About the Yamamoto Family Residence Kamaya
The Yamamoto Family Residence Kamaya (山本家住宅釜屋, Yamamoto-ke Jūtaku Kamaya) is a small single-story timber building in Mori, Hakuta-cho, Yasugi City, Shimane Prefecture, built in the late Edo period (1830 to 1867) and entered on Japan's register of Registered Tangible Cultural Properties in 2005. It stands behind the main house toward the south and covers just 10 square meters, making it, with the small storehouse, the smallest of the seven Yamamoto buildings.
A kamaya is, in general, a building where a cauldron (kama) was set up for boiling water or cooking. The Agency for Cultural Affairs does not say how the Yamamoto Family Residence Kamaya was used. It registered the building as one that sets a model of form, calling it small and plain but indispensable to the back of the estate.
Chestnut Posts and a Boarded Base
The Yamamoto Family Residence Kamaya is built with exposed posts (Shinkabe) under a gabled pantile roof (Kirizuma-zukuri, Sangawara-buki) that runs east to west. The entrance is in the middle of the north wall, closed by a pair of sliding doors that part to either side.
The posts are chestnut, a wood valued in Japan for standing up to water and rot and long used where timber stays damp. The walls are finished at the middle coat of earth plaster, and the lower part is clad in overlapping horizontal boards held by vertical battens, the batten-fixed form of Shitami-itabari.
In a building of 10 square meters, the materials are chosen for use: chestnut posts, earth-plastered walls and a board skirt to take splashes and wear.
Why It Was Registered, and What to Notice
Along with the rear nagaya and the small storehouse, the Yamamoto Family Residence Kamaya is among the oldest buildings on the estate. It was already standing when the main house in front of it was built in 1884.
Look at it together with the small storehouse, its neighbor to the west and exactly the same size. The small storehouse is an earthen storehouse with carefully applied Shikkui plaster; the kamaya is a post-and-plaster shed. Even the doors differ, set in the middle of the north wall here and in the east gable there.
Visiting the Yamamoto Family Residence Kamaya
The Yamamoto Family Residence Kamaya has no announced public opening. A single-story hut in the shadow of the main house, it is unlikely to be visible from the road.
No official word on photography has been given. Enjoy the estate from the road rather than trying to see into the hut. Access details and viewing conditions are on the Yamamoto Family Residence page.
- 📍 Plan Your Visit to Shimane
- Find tours, activities & transport passes near Yamamoto Family Residence Kamaya
- [ Izumo Taisha Shrine & Adachi Museum Gardens ]
Q&A
- Can you visit the Yamamoto Family Residence Kamaya?
- No public opening has been announced and the interior cannot be seen. It stands behind the main house and is hard to see from the road.
- When was the Yamamoto Family Residence Kamaya built?
- In the late Edo period (1830 to 1867), before the 1884 main house.
- What was the Yamamoto Family Residence Kamaya used for?
- A kamaya is generally a building for a cauldron used to boil water or cook, but the Agency for Cultural Affairs does not describe how this one was used.
- What wood are the posts of the Yamamoto Family Residence Kamaya?
- Chestnut. The walls are finished at the middle coat of earth plaster, with batten-fixed horizontal boards on the lower part.
- What is the registration number of the Yamamoto Family Residence Kamaya?
- 32-0039. It was registered as a building that sets a model of form.
Basic Information
| Name | Yamamoto Family Residence Kamaya (山本家住宅釜屋) |
|---|---|
| Location | 71 Mori, Hakuta-cho, Yasugi City, Shimane Prefecture |
| Designation | Registered Tangible Cultural Property (Structure) |
| Year Designated | 2005 (registered) |
| Quantity | 1 building |
| Dimensions | Building area 10 square meters (single-story timber, tiled roof) |
| Owner | Not disclosed |
| Public Access | No public opening announced |
References
- Database of National Cultural Properties (Agency for Cultural Affairs): Yamamoto Family Residence Kamaya
- https://kunishitei.bunka.go.jp/bsys/maindetails/101/00004620
- Cultural Heritage Online: Yamamoto Family Residence Kamaya (Japanese)
- https://online.bunka.go.jp/heritages/detail/189350
- Shimane Prefecture: Registered Cultural Properties (Japanese)
- https://www.pref.shimane.lg.jp/life/bunka/bunkazai/shimane/tourokubunkazai2.html
Last verified: 2026.09.29
