A Timber Merchant's Townhouse of 1887
The Goto Family Residence Main House (後藤家住宅主屋) is a timber merchant's townhouse of 1887 in Kuma, Hita City, Oita Prefecture, and was registered as a Registered Tangible Cultural Property (structure) on October 23, 2008 (Agency for Cultural Affairs).
The Agency records a timber building of 2 storeys with a single-storey part, roofed in tile, with a building area of 270 square metres, renovated in the Taisho era (1912 to 1925); registration number 44-0156.
A Townhouse with Its Gable to the Street
The Goto Family Residence Main House is a 2-storey timber townhouse facing east onto the street. Its hip-and-gable (Irimoya-zukuri) roof is laid with pan tiles and entered from the gable end (Tsumairi), so the gable faces the street (Agency for Cultural Affairs). On the south side, two wings (Tsunoya) project at the front and at the back, with a small courtyard garden between them.
Inside, an earth-floored work space runs along the north side, while the shop room and living rooms line the south. The rear wing holds a formal room fitted with an alcove and shelves (Zashiki-kazari) (Agency for Cultural Affairs). According to Hita City, the Goto family traded in timber under the house name Yamayoshi (山吉) from 1887, the year the Goto main house was built.
Why It Was Registered
The Agency rates the Goto Family Residence Main House as a fine Meiji-era townhouse and registered it as a model of design. The walls are finished in lime plaster over the timber frame (Ōkabe), with a dado of Namako-kabe, tiles set in a lattice of raised plaster joints (Agency for Cultural Affairs).
Hita City describes the street front, with its gable turned to the road and its namako-kabe base, as solid and dignified.
What to Look For
From the street, the hip-and-gable end and the lattice of plaster joints on the namako-kabe dado give the Goto main house its face (Agency for Cultural Affairs). As a gable-entry townhouse it runs deep from the street, and the retirement quarters continue behind it.
Visiting
No official information on interior access to the Goto Family Residence Main House was found (as of November 2026). The exterior can be seen from the street on the east side.
Q&A
- When was the Goto Family Residence Main House in Hita built?
- In 1887, with renovation in the Taisho era (Agency for Cultural Affairs).
- What kind of building is the Goto Family Residence Main House?
- A 2-storey timber townhouse with a hip-and-gable tiled roof turned gable-end to the street and a namako-kabe dado.
- What business did the Goto family of the Goto Family Residence Main House run?
- According to Hita City, they traded in timber under the house name Yamayoshi from 1887.
- Can I visit the Goto Family Residence Main House?
- No official information on interior access was found; the exterior can be seen from the street.
- When was the Goto Family Residence Main House registered?
- On October 23, 2008 (Agency for Cultural Affairs).
Basic Information
| Name | Goto Family Residence Main House (後藤家住宅主屋) |
|---|---|
| Location | 2-80 Kuma, Hita City, Oita Prefecture, and others |
| Designation | Registered Tangible Cultural Property (Structure) |
| Year Designated | Registered 2008/10/23 (Heisei 20) |
| Quantity | 1 building |
| Dimensions | Timber, 2-storey with single-storey part, tiled roof, 270 m² |
| Owner | Not listed in the Agency database |
| Public Access | No official information on interior access (exterior from the street) |
References
- Goto Family Residence Main House (Database of National Cultural Properties, Agency for Cultural Affairs)
- https://kunishitei.bunka.go.jp/heritage/detail/101/00007430
- Hita City Regional Plan for Cultural Properties, Chapter 7 (Hita City, Japanese)
- https://www.city.hita.oita.jp/uploaded/attachment/9137.pdf
- Goto Family Residence Main House (Cultural Heritage Online, Japanese)
- https://online.bunka.go.jp/heritages/detail/172732
Last verified: 2026.11.12
