About the Yamashita Family Residence Row House
The Yamashita Family Residence Row House (山下家住宅長屋, Yamashita-ke Jūtaku Nagaya) is a two-story timber outbuilding in Matsukawa-cho, Gotsu City, Shimane Prefecture, built at the end of the Edo period (1830 to 1867) and entered on Japan's register of Registered Tangible Cultural Properties on January 15, 2010. Its building area is 84 square meters.
The row house stands southwest of the main house with its ridge running north to south. On the ground floor, the south room was used by servants and the middle room was a stable. It gathered the farm's hired hands and its horse into one building, separate from the house where the family lived.
A Long Plan That Narrows at One End
The Yamashita Family Residence Row House is 15 meters long and 5.9 meters deep. At the north end, however, a 3.9-meter section is only 4.9 meters deep, so the plan steps in by a meter.
The roof is gabled (Kirizuma-zukuri) and covered with red Sekishū tiles (Sekishū-gawara). The walls are built in the Shinkabe manner, with the posts left visible and the wall panels set between them. Where the gate storehouse hides its timber under white plaster, the row house makes its framework part of the facade.
Three Rooms Up, Three Rooms Down, and a Stable
Inside, the Yamashita Family Residence Row House is divided into three rooms on each floor. On the ground floor the south room housed servants and the middle room was a stable, so people and a horse lived side by side, a single wall apart.
On a hill farm a horse was a working partner, pulling the plow and carrying loads. Keeping it next to the live-in workers who looked after it is a practical arrangement. The Agency for Cultural Affairs does not say how the three upstairs rooms were used.
Why the Row House Was Registered
The Yamashita Family Residence Row House was registered as a structure that contributes to the historic landscape of the country. The Agency for Cultural Affairs treats it as one of the elements that make up the layout of the estate.
It predates the main house of 1883, and its southwest position balances the gate storehouse at the southeast corner. With the main house at the center and these two buildings holding the front corners, the plan itself shows a farm where production and family life shared one enclosed site.
Seeing the Row House
The Yamashita Family Residence Row House stands on private property, and we found no official notice of openings. Being southwest of the main house, parts of its roof or gable end may be visible from the road, but that depends on where you stand.
Details such as the exposed posts and the narrowing at the north end are hard to make out without going onto the site. Stay on the road and respect the residents' privacy. Directions are on the Yamashita Family Residence page.
- 📍 Plan Your Visit to Shimane
- Find tours, activities & transport passes near Yamashita Family Residence Row House
- [ Izumo Taisha Shrine & Adachi Museum Gardens ]
Q&A
- When was the Yamashita Family Residence Row House built?
- At the end of the Edo period, between 1830 and 1867. It is older than the main house of 1883.
- What was the Yamashita Family Residence Row House used for?
- On the ground floor, the south room was used by servants and the middle room served as a stable.
- How big is the Yamashita Family Residence Row House?
- It is 15 meters long and 5.9 meters deep, narrowing to 4.9 meters over a 3.9-meter section at the north end. The building area is 84 square meters.
- What does the Yamashita Family Residence Row House look like from outside?
- It has a gabled roof of red Sekishū tiles and exposed-post shinkabe walls, so its timber frame shows on the facade, unlike the plastered storehouses.
- Can you visit the Yamashita Family Residence Row House?
- It is on private property and we found no official information about openings. You can look at the exterior from the road without entering.
Basic Information
| Name | Yamashita Family Residence Row House (山下家住宅長屋) |
|---|---|
| Location | 598 Hatada, Matsukawa-cho, Gotsu City, Shimane Prefecture |
| Designation | Registered Tangible Cultural Property (Structure) |
| Year Designated | 2010 (registered) |
| Quantity | 1 building |
| Dimensions | 15 m by 5.9 m (4.9 m deep over 3.9 m at the north end); building area 84 square meters (timber, two stories, tiled roof) |
| Owner | Not disclosed |
| Public Access | No public opening announced (on private property) |
References
- Database of National Cultural Properties (Agency for Cultural Affairs): Yamashita Family Residence Row House
- https://kunishitei.bunka.go.jp/bsys/maindetails/101/00008063
- Cultural Heritage Online: Yamashita Family Residence Row House
- https://online.bunka.go.jp/heritages/detail/140784
- 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
