About the Tsunematsu Family Residence Annex
The Tsunematsu Family Residence Annex (常松家住宅離れ, Tsunematsu-ke Jūtaku Hanare) is a two-story timber wing in Gui, Hikawa-cho, Izumo City, Shimane Prefecture, built in the early Meiji era and entered on Japan's register of Registered Tangible Cultural Properties on March 29, 2019. It covers a building area of 109 square meters.
The annex is joined to the east side of the main house and runs north to south. Since the main house runs east to west, the two form an L, and the Agency for Cultural Affairs treats this pair as the core of the estate. The annex was repaired around the Taisho era and again in the decade from 1955 to 1964.
Two Ends, Two Roof Shapes
The Tsunematsu Family Residence Annex is roofed in pantiles (Sangawara-buki), but its two ends are finished differently: the south end is hipped-and-gabled (Irimoya-zukuri) and the north end is a plain gable (Kirizuma-zukuri). The south end holds the guest rooms and the north end the rice store, which likely explains why the more formal shape faces south.
A lean-to roof (Geya) runs around all four sides of the two-story body. Next to the thatched main house, this tiled two-story wing is one of the tallest structures on the estate.
Rice Store and Reception Hall Under One Roof
The north end of the Tsunematsu Family Residence Annex is a rice store. South of it lie a large hall of seventeen and a half tatami mats and a ten-mat Zashiki, or formal guest room. A corridor runs along the east side, linking the rooms, and the upper floor was used for storage.
Grain from the harvest, a hall big enough for a crowd, and a room for receiving guests all share one building. For a landowning household, that combination suggests the annex handled both the movement of rice and the business of hosting visitors.
Why It Was Registered
The Tsunematsu Family Residence Annex was registered for its contribution to the historic landscape. A tiled two-story wing set in an L against a thatched main house forms the center of the Tsunematsu estate.
The annex is dated only to the early Meiji era, and published sources do not say whether it is older or younger than the main house of about 1874. It was worked on in the late 1950s or early 1960s, but the north-to-south sequence of rice store, hall and guest room survives.
Seeing the Annex
The Tsunematsu Family Residence Annex is part of a private home, and as of September 2026 we found no notice of interior openings. The rice store, hall and guest room are inside and cannot be seen from outside.
The annex stands east of the main house with its south end toward the front of the estate. What can be seen from the road, if anything, is that south end with its hipped-and-gabled roof. Please respect the residents' privacy when taking photographs. Directions are on the Tsunematsu Family Residence page.
Q&A
- When was the Tsunematsu Family Residence Annex built?
- In the early Meiji era. It was repaired around the Taisho era and again between 1955 and 1964.
- Where does the Tsunematsu Family Residence Annex stand?
- Joined to the east side of the main house, running north to south, so the two buildings form an L.
- What is inside the Tsunematsu Family Residence Annex?
- A rice store at the north end, then a hall of seventeen and a half tatami mats and a ten-mat guest room, with a corridor along the east side. The upper floor was used for storage.
- What is unusual about the roof of the Tsunematsu Family Residence Annex?
- The tiled roof is hipped-and-gabled at the south end and a plain gable at the north end, with a lean-to roof around all four sides.
- Can visitors see inside the Tsunematsu Family Residence Annex?
- It is a private home and we found no official information about openings. You can only look from the road without entering the grounds.
Basic Information
| Name | Tsunematsu Family Residence Annex (常松家住宅離れ) |
|---|---|
| Location | 333 Horikawa, Gui, Hikawa-cho, Izumo City, Shimane Prefecture |
| Designation | Registered Tangible Cultural Property (Structure) |
| Year Designated | 2019 (registered) |
| Quantity | 1 building |
| Dimensions | Building area 109 square meters (timber, two stories, tiled roof) |
| Owner | Private |
| Public Access | No public opening announced (private home; interior closed) |
References
- Database of National Cultural Properties (Agency for Cultural Affairs): Tsunematsu Family Residence Annex
- https://kunishitei.bunka.go.jp/bsys/maindetails/101/00012798
- Cultural Heritage Online: Tsunematsu Family Residence Annex
- https://online.bunka.go.jp/heritages/detail/403981
- Agency for Cultural Affairs press release on new Registered Tangible Cultural Properties (recommendation of November 16, 2018, in Japanese)
- https://www.bunka.go.jp/koho_hodo_oshirase/hodohappyo/__icsFiles/afieldfile/2018/12/14/a1411175_01_1.pdf
- Shimane Prefecture: List of Registered Tangible Cultural Properties (Structures) (in Japanese)
- https://www.pref.shimane.lg.jp/life/bunka/bunkazai/shimane/tourokubunkazai2.html
Last verified: 2026.09.29
