About the Yamamoto Family Residence Main House
The Yamamoto Family Residence Main House (山本家住宅主屋, Yamamoto-ke Jūtaku Shuoku) is a two-storey timber house built in 1914 in Taishi, Taishi Town, Osaka Prefecture, and it became a Registered Tangible Cultural Property on October 12, 2001. It has a tiled roof and a footprint of 244 square meters.
The house fronts the Takenouchi Kaidō highway just outside the gates of Eifukuji, the temple at the tomb of Prince Shōtoku. It is 10.5 ken wide and 4.5 ken deep, roughly 19 by 8 meters, so its proportions are long and shallow. Walking along the old road, the first thing you notice is the long, low line of its eaves.
Why It Was Registered
The Yamamoto house was registered for its presence on the street, under the criterion of contributing to the historic landscape. The Agency for Cultural Affairs points to its great roof with a gentle upward swell, or mukuri, which draws the eye from the Eifukuji grounds and from the highway alike.
A roof of this width on a two-storey house is a large surface. The slight convex curve keeps it from looking flat and heavy and gives the whole front a softer line.
The Agency also mentions the bracing struts, or hōzue, set diagonally between posts and beams to carry the eaves. On this house they are carved with ornamental patterns called eyō, a sign that the builders took care over details as well as size.
What to Look For
Stand back first and follow the ridge of the Yamamoto Family Residence Main House. The roof planes running down to the eaves are not straight but swell outward slightly. Turning back toward the house from the Eifukuji side makes it clear why the Agency calls the roof a focal point of the view.
Then look under the eaves, where the struts support the overhang. How much of the carving you can make out from the road depends on where you stand and on the light.
The east storehouse, built the same year, stands beside the house and connects to it through a wooden side gate. The high wall continues the street front to the west, and the roofed gate at its east end leads to the formal end of the main house. Together these three structures form the face that the homestead turns to the highway.
Visiting the Yamamoto Family Residence Main House
No public opening of the Yamamoto Family Residence Main House has been announced, and the interior cannot be visited. Please treat it as a lived-in home: look from the Takenouchi Kaidō, photograph only from the public road, and avoid lingering in front of the gates.
Stepping back to the far side of the road makes it easier to take in the full 19-meter frontage and the sweep of the roof.
- 📍 Plan Your Visit to Osaka
- Find tours, activities & transport passes near Yamamoto Family Residence Main House
- [ USJ Tickets Osaka Castle & Dotonbori Food Tours ]
Q&A
- When was the Yamamoto Family Residence Main House built?
- The Agency for Cultural Affairs dates it to 1914. The east storehouse, west storehouse and high wall of the same homestead share that date.
- Why is the Yamamoto Family Residence Main House a Registered Tangible Cultural Property?
- Its long frontage and gently curved roof anchor the view along the Takenouchi Kaidō and from the Eifukuji grounds, so it was registered on October 12, 2001 as contributing to the historic landscape.
- How large is the Yamamoto Family Residence Main House?
- It is a two-storey timber house about 19 meters wide and 8 meters deep (10.5 by 4.5 ken), with a footprint of 244 square meters.
- What details should I look for on the Yamamoto Family Residence Main House?
- The diagonal struts that support the eaves carry carved ornamental patterns, which the Agency singles out as fine work.
- Can I go inside the Yamamoto Family Residence Main House?
- No. No public opening has been announced, so it can only be seen from the public road.
Basic Information
| Name | Yamamoto Family Residence Main House |
|---|---|
| Location | 1773 Taishi, Taishi-cho, Minamikawachi-gun, Osaka Prefecture |
| Designation | Registered Tangible Cultural Property (Building) |
| Year Designated | 2001 (registered October 12, 2001) |
| Quantity | 1 building |
| Dimensions | Building area 244 square meters |
| Owner | Unknown (not listed in the Agency for Cultural Affairs database) |
| Public Access | Not open to the public (no public opening announced) |
References
- Database of National Cultural Properties: Yamamoto Family Residence Main House (Agency for Cultural Affairs)
- https://kunishitei.bunka.go.jp/heritage/detail/101/00002429
- Cultural Heritage Online: Yamamoto Family Residence Main House
- https://online.bunka.go.jp/heritages/detail/193429
- Osaka Bunkazai Navi: Yamamoto Family Residence Main House (Japanese)
- https://osaka-bunkazainavi.org/bunkazai/%E5%B1%B1%E6%9C%AC%E5%AE%B6%E4%BD%8F%E5%AE%85%E4%B8%BB%E5%B1%8B
Last verified: 2026.10.04
