A Snow-Country Farmhouse Dated 1779
The Yamaguchi Family Residence (Shimoide, Itoigawa City, Niigata Prefecture) (山口家住宅) is a farmhouse built in 1779 in Shimoide, Itoigawa City, Niigata Prefecture, and was designated an Important Cultural Property on January 28, 1977 (Agency for Cultural Affairs).
The Agency records a building 20.4 metres by 10.2 metres with a hipped (yosemune) roof, lean-to aisles on all four sides and a sheet-iron roof covering.
A Date from the Building Accounts
The Yamaguchi Family Residence can be dated because its fushincho, the building accounts kept during construction, survive. The Agency for Cultural Affairs singles this out as valuable: a farmhouse with a firm date of 1779 becomes a yardstick for dating others.
Why It Is an Important Cultural Property
The Agency describes the Yamaguchi Family Residence as a mountain farmhouse with a regular four-room plan and a representative example of folk houses in the Joetsu district. Its sturdy frame and raised floors show the character of a house built for heavy snow.
What to Look For
The plan is a regular yomadori, four rooms arranged in a square like the character 田 (Agency for Cultural Affairs). Lean-to aisles wrap all four sides of the core, all gathered under one large hipped roof.
Look up at the beams. On all four sides the Yamaguchi Family Residence uses chonabari, beams made from naturally curved timber dressed with an adze, which the Agency names as a regional feature. The stout frame that carries the weight of snow and the raised floors are typical of houses in snow country.
Visiting
The Yamaguchi Family Residence stands at 619 Oaza Shimoide, Itoigawa City (Agency for Cultural Affairs). The Agency's database does not list the owner, and no official information on public access was found. If you plan to visit, ask Itoigawa City in advance.
Q&A
- When was the Yamaguchi Family Residence in Itoigawa built?
- In 1779; the date is known from its building accounts (Agency for Cultural Affairs).
- What kind of house is the Yamaguchi Family Residence?
- A mountain farmhouse with a regular four-room plan, representative of the Joetsu district (Agency for Cultural Affairs).
- What should I look for?
- The curved, adze-dressed chonabari beams on all four sides, the sturdy frame and the raised floors.
- Can I visit the Yamaguchi Family Residence?
- No official information on public access was found; ask Itoigawa City before visiting.
- When was it designated an Important Cultural Property?
- On January 28, 1977 (Agency for Cultural Affairs).
Basic Information
| Name | Yamaguchi Family Residence (Shimoide, Itoigawa City, Niigata Prefecture) (山口家住宅) |
|---|---|
| Location | 619 Oaza Shimoide, Itoigawa City, Niigata Prefecture |
| Designation | Important Cultural Property (Structure) |
| Year Designated | Designated 1977/01/28 (Showa 52) |
| Quantity | 1 building |
| Dimensions | 20.4 metres by 10.2 metres, hipped roof, lean-to aisles on four sides, sheet-iron roof |
| Owner | Unknown (not listed in the Agency database) |
| Public Access | No public access information |
References
- Yamaguchi Family Residence (Database of National Cultural Properties, Agency for Cultural Affairs)
- https://kunishitei.bunka.go.jp/heritage/detail/102/642
Last verified: 2026.10.14