Takazawa Family Residence Annex: Three Formal Rooms for the Master
The Takazawa Family Residence Annex (高澤家住宅離れ, Takazawa-ke Jūtaku Hanare) is a single-story timber wing of formal rooms on the Takazawa estate in Nagano, Gyoda City, Saitama Prefecture, added around 1897 as quarters for the head of the house and registered as a Registered Tangible Cultural Property on May 15, 2007.
It stands on the west side of the main house, northwest of it by the national register's description, and Gyoda City notes that the two are joined by an inner corridor. The annex is 7 ken long and 3 ken deep, with a building area of 126 square meters. Its roof is sheet steel pressed into the profile of pantiles, so it reads as tile at a glance.
Why the Takazawa Annex Was Registered
The Takazawa Family Residence Annex was registered for its contribution to the historic landscape, and the Agency for Cultural Affairs describes it as one of the buildings that make up the setting of a wealthy farming estate.
The reason it was built is the telling part. According to the agency, the annex was added for the master of the house because the number of live-in servants had grown. The main house had filled up with family and staff, so the head of the household moved into a separate wing. In the middle of the Meiji era, the Takazawa were still adding hands to run their farm and silk business, and this building is the physical evidence of it.
Inside, three eight-mat Zashiki rooms, each with a Tokonoma display alcove, are set side by side, with a wood-floored room in the northeast corner. Three formal rooms in a row, each with its own alcove, point less to everyday living than to hosting guests and marking occasions.
What to Look For
The roof of the Takazawa Annex changes form from one end to the other. The west end is hipped, the Yosemune-zukuri style that slopes down on all four sides, while the east end is a plain gable in the Kirizuma-zukuri style. The gabled end is the one nearer the main house.
Look at the roofing itself as well. It is sheet steel, but pressed to mimic the ridges of pantiles, so from a distance it is hard to tell from a clay roof. The effect keeps the annex in visual step with the tiled main house.
Set beside the two-story main house, the long, low annex makes the division of the estate plain. One building carried the silkworm rooms and the work of the farm; the other held nothing but rooms for receiving people.
Viewing the Takazawa Family Residence Annex
The interior of the Takazawa Family Residence Annex is not open. The Takazawa Memorial Hall café and gallery occupies part of the main house, and visitors cannot go into the annex rooms.
On Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays, when the café is open, you can see the annex from the path between the gate and the main house, on its western side. The building is still part of a home, so please do not walk around behind the main house or go up close to the building.
- 📍 Plan Your Visit to Saitama
- Find tours, activities & transport passes near Takazawa Family Residence Annex
- [ Kawagoe Little Edo & Moominvalley Park ]
Q&A
- When was the Takazawa Family Residence Annex built?
- It was added around 1897, which makes it the newest of the five registered Takazawa buildings.
- Why was the Takazawa Family Residence Annex built?
- According to the Agency for Cultural Affairs, it was added as quarters for the master of the house because the number of live-in servants had grown.
- What is inside the Takazawa Family Residence Annex?
- Three eight-mat formal rooms, each with a tokonoma alcove, set in a row, plus a wood-floored room at the northeast corner. The building is 7 ken by 3 ken, with a building area of 126 square meters.
- Does the Takazawa Family Residence Annex have a tile roof?
- No. It is roofed in sheet steel pressed into the shape of pantiles, which is why it looks like tile. The roof is hipped at the west end and gabled at the east end.
- Can I go inside the Takazawa Family Residence Annex?
- No. The annex is not open to the public. Only part of the main house opens as the Takazawa Memorial Hall café and gallery.
Basic Information
| Name | Takazawa Family Residence Annex |
|---|---|
| Location | 3-5-41 Nagano, Gyoda City, Saitama Prefecture |
| Designation | Registered Tangible Cultural Property (Building) |
| Year Designated | Registered May 15, 2007 (54th round, registration no. 11-0103) |
| Quantity | 1 building |
| Dimensions | Building area 126 square meters; 7 by 3 ken |
| Owner | Private owner |
| Public Access | Interior not open (exterior only) |
References
- Agency for Cultural Affairs, National Cultural Properties Database: Takazawa Family Residence Annex
- https://kunishitei.bunka.go.jp/bsys/maindetails/101/00006015
- Cultural Heritage Online: Takazawa Family Residence Annex
- https://online.bunka.go.jp/heritages/detail/190740
- Gyoda City: Takazawa Family Residence (Main House and Four Other Buildings)
- https://www.city.gyoda.lg.jp/soshiki/shougaigakusyubu/bunkazaihogo/gyomu/rekishi_bunkazai/1/2323.html
- Takazawa Memorial Hall official website
- https://takazawakan.jimdofree.com/
Last verified: 2026.09.26
