maindetails/102/974
- Cultural Heritage Online: Sanayama Family Residence Main House (Japanese)
- https://online.bunka.go.jp/heritages/detail/121784
Last verified: 2026.09.29
Cultural Treasures in the Same Area
All are within walking distance in the same area, so we recommend visiting them together.
- Mayama Family Residence (Mochizuki Town, Kitasaku District, Main house 0.00 km
- Mayama Family Residence (Mochizuki Town, Kitasaku District, storehouse 0.02 km