What is the Hosaka Family Residence Annex?
The Hosaka Family Residence Annex (保阪家住宅離れ, Hosaka-ke Jūtaku Hanare) is a single-storey timber reception wing in Tonome, Joetsu City, Niigata Prefecture, built in 1909, extended in 1949 and registered as a Registered Tangible Cultural Property on March 6, 2024, under registration number 15-0589.
Hanare means a detached wing. This one has a tiled roof and a building area of 131 square meters, and stands west of the main house of the Hosaka estate, joined to it by a covered corridor.
Why the Hosaka Family Residence Annex was registered
The Hosaka Family Residence Annex was registered as a building that contributes to the historic landscape of the country. The Agency for Cultural Affairs credits the deep-eaved earthen veranda on its west side with shaping the look of the estate.
The annex went up while the family was rebuilding after a fire. Joetsu City's introduction to the Hosaka family papers lists documents on a house fire and rebuilding in 1907 and on a detached reception wing, so the annex was most likely part of that rebuilding. Its extension in 1949 came in the same year as the present main house.
Two reception rooms and an earthen veranda
The Hosaka Family Residence Annex is a single-storey building with a hipped roof of pantiles (Sangawara-buki) on a north-south ridge. At its core are two connected reception rooms. A storeroom (Nando) projects to the north as a wing (Tsunoya), a timber veranda turns the corner at the southwest (Kaneore), and a toilet is attached at the southeast. The northern room has an alcove and a closet, and the Agency's photograph shows this alcove wall.
The feature to look for is the doen on the west side, an earth-floored passage beyond the timber veranda, tucked under very deep eaves. From the tatami rooms the floor steps down to the veranda, then to the doen, then to the garden. In snowy Echigo houses this kind of covered earthen strip is said to have served as a way to move along the outside of the building in winter.
On the west front, the long projecting eaves and the band of shadow over the doen beneath them give the building its strong horizontal line.
Seeing the Hosaka Family Residence Annex
The Hosaka Family Residence Annex is part of a privately owned home and is normally closed. The estate opens during the Joetsu Meika joint openings in spring and autumn and for booked groups, but whether you can step into the annex's rooms depends on the arrangements for each opening.
From outside, the west side with its doen says most about the building. Directions and opening dates are on the Hosaka Family Residence (Joetsu) page.
Q&A
- Can I visit the Hosaka Family Residence Annex?
- The Hosaka Family Residence Annex is normally closed. The estate opens during the Joetsu Meika joint openings, usually in May and November, and for booked groups. The autumn 2026 opening is on November 7 and 8 from 10:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m.
- When was the Hosaka Family Residence Annex built?
- In 1909. It was extended in 1949.
- What is the doen at the Hosaka Family Residence Annex?
- An earth-floored passage outside the timber veranda, here on the west side under deep eaves. The Agency for Cultural Affairs says it shapes the look of the estate.
- Is the Hosaka Family Residence Annex the same building as the Igantei?
- No. Some tourism guides call the Igantei the hanare of Hosaka-tei, but in the national register the annex, built in 1909 with a hipped roof, and the Igantei, built in 1912 with a hip-and-gable roof, are registered separately.
- Why is the Hosaka Family Residence Annex a Registered Tangible Cultural Property?
- Its deep-eaved earthen veranda shapes the look of the estate, and it was registered on March 6, 2024, as a building that contributes to the historic landscape of the country. Its registration number is 15-0589.
Basic Information
| Name | Hosaka Family Residence Annex |
|---|---|
| Location | 489-1 Terabata, Tonome, Joetsu City, Niigata Prefecture, and other lots |
| Designation | Registered Tangible Cultural Property (Building) |
| Year Designated | Registered March 6, 2024 |
| Quantity | 1 building |
| Dimensions | Single-storey timber building, tiled roof, building area 131 m² |
| Owner | Private owner |
| Public Access | Normally closed; the estate opens during the spring and autumn Joetsu Meika joint openings and other occasions |
References
- Agency for Cultural Affairs, Database of National Cultural Properties: Hosaka Family Residence Annex (Japanese)
- https://kunishitei.bunka.go.jp/bsys/maindetails/101/00014785
- Cultural Heritage Online: Hosaka Family Residence Annex (Japanese)
- https://online.bunka.go.jp/heritages/detail/597963
- Agency for Cultural Affairs, Database of National Cultural Properties: Igantei (Japanese)
- https://kunishitei.bunka.go.jp/bsys/maindetails/101/00014788
- Joetsu City: Introduction to the catalogue of the Hosaka family papers (Japanese, PDF)
- https://www.city.joetsu.niigata.jp/uploaded/attachment/145998.pdf
- Joetsu City: List of Registered Tangible Cultural Properties (Buildings) in Joetsu (Japanese, PDF)
- https://www.city.joetsu.niigata.jp/uploaded/attachment/273003.pdf
- Joetsu Meika Network: Autumn joint opening, posted September 26, 2026 (Japanese)
- https://joetsu-meika.com/2026/09/26/%e4%b8%8a%e8%b6%8a%e5%90%8d%e5%ae%b6%e4%b8%80%e6%96%89%e5%85%ac%e9%96%8b%e3%83%bb%e7%a7%8b%e3%81%ae%e5%85%ac%e9%96%8b-3/
Last verified: 2026.10.21
