The Inoue Family Residence Main House
The Inoue Family Residence Main House (井上家住宅主屋, Inoue-ke Jūtaku Shuoku) is a 2-storey dwelling built in 1914 on the Inoue family estate in Tsurugawachi-machi, Hita City, Oita Prefecture, and registered as a Registered Tangible Cultural Property on 31 January 2003.
It is the largest of the estate's eight registered structures: a timber house with a tiled roof and a building area of 435 square metres, facing the forecourt just inside the gate. The Inoue family combined farming with forestry and sake brewing, and the house was built on a scale to match.
Why the Main House Was Registered
Of the eight Inoue listings, only the main house was registered under the criterion for buildings that would not be easy to reproduce. The other seven were recognised for their contribution to the landscape.
The Agency for Cultural Affairs describes a very large Japanese-style house roofed in Sangawara-buki pantiles. Where the gate opens onto the forecourt, though, part of the roof is lifted a step higher to expose an Irimoya-zukuri gable, and that section is finished in painted half-timbering: the European way of leaving the wooden frame visible on the outer wall and filling the spaces between. Upstairs, the house has a Western-style reception room.
The result is a Japanese house with a Western face turned toward arriving guests. It is an elaborate example of how a prosperous provincial family brought new tastes into a traditional home in the early Taishō years.
What to Look For
The key view of the Inoue Family Residence Main House is from just inside the gate, where a raised section of roof and a triangular gable break the long run of tiles. The painted timber pattern set into that gable is the building's signature.
The main house also ties the estate together. The miso storehouse stands behind its kitchen end, and the garden north of its formal rooms is enclosed by the stone wall along the river.
Visiting the Main House
The Inoue Family Residence Main House is a private home, and there is no published arrangement for viewing the interior, including the upstairs reception room.
The Western-style gable was designed to be seen from inside the gate, and the gate faces a private lane, so expect it to be hard to see from the public road. Directions and etiquette for the whole estate are on the Inoue Family Residence page.
- 📍 Plan Your Visit to Oita
- Find tours, activities & transport passes near Inoue Family Residence Main House
- [ Beppu Hell Tour & Yufuin Onsen Hot Springs ]
Q&A
- When was the Inoue Family Residence Main House built?
- In 1914 (Taishō 3). It was registered as a Registered Tangible Cultural Property on 31 January 2003.
- Why is the Inoue Family Residence Main House a registered cultural property?
- It was registered as a building that would not be easy to reproduce, chiefly for combining a large Japanese-style tiled house with a raised irimoya gable finished in painted half-timbering.
- How big is the Inoue Family Residence Main House?
- It is a 2-storey timber building with a tiled roof and a building area of 435 square metres, the largest of the eight registered Inoue structures.
- Can visitors go inside the Inoue Family Residence Main House?
- No public viewing is offered. It is a private home, so visitors should stay on the public road.
- What is the Western-style design on the Inoue Family Residence Main House?
- Just inside the gate, part of the roof is raised to show an irimoya gable finished in painted half-timbering, and the upper floor holds a Western-style reception room.
Basic Information
| Name | Inoue Family Residence Main House |
|---|---|
| Location | 4279 Tsurugawachi-machi, Hita City, Oita Prefecture |
| Designation | Registered Tangible Cultural Property (Building) |
| Year Designated | Registered 2003/1/31 (Heisei 15) |
| Quantity | 1 building |
| Dimensions | Timber, 2 storeys, tiled roof, building area 435 square metres |
| Owner | Not disclosed (not listed in the national database) |
| Public Access | Not open to the public (private residence) |
References
- Agency for Cultural Affairs, Database of National Cultural Properties: 井上家住宅主屋
- https://kunishitei.bunka.go.jp/bsys/maindetails/101/00003172
- Cultural Heritage Online: 井上家住宅主屋
- https://bunka.nii.ac.jp/heritages/detail/168482
- Hita City: List of Cultural Properties
- https://www.city.hita.oita.jp/soshiki/29/2199.html
Last verified: 2026.09.26
