Nakano Family Residence Main House

A Townhouse of 1872 in Old Otsu

The Nakano Family Residence Main House (中野家住宅主屋) is a two-storey townhouse of 1872 in Chuo, Otsu City, Shiga Prefecture, and was registered as a Registered Tangible Cultural Property (structure) on August 13, 2012 (Agency for Cultural Affairs). It was altered in 1934.

The Agency records a two-storey timber building with a tiled roof and a building area of 166 square metres; registration number 25-0311.

A Townhouse Facing the Street

The Nakano Family Residence Main House is a two-storey townhouse facing the street to the west, under a gabled roof of interlocking pantiles (Agency for Cultural Affairs). The lower part of the front is faced with granite, and the upper floor keeps its mushiko-mado, the small slatted "insect-cage" windows long used on townhouses in this region.

Through the northern half of the house runs a wide earthen passage, built so that rice could be carried in and out (Agency for Cultural Affairs). There is no ceiling above it, so the heavy roof framing is left open to view. The annex stands along the north side of the eastern half of the house, and the storehouse lies beyond a courtyard at the back.

Why It Was Registered

The Agency describes the Nakano Family Residence Main House as an example of a townhouse remodelled by the eaves cutting of the early Showa era, and registered it for its contribution to the historic landscape. A walking map by Machizukuri Otsu explains that a project to move the street gutters in that period forced many townhouses in Otsu Hyakucho to cut back their fronts. The alterations of 1934 to this house belong to that moment.

What to Look For

From the street you can see the granite-faced lower front and the insect-cage windows on the upper floor (Agency for Cultural Affairs). Townhouses that went through eaves cutting have shallow eaves, with the ground-floor front pulled close to the street. Standing before the Nakano Family Residence Main House, compare the upper windows with the line of the granite facing below. The earthen passage and open roof framing inside are known from the Agency's records; no public viewing is announced.

Visiting

The Nakano Family Residence Main House is a private home, and no official information on interior access was found. It can be seen from the street only. No official guidance on photography was found.