An 1870 Island House Dated by Its Ridge Tag
The Manabe Family Residence Main House (真鍋家住宅主屋, Manabe-ke Jūtaku Shuoku) on Manabeshima, Kasaoka City, Okayama Prefecture, is a wooden house built in 1870 and registered as a Registered Tangible Cultural Property (No. 33-0107) on March 27, 2006. It is the central building of the five registered at the Manabe Family Residence and covers a building area of 144 square meters.
The year is not a guess. A Munafuda, the wooden ridge tag that carpenters fixed in the roof space to record a building's date, survives in the Manabe Family Residence Main House, and both the Agency for Cultural Affairs and Kasaoka City cite it.
Local tourism material tends to call the house "early Meiji." The tag pins it more tightly: 1870 was only the third year of the Meiji era, so this is about as early a Meiji house as there is.
Why the Manabe Family Residence Main House Was Registered
The Manabe Family Residence Main House was registered as a model of design. Of the five Manabe buildings registered on the same day, it is the only one listed under that criterion. The other four were registered for their contribution to the historic landscape.
The Agency describes the Main House as carefully built throughout and calls it valuable for the history of houses on the island because the ridge tag fixes its date. A house of certain date gives a reference point for dating others, and that is the value placed on this building in its own right.
Roof and Plan of the Manabe Family Residence Main House
The house faces almost due south, its ridge running east to west under a hip-and-gable roof (Irimoya-zukuri) laid with interlocking pantiles (Sangawara-buki). Lean-to roofs (Geya) are attached at both the front and the back, so lower eaves sit beneath the main roof on the south and north sides alike.
The plan splits east and west. The east end is an earth-floored Doma, the working entrance of a traditional Japanese house. The west end holds the Zashiki, the formal reception room, fitted with a Tokonoma alcove and a Tsukeshoin built-in writing desk. Placing that room on the west puts it on the street side. The Kasaoka City Tourism Association describes the room as a dignified shoin-style interior.
The Agency's own record is not consistent about height. Its structure field reads "wooden, 1 storey with a partial 2nd floor," while its descriptive text calls the house single-storey. The bulk of the house is single-storey, with any upper floor apparently confined to a small part.
Because the ridge runs east to west, a visitor in the western street looks up at the gable end of the hip-and-gable roof, with the reception room behind it.
Seeing the Manabe Family Residence Main House
The Manabe Family Residence Main House is a private home and is not open inside. Its west side, where the reception room is, faces the street, so the exterior can be seen from the lane. The south front lies behind the front gate.
A holtnoki tree said to be about 250 years old stands at the eaves of the main house and is the best landmark for finding it in Honura's winding lanes. Keep photographs to what is visible from the lane and do not go through the gate.
- 📍 Plan Your Visit to Okayama
- Find tours, activities & transport passes near Manabe Family Residence Main House
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Q&A
- When was the Manabe Family Residence Main House built?
- In 1870. A ridge tag (munafuda) surviving in the building confirms the date.
- What is the layout of the Manabe Family Residence Main House?
- An earth-floored doma occupies the east end, and a formal reception room with a tokonoma alcove and a built-in writing desk sits on the west, beside the street. The tiled hip-and-gable roof has lean-to roofs at the front and back.
- Why is the Manabe Family Residence Main House a Registered Tangible Cultural Property?
- It was registered in 2006 as a model of design. The Agency for Cultural Affairs notes its careful construction and its firmly dated ridge tag, which make it valuable for the history of island houses.
- Is the Manabe Family Residence Main House single-storey or 2-storey?
- The Agency's structure field says 1 storey with a partial 2nd floor, while its description calls it single-storey. The house is essentially single-storey, with any upper floor limited to a small part.
- Can visitors go inside the Manabe Family Residence Main House?
- No. It is a private home and the interior is not open. The west side, where the reception room is, faces the street and can be seen from the lane.
Basic Information
| Name | Manabe Family Residence Main House (真鍋家住宅主屋) |
|---|---|
| Location | 4026-1 Manabeshima, Kasaoka City, Okayama Prefecture |
| Designation | Registered Tangible Cultural Property (Building), No. 33-0107 |
| Year Designated | Registered March 27, 2006 |
| Quantity | 1 building |
| Dimensions | Wooden, 1 storey with a partial 2nd floor, tiled roof, building area 144 square meters |
| Owner | Private individual (blank in the national database) |
| Public Access | Interior closed; exterior visible from the lane |
References
- Agency for Cultural Affairs, Database of National Cultural Properties: Manabe Family Residence Main House
- https://kunishitei.bunka.go.jp/bsys/maindetails/101/00005499
- Cultural Heritage Online (Agency for Cultural Affairs): Manabe Family Residence Main House
- https://online.bunka.go.jp/heritages/detail/118577
- Kasaoka City: Manabe Family Residence Main House and Other Buildings (Japanese)
- https://www.city.kasaoka.okayama.jp/soshiki/39/2494.html
- Kasaoka City Tourism Association: Manabe Residence and the Holtnoki Tree (Japanese)
- https://www.kasaoka-kankou.jp/spot/288
Last verified: 2026.10.02
