A Guest Wing Behind the Main House
The Ebara Family Residence Annex (榎原家住宅離れ, Ebara-ke Jūtaku Hanare) is a detached reception wing built between 1830 and 1868 in Ozone, Toyonaka City, Osaka Prefecture, and registered as a Registered Tangible Cultural Property on October 7, 2014. It stands on the north edge of the Ebara compound, directly behind the main house, under registration number 27-0600.
It is a single-storey timber building of 52 square metres, roughly a fifth the size of the main house. Yet the Ebara Family Residence Annex has its own front entrance, a principal room with a decorative alcove, and a veranda finished with a touch of the tea-house style. It reads less as family living space than as a place to entertain guests and to rest.
Finishing the Back of the Compound
The Agency for Cultural Affairs describes the annex as the building that gives the rear of the property its finished appearance. The north edge of the lot is lined by the annex and three storehouses, joined by an outer wall; the annex sits toward the east end of that row and brings a low, eaved roofline into a run of heavy plastered walls.
The Council for Cultural Affairs, in its 2014 report, pointed to the eight-mat principal room at the west end with its alcove fittings, and to the veranda along the southwest side. Like the other seven structures, the annex was registered as contributing to the historic landscape of the country.
What to Look For: The Principal Room and Openwork Transoms
The Ebara Family Residence Annex has a hip-and-gable Irimoya-zukuri roof laid in Sangawara-buki, the lighter single-piece pantile, with Geya around it. The main house wears the heavier Hongawarabuki; the difference in roofing alone signals which building did the formal work and which was meant for ease.
The eight-mat principal room occupies the west end and holds the Tokonoma and related alcove fittings. The entrance opens in front of the middle room, and the partitions between rooms carry openwork Ranma, carved transom panels that let light and air pass from room to room while making the divisions look lighter.
A veranda wraps the southwest side. The agency describes it as touched by Sukiya-zukuri, the relaxed, refined manner of tea-house architecture, which opens the room to the garden. The back wall, facing outward, is clad in vertical boards and fitted with a projecting lattice window, a Degōshi. The garden face and the outer face are finished quite differently.
Visiting
The Ebara Family Residence Annex is part of a private home and is not open to visitors. It stands behind the main house on the north edge of the lot, so its garden side cannot be seen from the street, and photography on the property is not possible.
How the compound developed and how to reach the area are covered on the Ebara Family Residence page.
- 📍 Plan Your Visit to Osaka
- Find tours, activities & transport passes near Ebara Family Residence Annex
- [ USJ Tickets Osaka Castle & Dotonbori Food Tours ]
Q&A
- Can I visit the Ebara Family Residence Annex?
- No. The Ebara Family Residence Annex is part of a private residence and is not open to the public.
- When was the Ebara Family Residence Annex built?
- The Agency for Cultural Affairs dates it to the late Edo period, between 1830 and 1868.
- What are the highlights of the Ebara Family Residence Annex?
- The eight-mat principal room with its alcove fittings, the openwork transom panels between rooms, and the tea-house-style veranda on the southwest side. It also has its own entrance, separate from the main house.
- How does the Ebara Family Residence Annex differ from the main house?
- The main house is a 271 square metres farmhouse under heavy hongawara tiles. The annex is a 52 square metres reception wing under lighter pantiles, laid out for receiving guests.
- When was the Ebara Family Residence Annex registered?
- It was registered on October 7, 2014, together with the seven other structures of the Ebara compound.
Basic Information
| Name | Ebara Family Residence Annex (榎原家住宅離れ) |
|---|---|
| Location | 1-214-1 Ozone, Toyonaka City, Osaka Prefecture |
| Designation | Registered Tangible Cultural Property (Building) |
| Year Designated | Registered 2014/10/7 (Heisei 26) |
| Quantity | 1 building |
| Dimensions | Single-storey timber building, tiled roof, building area 52 square metres |
| Owner | Private (not listed in the Agency for Cultural Affairs database) |
| Public Access | Not open to the public (private residence) |
References
- Database of National Cultural Properties: Ebara Family Residence Annex (Agency for Cultural Affairs)
- https://kunishitei.bunka.go.jp/heritage/detail/101/00010203
- Cultural Heritage Online: Ebara Family Residence Annex
- https://online.bunka.go.jp/heritages/detail/273266
- Council for Cultural Affairs report on new Registered Tangible Cultural Properties, March 18, 2014 (Agency for Cultural Affairs)
- https://www.bunka.go.jp/seisaku/bunkazai/shokai/yukei_kenzobutsu/pdf/bunkashingi_toshin_140318.pdf
- Osaka Cultural Heritage Navi: Ebara Family Residence
- https://osaka-bunkazainavi.org/bunkazai/%E6%A6%8E%E5%8E%9F%E5%AE%B6%E4%BD%8F%E5%AE%85
Last verified: 2026.09.26
