About the Nakamura Family Residence Main House
The Nakamura Family Residence Main House (中村家住宅主屋, Nakamura-ke Jūtaku Shuoku) is the dwelling of a former village headman (Shōya) in Onuki, Sakurae-cho, Gotsu City, Shimane Prefecture, built in 1882 and entered on Japan's register of Registered Tangible Cultural Properties on January 8, 2009. It has a building area of 260 square meters; it was extended in 1885 and renovated in 1988.
The house stands in the exact center of the estate and faces west, ringed by storehouses, a tool shed and the stone wall. Of the seven registered parts of the Nakamura Family Residence, it is the only one listed as a model of design.
Red Tiles and White Walls
The main roof is gabled (Kirizuma-zukuri) and laid with red Sekishū tiles (Sekishū-gawara), the glazed tile made in western Shimane. Lean-to eaves (Geya) wrap around three sides of it, and a two-story wooden annex projects from the south face. The walls are sealed in white Shikkui plaster, a combination the Agency for Cultural Affairs describes as dignified.
The Agency's database lists the Nakamura Family Residence Main House as a single-story building in its structure field but calls it a tsushi two-story house in its description. A Tsushi-nikai is the low loft under the main roof, used for storage, and is not counted as a full upper floor. The two entries read as two ways of counting that loft.
The lean-to eaves hold the eave line low, and the big gable rides above them. From the west, the house should show that two-tier profile of low eaves and a high ridge.
An Earthen Work Floor and Six Rooms
Inside the Nakamura Family Residence Main House, the north end is an earth-floored work area (Doma) and the south side is raised and floored. The floored part follows a Rokumadori plan, six rooms arranged in two rows. The formal room is fitted with a Tokonoma alcove and the other fixtures of a reception room (Zashiki-kazari).
Putting the work floor, where grain was handled and meals were cooked, under the same roof as the family rooms and a formal room for guests is the basic pattern of the Japanese farmhouse. Six rooms is a generous plan, which fits a headman's house that regularly received visitors on village business.
Opposite the back door of the work floor stands the back storehouse, so the house and its store were linked by a single path from the rear door.
Why the Main House Matters
The Nakamura Family Residence Main House was registered as a model of design, meaning a building good enough to serve as a reference for others in its area. It brings together the red Sekishū tile, white plaster and lean-to eaves around a gabled roof that the other buildings of the estate share.
It is also younger than some of its neighbors. The back storehouse and the rice and sundries storehouse date from the Edo period, while the house went up in 1882 and was enlarged in 1885. The family kept its Edo-period stores and rebuilt the dwelling, and this house was the center of that early Meiji reworking of the estate.
Seeing the Main House
The Nakamura Family Residence Main House is a private home. As of September 2026 we found no official notice of interior openings or visits. The work floor and the six rooms are inside and cannot be seen unless the owners open the house.
The house faces west, toward the stone wall and the Kido-michi passage, so any view from outside will be of that side. Please stay off the property and do not peer into the house. Directions are on the Nakamura Family Residence (Gotsu) page.
- 📍 Plan Your Visit to Shimane
- Find tours, activities & transport passes near Nakamura Family Residence Main House
- [ Izumo Taisha Shrine & Adachi Museum Gardens ]
Q&A
- When was the Nakamura Family Residence Main House built?
- In 1882. It was extended in 1885 and renovated in 1988.
- What does the Nakamura Family Residence Main House look like?
- It has a large gabled roof of red Sekishū tiles with lean-to eaves on three sides, white plastered walls, and a two-story wooden annex on the south side.
- What is the layout inside the Nakamura Family Residence Main House?
- The north end is an earth-floored work area and the south side is a six-room floored section. The formal room has a tokonoma alcove and related fixtures.
- Why was the Nakamura Family Residence Main House registered?
- It was registered as a model of design. It is the only one of the seven parts of the estate registered under that criterion.
- Can you visit the Nakamura Family Residence Main House?
- It is a private home, and as of September 2026 we found no official information about interior openings. Please do not enter the property.
Basic Information
| Name | Nakamura Family Residence Main House (中村家住宅主屋) |
|---|---|
| Location | 378-1 Onuki, Sakurae-cho, Gotsu City, Shimane Prefecture |
| Designation | Registered Tangible Cultural Property (Structure) |
| Year Designated | 2009 (registered) |
| Quantity | 1 building |
| Dimensions | Building area 260 square meters (wooden, single story, tiled roof) |
| Owner | Not disclosed |
| Public Access | No public opening announced (private home) |
References
- Database of National Cultural Properties (Agency for Cultural Affairs): Nakamura Family Residence Main House
- https://kunishitei.bunka.go.jp/bsys/maindetails/101/00007546
- Cultural Heritage Online: Nakamura Family Residence Main House
- https://online.bunka.go.jp/heritages/detail/143308
- Shimane Prefecture: List of Registered Tangible Cultural Properties (Structures)
- https://www.pref.shimane.lg.jp/life/bunka/bunkazai/shimane/tourokubunkazai2.html
Last verified: 2026.09.29
