What Is the Okawa Family Residence Main House?
The Okawa Family Residence Main House (大川家住宅主屋, Ōkawa-ke Jūtaku Shuoku) is the principal dwelling of the Okawa estate in Omata-cho, Ashikaga City, Tochigi Prefecture; a 2-storey timber house of the early Meiji era, it was registered as a Registered Tangible Cultural Property on 18 March 2003. With a building area of 317 square meters, it is the largest of the seven registered buildings.
It stands in the middle of the estate on high ground backed by hills to the north, its long ridge running east to west. The house measures 10.5 by 4.5 Ken (the traditional bay unit of about 1.8 meters) under a gabled roof of Sangawara-buki pantiles. A Geya lean-to 3 ken deep runs along the back, and part of it is left open as a small inner courtyard.
The Okawa Family Residence Main House was registered as a model of its type: a good example of how a large rural house of the early Meiji years was built.
A Formal Entrance at One End, a Weaving Floor at the Other
The plan of the Okawa Family Residence Main House divides clearly from west to east. The west end was the kamite, the formal upper side of the house, and it has a Shikidai entrance, the raised step where guests of standing were received.
The east end, 3.5 ken of it, was the shimote, the working side. According to the Agency for Cultural Affairs it was a hataba, a floor where looms were set up and cloth was woven, under the same roof as the family's rooms.
The Okawa family is said to have worked as weavers and yarn merchants until the early Meiji years. In this house a reception entrance and a weaving floor share a single roof, which says a good deal about how a textile family in Ashikaga lived and worked.
A Tall House with Seigai Eaves
The agency describes the Okawa Family Residence Main House as a tall 2-storey house in the seigai style. In seigai construction the upper eaves are carried on projecting brackets, so the roof can reach well out beyond the walls.
Tochigi Prefecture points to the height of the upper floor and to a front that is almost entirely openings, filled with sliding doors and windows, as marks of Meiji-period design. The south face was built to let in as much light and air as possible.
Part of the interior has been remodeled, and the house now serves as the nursery school's playroom. Its frame and exterior remain, and children use it every day.
Seeing the Okawa Family Residence Main House
The Okawa Family Residence Main House is part of a working nursery school and is not open to the public. Children use the playroom through much of the day, so anyone hoping to see the building, even from outside, should contact the school in advance.
If you do have the chance to see it, compare the formal shikidai entrance at the west end with the long working wing running east. Look up at the row of brackets carrying the upper eaves and at the south front lined with sliding doors. If you take photographs, make sure no children appear in them.
- 📍 Plan Your Visit to Tochigi
- Find tours, activities & transport passes near Okawa Family Residence Main House
- [ Nikko Toshogu Shrine & Kegon Falls Day Trip ]
Q&A
- When was the Okawa Family Residence Main House built?
- In the early Meiji era, according to the Agency for Cultural Affairs database.
- How large is the Okawa Family Residence Main House?
- It is a 2-storey timber house with a building area of 317 square meters, measuring 10.5 by 4.5 ken. It is the largest of the seven registered Okawa buildings.
- What was the weaving floor in the Okawa Family Residence Main House?
- The east end of the house, 3.5 ken long, was a hataba where looms were set up and cloth was woven.
- When did the Okawa Family Residence Main House become a Registered Tangible Cultural Property?
- On 18 March 2003, as registration number 09-0071, registered as a model of its building type.
- Can I go inside the Okawa Family Residence Main House?
- Not as a sightseer. The interior is used as a nursery school playroom and is not open to the public; contact the school in advance if you wish to visit.
Basic Information
| Name | Okawa Family Residence Main House (大川家住宅主屋, Ōkawa-ke Jūtaku Shuoku) |
|---|---|
| Location | 1412 Omata-cho, Ashikaga City, Tochigi Prefecture |
| Designation | Registered Tangible Cultural Property (Structure), Registration No. 09-0071 |
| Year Designated | 2003 (registered 18 March 2003) |
| Quantity | 1 building |
| Dimensions | Timber, 2-storey, tiled roof, building area 317 square meters |
| Owner | Omata Yoji Seikatsudan (social welfare corporation) |
| Public Access | In use as part of a nursery school; not open to the public (contact the school in advance) |
References
- Database of National Cultural Properties: Okawa Family Residence Main House (Agency for Cultural Affairs)
- https://kunishitei.bunka.go.jp/heritage/detail/101/00003188
- Okawa Family Residence Main House (Tochigi Cultural Properties, Tochigi Prefecture, in Japanese)
- https://bunkazai.pref.tochigi.lg.jp/cultural/%E3%80%90%E5%A4%A7%E5%B7%9D%E5%AE%B6%E4%BD%8F%E5%AE%85%E4%B8%BB%E5%B1%8B%E3%80%91/
- Registered Tangible Cultural Properties, Buildings (Ashikaga City, in Japanese)
- https://www.city.ashikaga.tochigi.jp/education/000029/000169/000627/p001307.html
- School Buildings (Omata Yoji Seikatsudan, in Japanese)
- https://omatayouji.org/introduction
- Interview on Omata Yoji Seikatsudan (Ashikaga no Koto, 2017, in Japanese)
- https://www.ashikaga.life/2017/02/post-3155/
Last verified: 2026.09.27
