The South Wing at a Glance
The Nishida Family Residence Main House South Wing (西田家住宅主屋南棟, Nishida-ke Jūtaku Shuoku Minamitō) is a single-storey wooden building of the early Showa period in Minoyamacho, Yamatokoriyama City, Nara Prefecture, registered as a Registered Tangible Cultural Property on 17 February 2004. It runs east to west along the southern edge of the estate and has a building area of 96 square metres.
On its west side it meets the inner storehouse, which in turn links it to the West and Central wings. Although it is formally part of the main house, the Agency for Cultural Affairs praises it as a fine example of the detached reception suite found in large houses, and that is how it is best understood: a wing built for receiving guests.
Why It Was Registered
The Nishida Family Residence Main House South Wing was registered as a model of design.
From east to west it holds an 8-mat reception room, a 6-mat anteroom and a Western-style room. North of the Western room, reached along a corridor, are a toilet and a bath. Two tatami rooms and one Western room in a row, with the services tucked behind, is a clear picture of how early Showa households folded a Western room into traditional hospitality.
What to Look For
The 8-mat room is fitted out in full: a Tokonoma alcove, a side alcove with shelves and a built-in writing desk. Having all three is the mark of a formal shoin room, and it tells you that the Nishida Family Residence Main House South Wing was meant to be the setting for important guests.
The Western room at the far end has a parquet ceiling. Yosegi parquetry, which assembles small pieces of wood into a pattern, is usually laid underfoot; here it is overhead. Within one wing, tatami rooms sit next to a room whose ceiling is patterned wood.
Seeing It for Yourself
The Nishida Family Residence Main House South Wing is part of a private home and is not open. The alcove fittings and the parquet ceiling are known through the photographs and commentary published by the Agency and the city.
Because it stands at the south edge of the plot, its roof may show above the southern stone wall, though the view depends on the surroundings. Look from the road and take photographs only from public ground.
- 📍 Plan Your Visit to Nara
- Find tours, activities & transport passes near Nishida Family Residence Main House South Wing
- [ Todaiji Great Buddha & Nara Park Deer Experience ]
Q&A
- Can you go inside the Nishida Family Residence Main House South Wing?
- No. The Nishida Family Residence Main House South Wing is part of a private home and the interior is not open.
- What rooms are in the Nishida Family Residence Main House South Wing?
- From east to west an 8-mat reception room, a 6-mat anteroom and a Western-style room, with a toilet and bath along a corridor to the north of the Western room.
- What is the ceiling of the Western room in the Nishida Family Residence Main House South Wing like?
- It is parquet: small pieces of wood assembled into a pattern, a finish more often used for floors than ceilings.
- Why is the Nishida Family Residence Main House South Wing called a model detached reception suite?
- Because it is organised entirely around a fully fitted formal room, with an anteroom, a Western room and its own bath and toilet. The Agency for Cultural Affairs describes it as a fine example of this type in a large house.
- When was the Nishida Family Residence Main House South Wing registered?
- On 17 February 2004, under registration number 29-0075.
Basic Information
| Name | Nishida Family Residence Main House South Wing |
|---|---|
| Location | 37-1, 2, 3 Minoyamacho, Yamatokoriyama City, Nara Prefecture |
| Designation | Registered Tangible Cultural Property (Structure) |
| Year Designated | Registered 2004/02/17 (Heisei 16) |
| Quantity | 1 building |
| Dimensions | Wooden, single storey, tiled roof, building area 96 square metres |
| Owner | Private individual |
| Public Access | Not open to the public (exterior from the street) |
References
- Agency for Cultural Affairs Database: Nishida Family Residence Main House South Wing
- https://kunishitei.bunka.go.jp/bsys/maindetails/101/00003896
- Yamatokoriyama City: Registered Cultural Property No. 2, Nishida Family Residence
- https://www.city.yamatokoriyama.lg.jp/soshiki/machidukuri_senryaku/rekishi_bunkazai/bunkazai101/y_bunkazai/1839.html
Last verified: 2026.09.25
