A Lacquer Maker's House on the Street
The Suyama Family Residence Main House (巣山家住宅主屋) is the main house of a family of lacquerware makers of 1933 in Kiso-Hirasawa, Shiojiri City, Nagano Prefecture, and was registered as a Registered Tangible Cultural Property (structure) on December 4, 2000 (Agency for Cultural Affairs).
The Agency records a two-storey timber building roofed in sheet iron, with a building area of 143 square metres; registration number 20-0089.
A Two-Storey House Facing the Street
The Suyama Family Residence Main House is a two-storey house with its entrance on the long side, facing the street (Agency for Cultural Affairs). A ridge tablet (munafuda) records that its frame was raised in 1933.
The Suyama family made lacquerware for generations. Behind the house, across a garden, stand the East Storehouse and, beside it across a passage, the West Storehouse (Agency for Cultural Affairs). Of the three registered buildings, the Suyama main house is the only one that turns its face to the townscape.
Why It Was Registered
The Agency singles out the street front: the upper storey is carried forward over the street on projecting beams, with a wing wall at each end, so that the house keeps the traditional form of a townhouse well. It was registered as a model of design.
Although it dates from the early Showa era, it still holds to the street front that highway townhouses had long used, and that is what the registration recognises.
What to Look For
Look at the street front. Stand under the eaves to see the upper storey pushed forward over the ground floor and the row of projecting beams that carry it (Agency for Cultural Affairs). The wing walls at either end frame the facade.
Shiojiri City notes that the street-front houses of Kiso-Hirasawa range from the Edo period to modern times, many with projecting upper floors; the Suyama main house of the early Showa era is one of that line and rewards comparison with its neighbours.
Visiting
The Suyama Family Residence Main House is company-owned, and no official information on interior access or photography was found. View it from the street and do not enter the property.
Q&A
- When was the Suyama Family Residence Main House built?
- Its ridge tablet dates the raising of the frame to 1933 (Agency for Cultural Affairs).
- Where is the Suyama Family Residence Main House?
- On the street in Kiso-Hirasawa, Shiojiri City, Nagano Prefecture.
- What should I look for at the Suyama main house?
- The upper storey carried forward on projecting beams and the wing walls at both ends.
- Can I go inside the Suyama Family Residence Main House?
- No official information on interior access was found; the exterior can be seen from the street.
- When was the Suyama Family Residence Main House registered?
- On December 4, 2000 (Agency for Cultural Affairs).
Basic Information
| Name | Suyama Family Residence Main House (巣山家住宅主屋) |
|---|---|
| Location | 1561-1 Nishimachi, Kiso-Hirasawa, Shiojiri City, Nagano Prefecture |
| Designation | Registered Tangible Cultural Property (Structure) |
| Year Designated | Registered 2000/12/04 (Heisei 12) |
| Quantity | 1 building |
| Dimensions | Two-storey timber, sheet-iron roof, 143 m² |
| Owner | Sakai Sangyo Co., Ltd. |
| Public Access | No official information on interior access (exterior from the street) |
References
- Suyama Family Residence Main House (Database of National Cultural Properties, Agency for Cultural Affairs)
- https://kunishitei.bunka.go.jp/heritage/detail/101/00002035
- Kiso-Hirasawa, Shiojiri City (Shiojiri City, Japanese)
- https://www.city.shiojiri.lg.jp/site/bunkazaihouhou/29587.html
Last verified: 2026.10.19
