About the Okuno Motoke Residence Main House
The Okuno Motoke Residence Main House (奥野本家住宅主屋, Okuno Motoke Jūtaku Shuoku) is a town house in Mori, Hakuta-cho, Yasugi City, Shimane Prefecture, built in 1872 and registered as a Registered Tangible Cultural Property in 2005. It is a single-story timber building with an upper floor over part of it, and at 365 square meters it is by far the largest of the five registered buildings on the estate.
Its tiled roof is gabled (Kirizuma-zukuri) with the entrance on the long side (Hirairi), and the house faces east onto the old road through Mori. The Agency for Cultural Affairs registered the Okuno Motoke main house as a model of form and calls it an early-Meiji Machiya that serves as a landmark for the district.
A Single Story That Reads as Two
What you notice first about the Okuno Motoke Residence Main House is its height. Only part of it has a second floor, so on paper it is a one-story house, yet the Agency's description points out that its tall elevation makes it look like an imposing two-story building from the street.
Lean-to eaves (Geya) wrap the front and both side walls, and at the back a wing called a tsunoya projects to the rear. The gabled main block is ringed by these lower roofs, and the rear wing uses the depth of the plot to add floor space.
In 1872 the Meiji Restoration was only four years old. The Okuno Motoke main house keeps the familiar shape of an Edo-period town house but builds it at a much larger scale.
A Sukiya Parlor and an Open-Beamed Work Floor
According to the Agency for Cultural Affairs, the interior of the Okuno Motoke Residence Main House has two highlights: a refined Sukiya-zukuri-style parlor and an earth-floored area whose heavy roof beams are left exposed.
One space is made with slender timbers and careful finishes, the other with rough, muscular framing overhead. Rooms for receiving guests and floors for work sit under the same roof, as they did in large town houses. Public viewing of the interior has not been confirmed, so this description rests on the Agency's text.
Visiting the Okuno Motoke Residence Main House
The Okuno Motoke Residence Main House belongs to Yasugi City, but no opening days or admission charges are published. To ask about seeing the interior, contact the Culture Division of the Yasugi City Board of Education ahead of time; otherwise, enjoy the front from the road.
Because it faces the road, the main house is the easiest of the five buildings to see. The eaves running across the front and sides and the tall street front can be taken in from outside. There is no official guidance on photography. Directions and general visiting conditions are on the Okuno Motoke Residence page.
- 📍 Plan Your Visit to Shimane
- Find tours, activities & transport passes near Okuno Motoke Residence Main House
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Q&A
- Can you visit the Okuno Motoke Residence Main House?
- It is owned by Yasugi City, but no opening days or fees are published. Ask the Culture Division of the Yasugi City Board of Education in advance about the interior; the exterior can be seen from the road.
- When was the Okuno Motoke Residence Main House built?
- In 1872. Only the treasure house on the same estate, dated 1858, is older.
- Is the Okuno Motoke Residence Main House a two-story building?
- Only part of it has an upper floor; it is classed as single-story. Its tall street front makes it look like a two-story house.
- What is inside the Okuno Motoke Residence Main House?
- The Agency for Cultural Affairs highlights a refined sukiya-style parlor and an earth-floored area with exposed heavy beams.
- How do you pronounce the name of the Okuno Motoke Residence Main House?
- The Agency gives the reading Okuno Motoke Jūtaku Shuoku. Motoke is the reading here of 本家, normally honke, meaning the main family.
Basic Information
| Name | Okuno Motoke Residence Main House (奥野本家住宅主屋) |
|---|---|
| Location | 27 Mori, Hakuta-cho, Yasugi City, Shimane Prefecture |
| Designation | Registered Tangible Cultural Property (Structure) |
| Year Designated | 2005 (registered) |
| Quantity | 1 building |
| Dimensions | Building area 365 square meters (timber, single-story with partial upper floor, tiled roof) |
| Owner | Yasugi City |
| Public Access | No public opening announced; exterior visible from the road |
References
- Database of National Cultural Properties (Agency for Cultural Affairs): Okuno Motoke Residence Main House
- https://kunishitei.bunka.go.jp/bsys/maindetails/101/00004610
- Cultural Heritage Online: Okuno Motoke Residence Main House (Japanese)
- https://bunka.nii.ac.jp/heritages/detail/189340
- Shimane Prefecture: List of Registered Tangible Cultural Properties (Japanese)
- https://www.pref.shimane.lg.jp/life/bunka/bunkazai/shimane/tourokubunkazai2.html
- Yasugi City: Registered Tangible Cultural Properties in Yasugi (PDF, Japanese)
- https://www.city.yasugi.shimane.jp/kurashi/bunka/bunkazai/sibunkazai.data/tourokubunkazai.pdf
- Yasugi City: Cultural Properties of Yasugi (contact: Board of Education Culture Division)
- https://www.city.yasugi.shimane.jp/kurashi/bunka/bunkazai/sibunkazai.html
Last verified: 2026.10.06
