A Tall House of the Taisho Era
The Nomura Family Residence Main House (野村家住宅主屋) is a two-storey timber house of 1919 in Ozawa-cho, Higashiomi City, Shiga Prefecture, and was registered as a Registered Tangible Cultural Property (structure) on July 1, 2003 (Agency for Cultural Affairs).
The Agency records a two-storey timber house with a tiled roof and a building area of 140 square metres; registration number 25-0226.
Four Rooms Up, Four Rooms Down
The Nomura Family Residence Main House stands on a plot near the middle of the village of Ozawa-cho, facing southwest (Agency for Cultural Affairs). Under its tiled roof, the ground floor has an earth-floored work area and, beside it, a raised section of four rooms laid out in a neat square of two by two.
The upper floor repeats the same four-square plan with tatami rooms, so formal rooms are stacked on both levels. The guest room has a tokonoma alcove and staggered display shelves, finished with care (Agency for Cultural Affairs). Giving the whole upper floor over to rooms of this kind suggests the house was meant for receiving guests as well as for daily life.
Why It Was Registered
The Agency points to the tall elevation, the gently swelling roof and the mushiko-mado slatted windows on the upper floor, details that catch the eye all over the exterior, and registered the Nomura Family Residence Main House for its contribution to the historic landscape. It was registered on the same day as the storehouse and the rice storehouse; of the three, it is the only one listed for its place in the landscape rather than as a model of design.
What to Look For
From outside, follow the line of the roof first. A swelling roof curves gently upward between ridge and eaves, which gives the eaves a softer look than a straight pitch. On the upper floor, the mushiko-mado are narrow vertical slats plastered over with clay, and they tighten the tall upper wall.
The Nomura Family Residence Main House faces southwest, so its front catches the sun in the afternoon, when the curve of the roof and the shadows of the slats are easiest to read.
Visiting
No official information on interior visits to the Nomura Family Residence Main House was found. The alcove rooms and the four-square plans cannot be seen from outside; if you look at the house, do so from the road.
Q&A
- When was the Nomura Family Residence Main House built?
- In 1919 (Agency for Cultural Affairs).
- How is the Nomura Family Residence Main House laid out?
- Four rooms in a two-by-two square beside an earth-floored area downstairs, and four tatami rooms in the same pattern upstairs.
- What should I look for on the outside?
- The tall elevation, the gently swelling roof and the slatted mushiko-mado windows on the upper floor.
- Can I visit the Nomura Family Residence Main House?
- No official information on interior visits was found; please view it only from the road.
- When was the Nomura Family Residence Main House registered?
- On July 1, 2003 (Agency for Cultural Affairs).
Basic Information
| Name | Nomura Family Residence Main House (野村家住宅主屋) |
|---|---|
| Location | 656 Ozawa-cho, Higashiomi City, Shiga Prefecture |
| Designation | Registered Tangible Cultural Property (Structure) |
| Year Designated | Registered 2003/07/01 (Heisei 15) |
| Quantity | 1 building |
| Dimensions | Two-storey timber, tiled roof, 140 m² |
| Owner | Not listed in the Agency database |
| Public Access | No public opening announced (exterior from the road) |
References
- Nomura Family Residence Main House (Database of National Cultural Properties, Agency for Cultural Affairs)
- https://kunishitei.bunka.go.jp/heritage/detail/101/00003436
- Nomura Family Residence Main House (Cultural Heritage Online, Japanese)
- https://bunka.nii.ac.jp/heritages/detail/179656
Last verified: 2026.10.19
