A Snow-Country Farmhouse Turned Inn
The Onsen Onyado Ryugon Main Building (温泉御宿龍言本館, the Former Matsuzaki Family Residence Main House) is a farmhouse of the early Meiji era (1868 to 1882) in Sakado, Minamiuonuma City, Niigata Prefecture; it was moved here from a nearby village in 1969 and registered as a Registered Tangible Cultural Property (structure) on May 10, 2018 (Agency for Cultural Affairs).
The Agency records a single-storey timber building with a metal roof and a building area of 218 square metres; registration number 15-486.
From Farmhouse to Inn
The Ryugon Main Building began as the main house of the Matsuzaki family in a neighbouring village and has since served as an inn (Agency for Cultural Affairs). According to the inn's website, the name Ryugon comes from Ryugon-ji, a branch temple of Untoan, the family temple of Nagao Masakage, lord of Sakado Castle, which once stood on the site. The grounds gather other relocated houses of village headmen and wealthy farmers, and the inn reopened as ryugon in the summer of 2019.
Why It Was Registered
The Onsen Onyado Ryugon Main Building was registered as a model of form. The Agency for Cultural Affairs notes that although it now serves as lodging, it keeps the form of an upper-class farmhouse of the district both inside and out.
What to Look For
The main block has a gabled roof with the entrance on the long side, and gabled projecting wings called chumon push out at front and back (Agency for Cultural Affairs). This chumon-zukuri form, with wings jutting from the main house, is typical of farmhouses in Tohoku and Niigata, as the inn's website also explains.
Inside, a high-ceilinged hall opens beside the entrance in the front wing, and beyond it, past an intermediate room, two tatami reception rooms lie one behind the other (Agency for Cultural Affairs). In the Ryugon Main Building, notice the lift of the ceiling as you step into the hall and the way the rooms recede toward the back.
Visiting
The Ryugon Main Building is part of the inn ryugon, so you go inside as a guest. Ask the inn about viewing without staying (025-772-3470).
According to the inn, Muikamachi Station on the JR Joetsu Line and the Hokuhoku Line is about 18 minutes away on foot, or about 4 minutes by taxi (1.4 km). A free shuttle runs from the HATAGO Isen inn in front of Echigo-Yuzawa Station, taking about 30 minutes. By car it is about 8 minutes from the Muikamachi interchange on the Kan-Etsu Expressway.
Q&A
- How old is the Onsen Onyado Ryugon Main Building?
- It is a farmhouse of the early Meiji era (1868 to 1882), moved to this site in 1969 (Agency for Cultural Affairs).
- What kind of house is the Ryugon Main Building?
- An upper-class snow-country farmhouse with projecting chumon wings at front and back, a high-ceilinged hall and two reception rooms in line.
- Why was it registered?
- Because it keeps the form of a local upper-class farmhouse inside and out, even after conversion to lodging (Agency for Cultural Affairs).
- Can I visit the Onsen Onyado Ryugon Main Building?
- It is part of the inn ryugon, so the interior is for guests; ask the inn (025-772-3470) about viewing only.
- How do I get to the Ryugon Main Building?
- About 18 minutes on foot or 4 minutes by taxi from Muikamachi Station; a free shuttle also runs from Echigo-Yuzawa Station.
Basic Information
| Name | Onsen Onyado Ryugon Main Building (Former Matsuzaki Family Residence Main House) (温泉御宿龍言本館（旧松崎家住宅主屋）) |
|---|---|
| Location | 1-6 Sakado, Minamiuonuma City, Niigata Prefecture |
| Designation | Registered Tangible Cultural Property (Structure) |
| Year Designated | Registered 2018/05/10 (Heisei 30) |
| Quantity | 1 building |
| Dimensions | Timber, single storey, metal roof, building area 218 square metres |
| Owner | Ryugon Co., Ltd. |
| Public Access | In use as an inn; ask the inn about viewing |
References
- Onsen Onyado Ryugon Main Building (Database of National Cultural Properties, Agency for Cultural Affairs)
- https://kunishitei.bunka.go.jp/heritage/detail/101/00012317
- About ryugon (official website, Japanese)
- https://ryugon.co.jp/about/
- Access (ryugon official website, Japanese)
- https://ryugon.co.jp/access/
Last verified: 2026.10.14