What is the Hosaka Family Residence Greenhouse?
The Hosaka Family Residence Greenhouse (保阪家住宅温室, Hosaka-ke Jūtaku Onshitsu) is a glass-roofed greenhouse in Tonome, Joetsu City, Niigata Prefecture, built in the middle of the Showa period (1946 to 1965) and registered as a Registered Tangible Cultural Property on March 6, 2024, under registration number 15-0591.
It is a single-storey timber structure with a building area of 22 square meters, standing southeast of the main house on the Hosaka estate. It was used for growing fruit and for gardening, and was renovated around 1984.
Why the Hosaka Family Residence Greenhouse was registered
The Hosaka Family Residence Greenhouse was registered as a building that contributes to the historic landscape of the country. The Agency for Cultural Affairs points to its unusual glass roof, which gives the southeast corner of the estate its character.
At 22 square meters it is the smallest of the registered buildings on the estate, and the youngest. Its place on the register alongside reception rooms and storehouses shows that life in this landowner's house took in more than living and storage: it also made room for raising fruit and flowers.
A block base and rafters pitched at 45 degrees
The Hosaka Family Residence Greenhouse runs east to west under a gabled roof and is entered from the gable end (Tsumairi). A small gabled anteroom of timber is attached to the west end.
The base is a waist-high wall of concrete blocks, and the posts stand on top of it. The rafters are paired in a pitch the Japanese call kanekobai, a rise equal to the run, which makes 45 degrees, and steel angle sections tie the purlins together between them. Steel used at key points of a timber frame is the practical detail that makes this a working glasshouse.
Stand in front of the east gable and the block wall, the glass above it and the steep pairs of rafters can all be taken in at once.
Seeing the Hosaka Family Residence Greenhouse
The Hosaka Family Residence Greenhouse is normally closed. From July 3 to 5, 2023, the garden, greenhouse and tool storehouse were opened in a special event, which the family billed as a summer afternoon among flowers and greenery.
Whether the greenhouse can be seen during the spring and autumn Joetsu Meika openings should be checked each time. It is a glass building, so take care not to touch it if you get close. Directions and opening dates are on the Hosaka Family Residence (Joetsu) page.
Q&A
- Can I visit the Hosaka Family Residence Greenhouse?
- The Hosaka Family Residence Greenhouse is normally closed. It was opened in July 2023 in a special event together with the garden and the tool storehouse. Check whether it is included in each spring and autumn Joetsu Meika opening.
- When was the Hosaka Family Residence Greenhouse built?
- It dates from the middle of the Showa period, 1946 to 1965, and was renovated around 1984.
- What was the Hosaka Family Residence Greenhouse used for?
- For growing fruit and for gardening. It stands southeast of the main house.
- How is the Hosaka Family Residence Greenhouse built?
- Posts stand on a waist-high concrete-block base, the rafters are paired at a 45-degree pitch, and steel angle sections tie the purlins. The roof is glass, and a timber anteroom is attached at the west end.
- Why is the Hosaka Family Residence Greenhouse a Registered Tangible Cultural Property?
- Its unusual glass roof shapes the southeast corner 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 15-0591.
Basic Information
| Name | Hosaka Family Residence Greenhouse |
|---|---|
| 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, glass roof, building area 22 m² |
| Owner | Private owner |
| Public Access | Normally closed; opened for special events |
References
- Agency for Cultural Affairs, Database of National Cultural Properties: Hosaka Family Residence Greenhouse (Japanese)
- https://kunishitei.bunka.go.jp/bsys/maindetails/101/00014787
- Cultural Heritage Online: Hosaka Family Residence Greenhouse (Japanese)
- https://online.bunka.go.jp/heritages/detail/564665
- Joetsu City: List of Registered Tangible Cultural Properties (Buildings) in Joetsu (Japanese, PDF)
- https://www.city.joetsu.niigata.jp/uploaded/attachment/273003.pdf
- Hosaka-tei: Home page and events (Japanese)
- https://hosakatei.ehoh.net/
Last verified: 2026.10.21
