What Is the Inoue Yoshinao Family Residence Main House?
The Inoue Yoshinao Family Residence Main House (井上良尚家住宅主屋, Inoue Yoshinao-ke Jūtaku Shuoku) is a late Edo-period farmhouse on the Inoue family estate in Ayazono, Takaishi City, Osaka Prefecture, registered as a Registered Tangible Cultural Property on 26 September 2000. With a building area of 268 square meters, it is by far the largest of the five registered buildings on the estate.
The house fills the western half of the lot. The nagayamon gate stands to the south, and the tea room adjoins the living quarters on the east, with the entrance wing in between. For a family that served for generations as Shōya, or village headman, this was both home and office.
One House, Two Roofs
The Inoue Yoshinao Family Residence Main House wears two different roofs. Seen from the front, the right-hand, or upper, end holds the living rooms and is a single storey under thatch. The left-hand, or lower, end holds the earth-floored work area and is roofed in Hongawarabuki, the heavy style of alternating round and flat tiles. Above this end is a tsushi, a low loft storey tucked under the roof for storage, which is why the tiled section rises higher than the thatch.
Thatch and tile side by side is the defining look of this house. The thatched end carries the dignity of the family rooms; the tiled end deals with work, fire risk and storage. The official description, "tiled and thatched," refers to exactly this pairing.
Old Timbers Around the Doma
The Agency for Cultural Affairs notes that the Inoue Yoshinao Family Residence Main House contains some older timbers, but judges that it was completed around the early nineteenth century, when the living quarters took their present form. The database gives the period as the late Edo era, 1751 to 1829.
The oldest-looking part is the Doma, the beaten-earth floor inside the lower end. Takaishi City and the Osaka Cultural Properties Navi both single out its beam framing, the members of its Yamato ceiling and the Kabuki crossbeam over the doorway as archaic in style. A Yamato ceiling is made by laying joists across the beams and boarding over them, leaving the joists and boards exposed from below; it was a common way to cover the doma in farmhouses of the Kinki region.
A separate entrance wing with a Shikidai, a raised formal step, adjoins the house. In a headman's household such an entrance is thought to have served for receiving officials and other guests of rank. Together with a plan of many interlocking rooms, it set the house apart from ordinary village homes.
The house was registered under number 27-0100 for its contribution to the historic landscape. The agency calls it a farmhouse of grand scale, fitting for one of the area's old families.
Visiting the Inoue Yoshinao Family Residence Main House
The Inoue Yoshinao Family Residence Main House is a private home, and the interior, including the doma framing and Yamato ceiling, is not open to the public.
Because it stands inside the estate, north of the nagayamon gate, the whole house cannot be seen from the road. Expect no more than glimpses of the thatch and tile over the gate and walls, and please stay on the public street.
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Q&A
- What is the Inoue Yoshinao Family Residence Main House?
- A large late Edo-period farmhouse, single-storey and built of wood, with a building area of 268 square meters. The living end is thatched, while the work end is tiled and has a low loft storey.
- When was the Inoue Yoshinao Family Residence Main House built?
- The Agency for Cultural Affairs dates its completion to around the early nineteenth century, within a late Edo range of 1751 to 1829.
- What should I look for at the Inoue Yoshinao Family Residence Main House?
- The thatched and tiled roofs set side by side. Inside, the beam framing, Yamato ceiling and crossbeam around the doma keep an older style, though the interior is closed.
- When did the Inoue Yoshinao Family Residence Main House become a Registered Tangible Cultural Property?
- On 26 September 2000, as registration number 27-0100, for its contribution to the historic landscape.
- Can I visit the Inoue Yoshinao Family Residence Main House?
- No. It is a private home and the interior is closed. It also stands inside the estate, so little of it can be seen from the road.
Basic Information
| Name | Inoue Yoshinao Family Residence Main House (井上良尚家住宅主屋) |
|---|---|
| Location | 2-5-31 Ayazono, Takaishi City, Osaka Prefecture |
| Designation | Registered Tangible Cultural Property (Structure), No. 27-0100 |
| Year Designated | Registered 26 September 2000 |
| Quantity | 1 building |
| Dimensions | Wooden, single-storey, tiled and thatched roof, building area 268 square meters |
| Owner | Private |
| Public Access | Closed to the public |
References
- Database of National Cultural Properties: Inoue Yoshinao Family Residence Main House (Agency for Cultural Affairs)
- https://kunishitei.bunka.go.jp/heritage/detail/101/00001835
- Takaishi wo Aruku: Historic Sites Guide Map (PDF, Takaishi City Board of Education, Japanese)
- https://www.city.takaishi.lg.jp/material/files/group/22/takaishiwoaruku2.pdf
- Inoue Family Residence (Osaka Cultural Properties Navi, Japanese)
- https://osaka-bunkazainavi.org/bunkazai/%E4%BA%95%E4%B8%8A%E5%AE%B6%E4%BD%8F%E5%AE%85
Last verified: 2026.09.28
