The Koizumi Family Residence Western-Style House
The Koizumi Family Residence Western-Style House (小泉家住宅洋館, Koizumi-ke Jūtaku Yōkan) is a two-storey timber house in Western style, built in about 1906 on the Koizumi estate in Gokasho Yamamoto-cho, Higashiomi City, Shiga Prefecture, renovated in about 1938 and registered as a Registered Tangible Cultural Property in 2015.
It stands midway along the west edge of the grounds, its ridge running north to south, and covers 44 square meters. The tiled roof is hipped-and-gabled at the south end and gabled at the north, with a lean-to along the west side.
Why the Western-Style House Was Registered
The Agency for Cultural Affairs points to one feature above all in the Koizumi Family Residence Western-Style House: Western design elements introduced at different times sit side by side in the same building.
Built at the end of the Meiji era and reworked around 1938, the house shows two rounds of borrowing from the West, one on each floor. It lets you see, in a single small building, how a provincial Japanese household took in Western design in stages.
What to Look For at the Western-Style House
Compare the two floors of the Koizumi Family Residence Western-Style House. The ground floor is plainly Western: tiled walls and vertical sash windows, with a band of Spanish tiles running around the building where the floors meet, acting as a drip course.
The upper floor turns back toward Japan. Posts and beams are exposed in the traditional way, and the Western touches shrink to double doors and glazed doors. With a Japanese tiled roof above, the house is Western below the waist and Japanese above it. Try to work out which features belong to the 1906 building and which to the 1938 renovation.
Seeing the Western-Style House
The Koizumi Family Residence Western-Style House is on private land and not open. It stands on the west side of the estate, but we could not confirm how much of it can be seen from the road. Visiting notes are on the Koizumi Family Residence page.
Q&A
- When was the Koizumi Family Residence Western-Style House built?
- The Koizumi Family Residence Western-Style House dates from about 1906 and was renovated in about 1938.
- When was the Koizumi Family Residence Western-Style House registered?
- The Koizumi Family Residence Western-Style House was registered as a Registered Tangible Cultural Property on August 4, 2015 (registration number 25-0364).
- What does the exterior of the Koizumi Family Residence Western-Style House look like?
- Tiled outer walls, a band of Spanish tiles between the floors and sash windows on the ground floor; the upper floor keeps a Japanese timber frame with double doors and glazed doors.
- Where does the Koizumi Family Residence Western-Style House stand?
- Midway along the west edge of the estate, on lot 266, with the large storehouse just to its north.
- Can I visit the Koizumi Family Residence Western-Style House?
- No. The Koizumi Family Residence Western-Style House is on private property and not open. We found no public-opening notice as of September 2026.
Basic Information
| Name | Koizumi Family Residence Western-Style House |
|---|---|
| Location | 266 Gokasho Yamamoto-cho, Higashiomi City, Shiga Prefecture |
| Designation | Registered Tangible Cultural Property (Structure) |
| Year Designated | Registered August 4, 2015 |
| Quantity | 1 building |
| Dimensions | Two-storey timber building, tiled roof, building area 44 square meters |
| Owner | Unknown (not listed in the Agency for Cultural Affairs database) |
| Public Access | Not open to the public (private property; no entry to the grounds) |
References
- Database of National Cultural Properties: 小泉家住宅洋館 (Agency for Cultural Affairs)
- https://kunishitei.bunka.go.jp/heritage/detail/101/00010630
Last verified: 2026.09.27
