What Is the Nakanishi Family Residence Accounting Room?
The Nakanishi Family Residence Accounting Room (中西家住宅勘定部屋, Nakanishi-ke Jūtaku Kanjō-beya) is a single-storey timber building of the early Meiji era in Kishibe-naka, Suita City, Osaka Prefecture, registered as a Registered Tangible Cultural Property on 1 July 2003. It stands east of the main house, on the service side of the estate.
It has a hip-and-gable Irimoya-zukuri roof of pan tiles with its ridge running north to south, and a building area of 129 square metres. Inside are two 8-mat rooms in a row and a 4-mat storeroom that was originally an earth-floored space with a cooking hearth.
Why It Was Registered, and How It Was Dated
The Nakanishi Family Residence Accounting Room was registered for its contribution to the historic landscape. Standing apart from the main house but close beside it, it forms part of the core of the estate.
Its date comes from the family's own estate plans. According to the Agency for Cultural Affairs, the plan of 1835 does not show the accounting room, so it is thought to have been built in the Meiji era. It is a case where an old drawing kept by the family did the work of dating a building.
What to Look For
Kanjō means accounts, the reckoning of money and records. The name of the Nakanishi Family Residence Accounting Room suggests a building tied to the business of a headman's household, although no record of how it was actually used could be found for this article.
Look at how the plan combines two kinds of space: two formal tatami rooms side by side, and at the end a small room that began as an earth-floored kitchen with a hearth, where water could be boiled and meals prepared.
Outside, note the direction of the roof. The ridge of the Nakanishi accounting room runs north to south, beside a main house that faces south.
Visiting the Nakanishi Family Residence Accounting Room
The Nakanishi Family Residence Accounting Room stands inside the estate and cannot be seen from the street. You can see it on the reservation-only opening days; building tours run on Wednesdays, Saturdays and Sundays at 10:00 a.m., 1:00 p.m. and 3:00 p.m.
Suita City does not say whether the tour route enters this building or whether photography is allowed, so ask your guide. Booking details and directions are on the Nakanishi Family Residence page.
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Q&A
- When was the Nakanishi Family Residence Accounting Room built?
- The national database places it in the early Meiji era. It does not appear on the estate plan of 1835, which is the basis for the dating.
- Where is the Nakanishi Family Residence Accounting Room?
- East of the main house, which stands a little north of the centre of the estate.
- What is the layout of the Nakanishi Family Residence Accounting Room?
- Two 8-mat tatami rooms in a row and a 4-mat storeroom that was originally an earth-floored space with a hearth.
- When was the Nakanishi Family Residence Accounting Room registered?
- On 1 July 2003, as a Registered Tangible Cultural Property contributing to the historic landscape.
- What shape is the roof of the Nakanishi Family Residence Accounting Room?
- A hip-and-gable roof of pan tiles, with the ridge running north to south.
Basic Information
| Name | Nakanishi Family Residence Accounting Room |
|---|---|
| Location | 823-1 Kishibe-naka 4-chome, Suita City, Osaka Prefecture, and others |
| Designation | Registered Tangible Cultural Property (Building) |
| Year Designated | Registered 1 July 2003 |
| Quantity | 1 building |
| Dimensions | Timber, single storey, tiled roof, building area 129 square metres |
| Owner | Suita City and a private owner (breakdown by building not published) |
| Public Access | Seen from the grounds on reservation days (interior access unconfirmed) |
References
- 中西家住宅勘定部屋 (Agency for Cultural Affairs, Database of National Cultural Properties)
- https://kunishitei.bunka.go.jp/bsys/maindetails/101/00003446
- 中西家住宅勘定部屋 (Cultural Heritage Online)
- https://online.bunka.go.jp/heritages/detail/179666
- 旧中西家住宅 概要 (Suita City)
- https://www.city.suita.osaka.jp/kyunakanishike/1031141.html
Last verified: 2026.09.30
