A Headman's House in the Hills of Western Izu
The Kaise Family Residence Main House (海瀬家住宅主屋) is the main house of a village headman's family of the late Edo period in Nishiurakochi, Numazu City, Shizuoka Prefecture, and was registered as a Registered Tangible Cultural Property (structure) on August 7, 2023 (Agency for Cultural Affairs).
The Agency records a single-storey timber building with a tiled roof and a building area of 223 square metres, altered around 1929; registration number 22-0318.
An Old Family House in the Izu Hills
The Kaise Family Residence Main House belongs to an old family in a hill village in the north-west of the Izu Peninsula: a hipped building entered from the long side, now under pantiles but originally thatched (Agency for Cultural Affairs). The earth-floored area lies to the north-east and six raised rooms to the south-west, with the private rooms at the back.
According to Numazu City, the Kaise family served as headmen of Kochi village from the Edo into the Meiji period, and the house is thought to be the oldest surviving dwelling in the city. Its nails and other details make a late Edo date certain; the thatch was replaced with tiles around 1929, but the basic frame survives.
Why It Was Registered
The Agency notes that the three open front rooms in a row receive the portable shrine and host sacred dances at festival time, and registered it, as a house that conveys the standing of a headman in the Izu region, for its contribution to the historic landscape.
What to Look For
Look for the three front rooms in a row where the portable shrine is set and sacred dances are performed (Agency for Cultural Affairs). According to Numazu City, at the Tenno festival of Kochi the shrine rests in the back room, the dances take place in the middle room and the audience sits in the front room.
Visiting
The Agency record lists a general incorporated association as the owner. According to a 2023 announcement by Numazu City, the house is the Kaise family's home and the interior is not normally open to visitors.
Q&A
- When was the Kaise Family Residence Main House built?
- In the late Edo period; altered around 1929 (Agency for Cultural Affairs).
- Who were the Kaise family?
- Headmen of Kochi village from the Edo into the Meiji period (Numazu City).
- What part does it play in festivals?
- The portable shrine is set in its front rooms and sacred dances are performed there.
- Can visitors go inside?
- Not normally; it is a family home (Numazu City, 2023).
- When was the Kaise Family Residence Main House registered?
- On August 7, 2023 (Agency for Cultural Affairs).
Basic Information
| Name | Kaise Family Residence Main House (海瀬家住宅主屋) |
|---|---|
| Location | 171-1 Nishiurakochi, Numazu City, Shizuoka Prefecture |
| Designation | Registered Tangible Cultural Property (Structure) |
| Year Designated | Registered 2023/08/07 (Reiwa 5) |
| Quantity | 1 building |
| Dimensions | Single-storey timber, tiled roof, 223 m² |
| Owner | A general incorporated association |
| Public Access | Interior not normally open (Numazu City, 2023) |
References
- Kaise Family Residence Main House (Database of National Cultural Properties, Agency for Cultural Affairs)
- https://kunishitei.bunka.go.jp/heritage/detail/101/00014608
- Opening of the Kaise house interior (Numazu City press release, July 14, 2023)
- https://www.city.numazu.shizuoka.jp/shisei/pr/press/pdf/2023/20230714_4.pdf
Last verified: 2026.10.22