The House at the Heart of the Compound
The Omi Hino Merchant Museum (Former Yamanaka Hyoemon Family Residence) Main House (近江日野商人館（旧山中兵右衛門家住宅）主屋) is the principal dwelling of the Hino home of the merchant Yamanaka Hyoemon in Okubo, Hino, Shiga Prefecture; it was built in 1936 and registered as a Registered Tangible Cultural Property on 16 January 1998. Today it serves as the exhibition building of the town's Omi Hino Merchant Museum.
The national register records a wooden, 2-storey building with a tiled roof and a footprint of 280 square metres, far larger than anything else in the compound. It reads most easily in three parts. At the centre stands a 2-storey block under an Irimoya-zukuri hip-and-gable roof; single-storey wings are attached on either side, a zashiki reception wing on one and a kamaya, or kitchen wing, on the other.
The museum says the main house of the Former Yamanaka Hyoemon Family Residence went up between 1936 and 1939 as an otasuke fushin, a project that gave local tradesmen work in hard times. The national database gives 1936, the year building began.
A Corridor Between Two Worlds
Of the six registered buildings at the Former Yamanaka Hyoemon Family Residence, only the main house is listed as a model of design. The other five are recognised for their contribution to the historic landscape.
What the Agency for Cultural Affairs singles out is the ground-floor plan of the central block. A corridor runs through the middle of the house, with Japanese-style tatami rooms on one side and Western-style rooms on the other, and the Agency sees this arrangement as characteristic of the fine Japanese-style houses of the early Showa era. From outside it looks every inch a traditional tiled mansion; inside, the circulation has been rethought for a modern household.
The museum's list of ground-floor rooms shows how. There is a maid's room of 6 tatami mats, a living room of 3 mats, 2 Western-style parlours, the master's room of 8 mats, the mistress's room of 6 mats and a small telephone room. At the back lies the oku-zashiki, an inner reception suite in Shoin-zukuri style made up of a 10-mat formal room and a 10-mat room for the family altar. Servants, husband, wife, guests and a telephone all had their own place under one roof.
What to Look For
Start by finding the telephone room. Giving the telephone a small room of its own was a thoroughly up-to-date idea in 1936, and it shows how readily the family took to new conveniences.
The two Western-style parlours now hold displays on medieval Hino and on the town's festivals, while the maid's room covers Hino lacquerware and Hino's compounded medicines. As you look at the exhibits, notice the size of each room, where the windows sit and how the rooms relate to the corridor; that is the plan the Agency praised, and in the Main House of the Omi Hino Merchant Museum you can walk it.
The oku-zashiki is the most formal space in the main house. The museum's own photograph shows the garden framed from inside this room, and sitting on the tatami looking out is the way it was meant to be seen. At certain times of year the master's and mistress's rooms, the oku-zashiki and the altar room are given over to temporary exhibitions, which changes their character.
Seeing Inside the Main House
You can go inside the main house of the Former Yamanaka Hyoemon Family Residence whenever the museum is open, on the normal admission ticket. According to the museum, staff will walk visitors around the ground floor and explain the rooms on request, though these building tours are not offered during the Hina doll exhibition in February and March.
The upper floor holds the historical displays and is shown only by special request and when enough staff are on duty, so phone ahead if you want to see it. The museum's published information does not mention photography, so check at reception before taking pictures. Opening hours, admission and directions are on the Omi Hino Merchant Museum page.
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Q&A
- Can you go inside the main house of the Omi Hino Merchant Museum?
- Yes. The ground-floor rooms are open whenever the museum is, and staff will give a guided explanation on request, except during the Hina doll exhibition in February and March.
- When was the main house of the Former Yamanaka Hyoemon Family Residence built?
- The national register dates it to 1936. The museum says construction ran from 1936 to 1939 as an otasuke fushin, a project to provide local work.
- Why is the Omi Hino Merchant Museum main house a Registered Tangible Cultural Property?
- Its ground-floor plan, with a central corridor dividing Japanese and Western rooms, is seen as typical of early Showa Japanese-style mansions. It was registered as a model of design on 16 January 1998.
- What exhibits are in the Omi Hino Merchant Museum main house?
- The Western-style parlours cover medieval Hino and the town festivals, and the maid's room covers Hino lacquerware and medicines. Upstairs are displays on Hino peddling and branch-shop trade, and some reception rooms host seasonal exhibitions.
- Is the upper floor of the Omi Hino Merchant Museum main house open?
- Only by special request and when staff are available, according to the museum. It is best to phone before your visit.
Basic Information
| Name | Omi Hino Merchant Museum (Former Yamanaka Hyoemon Family Residence) Main House (近江日野商人館（旧山中兵右衛門家住宅）主屋) |
|---|---|
| Location | 1011 Okubo, Hino-cho, Gamo-gun, Shiga Prefecture |
| Designation | Registered Tangible Cultural Property (Building) |
| Year Designated | Registered 1998/1/16 (Heisei 10) |
| Quantity | 1 building |
| Dimensions | Wooden, 2 storeys, tiled roof; building area 280 square metres |
| Owner | Hino Town |
| Public Access | Open as the exhibition building of the Omi Hino Merchant Museum; the interior can be seen during museum hours |
References
- Cultural Heritage Database, Agency for Cultural Affairs: 近江日野商人館（旧山中兵右衛門家住宅）主屋
- https://kunishitei.bunka.go.jp/bsys/maindetails/101/00000437
- Cultural Heritage Online: 近江日野商人館（旧山中兵右衛門家住宅）主屋
- https://online.bunka.go.jp/heritages/detail/113517
- Omi Hino Merchant Museum: facility guide
- https://hinosyouninkan.jp/shiseturiyou/
Last verified: 2026.09.24
