A Sukiya-Style Parlor Behind the Townhouse
The Nakai Family Residence Parlor Wing (中井家住宅座敷棟) is a sukiya-style parlor wing of the early Taisho era in Minaminakamachi, Gose City, Nara Prefecture, and was registered as a Registered Tangible Cultural Property (structure) on October 2, 2007 (Agency for Cultural Affairs).
The Agency records a single-storey timber building with a tiled roof and a building area of 51 square metres, dated to the early Taisho era, given as between 1912 and 1925; registration number 29-0123.
A Reception Wing Behind the House
The Nakai Family Residence Parlor Wing runs east to west from the north end of the main house's west side (Agency for Cultural Affairs). It has a gabled roof of interlocking pan tiles and measures 5 ken by 2 ken, with a tiled lean-to along the south side sheltering a veranda.
Inside are two rooms: a 10-mat reception room at the west end, fitted with a tokonoma alcove, display shelves and a tsuke-shoin built-in desk, and an 8-mat anteroom before it (Agency for Cultural Affairs). In a Japanese house the zashiki, the formal tatami room, is where guests were received, and here it sits well back from the street.
Why It Was Registered
The Agency describes the Nakai Family Residence Parlor Wing as a fine sukiya-style reception room, the refined, lightly built manner associated with tea rooms, and registered it for its contribution to the historic landscape. Added to a main house of 1792, it shows the household setting aside proper rooms for guests in the Taisho era.
What to Look For
The thing to look for is the west wall of the reception room, where alcove, shelves and built-in desk are set side by side (Agency for Cultural Affairs). It is the classic arrangement of a formal Japanese room, fully present in a 10-mat space.
From outside, the clue is the tiled lean-to and veranda on the south side. The wing runs west from the back corner of the main house, deep inside the plot.
Visiting
The Nakai Family Residence Parlor Wing lies behind the main house on its west side and is unlikely to be visible from the street. No official information on interior visits was found, so the room is known mainly through the Agency's record.
- 📍 Plan Your Visit to Nara
- Find tours, activities & transport passes near Nakai Family Residence Parlor Wing
- [ Todaiji Great Buddha & Nara Park Deer Experience ]
Q&A
- When was the Nakai Family Residence Parlor Wing built?
- In the early Taisho era; the Agency gives a range between 1912 and 1925.
- Where is the Nakai Family Residence Parlor Wing?
- In Minaminakamachi, Gose City, joined to the north end of the main house's west side.
- What is special about the Nakai Family Residence Parlor Wing?
- A 10-mat sukiya-style reception room with alcove, shelves and built-in desk.
- Can I visit the Nakai Family Residence Parlor Wing?
- No official information on interior visits was found, and it sits behind the main house.
- When was the Nakai Family Residence Parlor Wing registered?
- On October 2, 2007 (Agency for Cultural Affairs).
Basic Information
| Name | Nakai Family Residence Parlor Wing (中井家住宅座敷棟) |
|---|---|
| Location | 1234 Minaminakamachi, Gose City, Nara Prefecture |
| Designation | Registered Tangible Cultural Property (Structure) |
| Year Designated | Registered 2007/10/02 (Heisei 19) |
| Quantity | 1 building |
| Dimensions | Single-storey timber, tiled roof, 51 m², 5 ken by 2 ken |
| Owner | Not listed in the Agency database |
| Public Access | No official information on interior visits (behind the main house) |
References
- Nakai Family Residence Parlor Wing (Database of National Cultural Properties, Agency for Cultural Affairs)
- https://kunishitei.bunka.go.jp/heritage/detail/101/00006477
- Registered Tangible Cultural Properties in Nara Prefecture (Nara Prefecture, Japanese)
- https://www.pref.nara.jp/secure/324726/itiran.pdf
Last verified: 2026.10.16
