About the Maeda Family Residence Main House
The Maeda Family Residence Main House (前田家住宅主屋, Maeda-ke Jūtaku Shuoku) in Tachibanacho, Imari City, Saga Prefecture, is a thatched farmhouse in the kudo-zukuri style built in the late Edo period for the Maeda family, grand village headmen of the Imari district, and it was registered as a Registered Tangible Cultural Property in 2001.
The house stands near the middle of a long north-south plot and faces south. It is a single-story timber building under a Kayabuki thatched roof, with a building area of 291 square meters, which Imari City describes as the largest of any traditional farmhouse in Saga Prefecture.
The Agency for Cultural Affairs dates the Maeda Main House to the late Edo period (1751 to 1829). The owners put its construction at around 1784.
Why the Maeda Main House was registered
The Maeda Family Residence Main House was registered as a model of form. The agency describes it as a surviving example that shows kudo-zukuri, the house type that defines the farmhouses of Saga Prefecture, at its most fully developed.
In a kudo-zukuri house, a type common among Saga farmhouses, the ridge of the thatched roof is bent around a corner rather than running straight. At the Maeda house, a main block with a broad earth-floored Doma is joined on its east side by a wing of reception rooms, and the thatched ridge over the main block turns in a hook. The agency singles out how intricate the resulting plan is.
A grand headman's house was both a family home and a place where official visitors had to be received. The reception wing is arranged so that guests could be shown into different rooms according to their rank.
What to look for in the Maeda Main House
The owners call the earth floor the niwa. Near the entrance it rises to a high ceiling, and beside it is a four-mat front room where ordinary callers were seen. The rooms where the family lived, the eight-mat inoma, a small bedroom and the storage room, have low ceilings with the joists left exposed. A cooking range and large jars remain in place.
The reception rooms run east in order of rank. The second reception room, the main reception room and the onari-no-ma all have high ceilings of thin battens, and the nail covers in the main reception room take the shape of the Maeda crest, an ivy leaf. The onari-no-ma at the far end is a Jōdan-no-ma, its floor raised one step, with fine latticework transoms. The owners believe it was added around 1861 to receive Nabeshima Naomasa, the 10th lord of the Saga domain.
A six-mat room now used for tea was remodeled after the Meiji period began; the owners think it was once a formal entrance with a step platform for important guests. Walking from the earth floor into the reception rooms, watch the ceilings change from low to high. That change marks the line between the household's living space and its rooms for guests.
Visiting the Maeda Family Residence Main House
The interior of the Maeda Family Residence Main House can be seen on the days the owners open the house. The earth floor and reception rooms are the core of the visit, and the Ien pond garden is viewed from the reception rooms. Opening days, the requested donation and directions from the station are on the Maeda Family Residence page.
The rooms are also rented out for events, and the house rules forbid smoking or open flames anywhere on the property and nailing anything to ceilings or walls. The owners do not say if photography is allowed, so ask on arrival. Because the west side of the estate meets the road, the thatched roof can be seen from outside on other days too.
- 📍 Plan Your Visit to Saga
- Find tours, activities & transport passes near Maeda Family Residence Main House
- [ Yoshinogari Ruins & Arita Pottery Workshop Tours ]
Q&A
- When was the Maeda Family Residence Main House built?
- The Agency for Cultural Affairs dates it to the late Edo period (1751 to 1829), and the owners say around 1784. It was registered as a Registered Tangible Cultural Property on August 28, 2001.
- What is kudo-zukuri at the Maeda Family Residence Main House?
- It is a Saga farmhouse type in which the thatched ridge is bent around a corner. At the Maeda house a reception wing joins the east side of the earth-floored main block, and the ridge over the main block forms a hook.
- How large is the Maeda Family Residence Main House?
- It is a single-story thatched timber house with a building area of 291 square meters, described by Imari City as the largest traditional farmhouse in the prefecture.
- What is the raised room in the Maeda Family Residence Main House?
- The onari-no-ma is an eight-mat room at the far end of the reception wing with its floor raised one step. The owners believe it was added around 1861 for a visit by Nabeshima Naomasa, lord of the Saga domain.
- Can I go inside the Maeda Family Residence Main House?
- Yes, on the owners' opening days you can see the earth floor and reception rooms. A donation toward upkeep is requested at the door. Check the owners' website for the schedule.
Basic Information
| Name | Maeda Family Residence Main House |
|---|---|
| Location | 4028 Tachibanacho, Imari City, Saga Prefecture |
| Designation | Registered Tangible Cultural Property (Structure) |
| Year Designated | Registered August 28, 2001 |
| Quantity | 1 building |
| Dimensions | Building area 291 square meters |
| Owner | Private owner |
| Public Access | Interior open on set days (opened by the owners) |
References
- Agency for Cultural Affairs database: Maeda Family Residence Main House
- https://kunishitei.bunka.go.jp/bsys/maindetails/101/00002315
- Cultural Heritage Online: Maeda Family Residence Main House
- https://online.bunka.go.jp/heritages/detail/148925
- Imari City: Maeda Family Residence (Japanese)
- https://www.city.imari.lg.jp/2977.htm
- Maeda Family Residence official website (Japanese)
- https://www.maedake-jyutaku.com/
- Maeda Family Residence: guide to the house (Japanese)
- https://www.maedake-jyutaku.com/items
- Maeda Family Residence: terms of use (Japanese)
- https://www.maedake-jyutaku.com/services-7
Last verified: 2026.10.10
