About the Yamashita Family Residence Annex
The Yamashita Family Residence Annex (山下家住宅離れ, Yamashita-ke Jūtaku Hanare) is a two-story timber guest wing in Matsukawa-cho, Gotsu City, Shimane Prefecture, built in 1929 and entered on Japan's register of Registered Tangible Cultural Properties on January 15, 2010. It covers a building area of 109 square meters.
The annex is joined to the east end of the main house, with its ridge running east to west. It went up 46 years after the main house of 1883, and together with the well shed and the gate and tsuiji wall it belongs to the Showa-era additions to the estate.
A Gabled Core Wrapped in Lower Roofs
The Yamashita Family Residence Annex has a gabled main roof (Kirizuma-zukuri). On the east side a single-pitch roof has been added, and lean-to eaves (Hisashi) run along the south and north sides. Like the main house, it is roofed in red Sekishū tiles (Sekishū-gawara).
With low roofs on three sides of the gabled core, the two-story block is ringed by eaves at a lower level. Next to the broad roof of the main house, the annex reads as smaller and more finely layered, a stack of eave lines rather than one big slope.
Formal Rooms on Both Floors
Both floors of the Yamashita Family Residence Annex are given over to Zashiki, tatami reception rooms laid out in connecting pairs. Providing formal rooms on two levels says a good deal about what the Yamashita household wanted this building for in the late 1920s.
The rooms are fitted with a Tokonoma display alcove, Chigaidana staggered shelves and a Tsukeshoin, a built-in writing desk set into a window bay. These are the three elements of the Shoin-zukuri tradition of formal interiors, and having all three marks a room meant for receiving guests with some ceremony. The Agency for Cultural Affairs describes the writing-desk bay as delicately made and calls the annex a formal reception room of good quality.
The ground floor also contains a study, a book room and a bath. Putting a library and a place to write under the same roof as the reception rooms suggests a family that wanted space for reading and leisure apart from the farm work centered on the main house.
What the Annex Adds to the Estate
The Yamashita Family Residence Annex was registered as a structure that contributes to the historic landscape of the country. If the main house of 1883 was built for family life and farm work, the annex shows the same household in the early Showa era setting aside a separate building for hospitality and learning.
South of the annex lies a garden enclosed by the plastered wall and gate from the early Showa era. The rooms are placed to look out over that garden, which fits the annex's role as the part of the estate where guests were received.
Seeing the Annex
The Yamashita Family Residence Annex is part of a private home, and we found no official notice of openings of its rooms. The alcove and the writing-desk bay are interior fittings, so they cannot be seen from outside.
The annex stands east of the main house, with the walled garden on its south side, so expect to see little more than parts of its roof from the road. If you take photographs, respect the residents' privacy and do not look over the wall. Directions are on the Yamashita Family Residence page.
- 📍 Plan Your Visit to Shimane
- Find tours, activities & transport passes near Yamashita Family Residence Annex
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Q&A
- When was the Yamashita Family Residence Annex built?
- In 1929, 46 years after the main house of 1883. It is joined to the east end of the main house.
- What is inside the Yamashita Family Residence Annex?
- Connecting tatami reception rooms on both floors, fitted with a tokonoma alcove, staggered shelves and a built-in writing-desk bay. The ground floor also has a study, a book room and a bath.
- Why is the writing-desk bay of the Yamashita Family Residence Annex mentioned?
- The Agency for Cultural Affairs describes it as delicately made, and it is one reason the annex is judged a formal reception room of good quality.
- Can you go inside the Yamashita Family Residence Annex?
- It is a private home and we found no official information about openings. The interior fittings cannot be seen from outside.
- When did the Yamashita Family Residence Annex become a Registered Tangible Cultural Property?
- On January 15, 2010, together with the other seven structures of the estate. Its registration number is 32-0110.
Basic Information
| Name | Yamashita Family Residence Annex (山下家住宅離れ) |
|---|---|
| Location | 598 Hatada, Matsukawa-cho, Gotsu City, Shimane Prefecture |
| Designation | Registered Tangible Cultural Property (Structure) |
| Year Designated | 2010 (registered) |
| Quantity | 1 building |
| Dimensions | Building area 109 square meters (timber, two stories, tiled roof) |
| Owner | Not disclosed |
| Public Access | No public opening announced (private home; interior closed) |
References
- Database of National Cultural Properties (Agency for Cultural Affairs): Yamashita Family Residence Annex
- https://kunishitei.bunka.go.jp/bsys/maindetails/101/00008060
- Cultural Heritage Online: Yamashita Family Residence Annex
- https://online.bunka.go.jp/heritages/detail/165171
- 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
