A Thatched Farmhouse in the Upper Ane Valley
The Oku-Ibuki Hometown Folklore Museum (奥伊吹ふるさと伝承館, Oku-Ibuki Furusato Denshōkan) is a thatched farmhouse of the late Edo period (1751 to 1829) in Kozuhara, a village on the upper Ane River north of Mt. Ibuki in Maibara City, Shiga Prefecture, and was registered as a Registered Tangible Cultural Property (structure) on January 31, 2003 (Agency for Cultural Affairs).
The Agency for Cultural Affairs records a single-storey timber building with a thatched roof and a building area of 98 square metres; registration number 25-0203, owned by the Kozuhara community.
A House That Escaped the Fires
According to the Agency for Cultural Affairs, the house is said to have survived the great fire of 1836. The town received it as a gift from its former owners, the Takenaka family, moved and repaired it, and uses it as a folk museum.
The Kozuhara Community Center notes that the village suffered four great fires in some thirty years of the late Edo period, and that this house is a rare farmhouse that escaped them. Maibara City says the Kozuhara community runs it as a museum to pass on the village's fading history and folk culture.
Why It Was Registered
The Oku-Ibuki Hometown Folklore Museum was registered as a structure contributing to the historic landscape of the country. The Agency for Cultural Affairs describes a farmhouse entered from the gable end, with a hip-and-gable thatched roof, on the upper Ane River north of Mt. Ibuki.
What to Look For
According to the Agency for Cultural Affairs, Noh plays, still performed in the area, are said to have been staged in the daidoko, the main living room. Maibara City notes that the floorboards of the daidoko run lengthwise, and that Noh masks are kept at Tenman Shrine, the village's tutelary shrine.
The Kozuhara Community Center says hemp textiles once woven in the village are displayed inside.
Visiting
Maibara City's page, last updated in 2017, gives opening on Saturdays, Sundays and public holidays from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m., with free admission. The Kozuhara Community Center, however, describes opening as irregular, so check before visiting.
The museum is in Kozuhara, Maibara City (897 Kozuhara according to the community center). Enquiries go to the Maibara City Lifelong Learning Division (0749-53-5154).
Q&A
- When was the Oku-Ibuki Hometown Folklore Museum built?
- In the late Edo period (1751 to 1829), according to the Agency for Cultural Affairs.
- What are the building's features?
- A thatched hip-and-gable farmhouse entered from the gable end, said to have survived the fire of 1836 (Agency for Cultural Affairs).
- Was Noh performed here?
- Noh is said to have been staged in the daidoko living room (Agency for Cultural Affairs; Maibara City).
- Can I visit?
- The community runs it as a museum; Maibara City gives weekends and holidays, 10:00 to 15:00, free, but opening may be irregular, so check first.
- When was the museum registered?
- On January 31, 2003.
Basic Information
| Name | Oku-Ibuki Hometown Folklore Museum (奥伊吹ふるさと伝承館) |
|---|---|
| Location | Kozuhara, Maibara City, Shiga Prefecture |
| Designation | Registered Tangible Cultural Property (Structure) |
| Year Designated | Registered 2003/01/31 (Heisei 15) |
| Quantity | 1 building |
| Dimensions | Single-storey timber building, thatched roof, building area 98 square metres |
| Owner | Kozuhara community |
| Public Access | Folk museum (check opening days; free) |
References
- Oku-Ibuki Hometown Folklore Museum (Database of National Cultural Properties, Agency for Cultural Affairs)
- https://kunishitei.bunka.go.jp/heritage/detail/101/00003107
- Oku-Ibuki Hometown Folklore Museum (Maibara City, Japanese)
- https://www.city.maibara.lg.jp/soshiki/kyoiku/rekishi/shiryokan/2839.html
- Oku-Ibuki Hometown Folklore Museum (Kozuhara Community Center, Japanese)
- https://kozuhara.com/aboutmore/densyoukan/
Last verified: 2026.10.14