What Is the Koyama Family Residence Connecting Wing?
The Koyama Family Residence Connecting Wing (兒山家住宅取り合い, Koyama-ke Jūtaku Toriai) is the link building between the back of the main house and the inner storehouse to the north on a wealthy farming family's estate in Tokikita, Naka Ward, Sakai City, Osaka Prefecture; it was built in the late Edo period and registered as a Registered Tangible Cultural Property on 14 February 2002. It is a 2-storey timber building of 47 square meters.
Toriai is a carpenter's term for the junction where two buildings meet. It is unusual for such a junction to be registered as a building in its own right, as the Koyama Family Residence Connecting Wing is.
Two Storeys to the South, One to the North
The southern half of the Koyama Family Residence Connecting Wing, next to the main house, has two storeys; the northern half, next to the storehouse, has one. The two-storey part has a gabled (Kirizuma-zukuri) roof with a lean-to added below it, and the single-storey part has a simple double-pitched roof. Both are laid in Hongawarabuki tiles.
A bath and a toilet project from the west side of the single-storey part. The wing was a passage from the house to the storehouse and also held the family's washrooms.
Built to the Standard of the Main House
The Agency for Cultural Affairs registered the Koyama Family Residence Connecting Wing as a model of design. Its description notes that, although plain and ancillary, the wing is as solid and well made as the main house it adjoins.
Link buildings are often tacked on later and built to a lower standard. This one uses the same full tiling and the same level of workmanship as the main house, so that the house and storehouse read as one group. Only three of the ten buildings were registered as models of design: the reception wing, the annex and this connecting wing.
Visiting the Koyama Family Residence Connecting Wing
The Koyama Family Residence Connecting Wing is part of a family home, and the interior is closed.
Standing directly behind the main house, the Koyama Family Residence Connecting Wing is hidden from the front of the estate. Please view the estate from the public road without entering.
Q&A
- What is the Koyama Family Residence Connecting Wing?
- A late Edo-period link building of 47 square meters between the main house and the inner storehouse, two storeys at the south end and one at the north.
- What does toriai mean in the Koyama Family Residence Connecting Wing's Japanese name?
- It is a carpenter's word for the junction where two buildings meet, here the wing joining the main house to the storehouse.
- When did the Koyama Family Residence Connecting Wing become a Registered Tangible Cultural Property?
- On 14 February 2002, as registration number 27-0170, registered as a model of design.
- What are the features of the Koyama Family Residence Connecting Wing?
- A gabled two-storey section with a lean-to, a single-storey section with a double-pitched roof, full tiling throughout, and a bath and toilet projecting to the west.
- Can I visit the Koyama Family Residence Connecting Wing?
- The interior is closed, and it stands behind the main house where it is hard to see from the road.
Basic Information
| Name | Koyama Family Residence Connecting Wing (兒山家住宅取り合い) |
|---|---|
| Location | 1404 Tokikita, Naka-ku, Sakai City, Osaka Prefecture |
| Designation | Registered Tangible Cultural Property (Structure), No. 27-0170 |
| Year Designated | Registered 14 February 2002 |
| Quantity | 1 building |
| Dimensions | 2-storey timber building, tiled roof, building area 47 square meters |
| Owner | Private |
| Public Access | Closed to the public (exterior viewing from the public road) |
References
- Database of National Cultural Properties: Koyama Family Residence Connecting Wing (Agency for Cultural Affairs, in Japanese)
- https://kunishitei.bunka.go.jp/bsys/maindetails/101/00002649
- Koyama Family Residence (Sakai City, in Japanese)
- https://www.city.sakai.lg.jp/kanko/rekishi/bunkazai/bunkazai/torokuseido/koyamakejutaku.html
- Koyama Family Residence (Sakai Tourist Guide, in Japanese)
- https://www.sakai-tcb.or.jp/spot/detail/219
Last verified: 2026.09.28
