An Annex Added in the Showa Period
The Satouchi Family Residence Annex (里内家住宅離れ) is a two-storey timber annex of around 1937 in Tehara, Ritto City, Shiga Prefecture, and was registered as a Registered Tangible Cultural Property (structure) on September 2, 1998 (Agency for Cultural Affairs). Its name is read Satouchi-ke Jūtaku Hanare.
The Agency records a two-storey timber building, tile-roofed, with a building area of 86 square metres; registration number 25-0045.
A Two-Storey Addition behind the Main House
The Satouchi Family Residence Annex was added around 1937 at the back of the main house, toward its west side (Agency for Cultural Affairs), some 65 years after the main house was built.
Where the main house is mostly single-storey with a low upper floor, the annex is a full two storeys, and its principal room is upstairs.
Why It Was Registered
The Satouchi Family Residence Annex was registered as a model of design (Agency for Cultural Affairs). The Agency sees it as a record of how life in a merchant household changed over time.
The difference in date shows in the placing of the main reception room, a Zashiki with a Tokonoma alcove, shelves and a writing bay, on the upper floor. The Agency also notes that its decoration was deliberately made different from the zashiki of the main house.
What to Look For
The point of interest in the Satouchi Family Residence Annex is the formal room raised to the upper floor. The Meiji main house kept its upper floor low; the Showa annex made the upper floor the place for its best room, so the same plot shows two attitudes to the second storey.
Visiting
The Satouchi Family Residence Annex stands behind the main house as part of a private home, and no official information on access was found.
Q&A
- When was the Satouchi Family Residence Annex built?
- Around 1937, as an addition at the back of the main house (Agency for Cultural Affairs).
- What is special about the Satouchi Family Residence Annex?
- Its main room, a zashiki with an alcove, shelves and a writing bay, is on the upper floor, unlike in the older main house (Agency for Cultural Affairs).
- Can I visit the Satouchi Family Residence Annex?
- It is part of a private home, and no official information on access was found.
- How large is the Satouchi Family Residence Annex?
- It is a two-storey, tile-roofed timber building covering 86 square metres (Agency for Cultural Affairs).
- When was the Satouchi Family Residence Annex registered?
- On September 2, 1998 (Agency for Cultural Affairs).
Basic Information
| Name | Satouchi Family Residence Annex (里内家住宅離れ) |
|---|---|
| Location | 3-4-31 Tehara, Ritto City, Shiga Prefecture |
| Designation | Registered Tangible Cultural Property (Structure) |
| Year Designated | Registered 1998/09/02 (Heisei 10) |
| Quantity | 1 building |
| Dimensions | Timber, two storeys, tile roof, 86 m² |
| Owner | Private owner |
| Public Access | Private home; not open to the public |
References
- Satouchi Family Residence Annex (Database of National Cultural Properties, Agency for Cultural Affairs)
- https://kunishitei.bunka.go.jp/heritage/detail/101/00000733
- National Registered Cultural Properties in Ritto (Ritto History and Folklore Museum, Japanese)
- https://www.city.ritto.lg.jp/hakubutsukan/sub220.htm
Last verified: 2026.11.09
