The Otani Family Residence Kokuan
The Otani Family Residence Kokuan (大谷家住宅欅空庵, Ōtani-ke Jūtaku Kokūan) is a single-storey detached retreat in Inaricho, Fukaya City, Saitama Prefecture, built in the early Taisho period and registered as a Registered Tangible Cultural Property in 2004.
It stands about 40 metres northwest of the main lot, at a separate address, 2-4-23 Inaricho. The building area is 70 square metres. Its hipped roofs, laid out north to south, are offset from one another, and the roof is covered in pantiles. A gabled porch projects near the middle of the east side, and a lean-to Geya eave wraps the south side.
Why the Kokuan Was Registered
The Agency for Cultural Affairs treats the retreat as evidence of how a large household lived, and credits its tall proportions and plain, clear design as typical of the Taisho period. It was registered as a building that sets a standard for design.
The Otani Family Residence Kokuan predates the 1931 Main House and is the second oldest of the nine registered buildings after the Main Storehouse. It shows that the estate kept an earlier building of a different character alongside the relief-work construction of the early Showa years.
What to Look For
Mind the name. The furigana in the national database read it Kokuan, not with the everyday reading of the first character, keyaki (zelkova).
The offset hipped roofs step along the ridge line, and the gabled porch sits at the center of the east face, giving a single-storey building a clear front.
The official description calls the building tall in its proportions, meaning generous eave and ceiling heights. Set against the richly detailed sukiya Main House, the Kokuan relies on clean massing rather than ornament.
Visiting the Kokuan
The Otani Family Residence Kokuan is privately owned, and its interior is not open to the public.
It stands apart from the main lot, to the northwest. We found no reliable source on how much of it can be seen from the road. The surroundings are residential, so please don't approach the property to look in.
- 📍 Plan Your Visit to Saitama
- Find tours, activities & transport passes near Otani Family Residence Kokuan
- [ Kawagoe Little Edo & Moominvalley Park ]
Q&A
- How is the name of the Otani Family Residence Kokuan read?
- It is read Kokuan (こくうあん), according to the Agency for Cultural Affairs database.
- When was the Otani Family Residence Kokuan built?
- In the early Taisho period, before the 1931 Main House. It is the second oldest of the nine registered buildings.
- Can you visit the Otani Family Residence Kokuan?
- No. It is a privately owned retreat and the interior is not open.
- Where is the Otani Family Residence Kokuan?
- About 40 metres northwest of the main lot, at 2-4-23 Inaricho, Fukaya City.
- What kind of building is the Otani Family Residence Kokuan?
- A single-storey timber retreat with a building area of 70 square metres, offset hipped roofs in pantiles and a gabled porch on the east side.
Basic Information
| Name | Otani Family Residence Kokuan |
|---|---|
| Location | 2-4-23 Inaricho, Fukaya City, Saitama Prefecture |
| Designation | Registered Tangible Cultural Property (Building) |
| Year Designated | Registered 2004/2/17 (Heisei 16) |
| Quantity | 1 building |
| Dimensions | Wooden, single storey, tiled roof, building area 70 square metres |
| Owner | Otani Shoji Limited Partnership |
| Public Access | Not open to the public (privately owned retreat) |
References
- Agency for Cultural Affairs, Database of National Cultural Properties: Otani Family Residence Kokuan
- https://kunishitei.bunka.go.jp/bsys/maindetails/101/00003841
- Fukaya City: Nationally Designated and Registered Cultural Properties (Japanese)
- https://www.city.fukaya.saitama.jp/rekishi_bunkazai/shinobunkazai/1391665872242.html
Last verified: 2026.09.25
