About the Murano Family Residence Annex
The Murano Family Residence Annex (村野家住宅離れ, Murano-ke Jūtaku Hanare) is a single-story timber reception wing of the late Meiji era (1898 to 1912) in Yanagikubo 4-chome, Higashikurume City, Tokyo, registered as a Registered Tangible Cultural Property of Japan on January 26, 2011. It covers 105 square meters and stands west of the main house, joined to it by a covered passage.
The Agency for Cultural Affairs database records that the annex was built in the late Meiji era and moved to its present site in the late Taisho era (1919 to 1926), then repaired in 1950 and 1991. The sources consulted do not say where it originally stood.
A Hip-and-Gable Wing with a Southward Gable
The main block of the Murano annex runs east to west under an hip-and-gable roof, and from its east end a gabled roof projects southward. Seen from above, it looks like a long bar with one short arm.
Where the main house is thatched, the annex has a sheet-metal roof. The Agency's own entry is inconsistent on the metal: the structure field says copper, while the description says iron. On a tour, the roof's color and seams show the contrast with the thatch next door.
The Reception Room and the Western-Style Room
Inside, the principal reception room and its anteroom sit side by side from east to west. The reception room has a Tokonoma alcove, shelves and a Tsukeshoin built-in desk, giving the household a formal room for guests separate from the one in the main house.
In the southeast corner is a Western-style room. Higashikurume's Board of Education describes the annex as a Japanese hip-and-gable building that takes in Western elements. Only one corner room is Western; the formal tatami rooms keep their traditional character, and the new style was added alongside them rather than in their place.
The Carved Transom over the Desk Alcove
The detail to look for at the Murano Family Residence Annex is the carved transom panel above the built-in desk. The Agency for Cultural Affairs also names this carving as the annex's most striking detail.
Higashikurume's Board of Education attributes the carving to Shimamura Shunpyō (島村俊表), a woodcarver it describes as active at the end of the Edo period. Because the annex itself is dated to the late Meiji era, the sources consulted do not settle whether the transom was carved for this building or brought from another.
Seeing the Murano Annex
The annex is part of a private home and the grounds are normally closed. Even on the spring and autumn special tours, the guide leads visitors around the outside, so the reception room and the carved transom cannot be seen indoors (checked September 2026). From outside you can make out the covered passage to the main house and the gable that projects to the south. There is no official guidance on photography. Tour and access details are on the Murano Family Residence page.
Q&A
- When was the Murano Family Residence Annex built?
- It dates from the late Meiji era (1898 to 1912). It was moved to its present site in the late Taisho era (1919 to 1926) and repaired in 1950 and 1991.
- Who carved the transom in the Murano Family Residence Annex?
- Higashikurume's Board of Education attributes the carved transom over the built-in desk to Shimamura Shunpyō, a woodcarver active at the end of the Edo period.
- What rooms does the Murano Family Residence Annex have?
- A principal reception room with an alcove, shelves and a built-in desk, an anteroom beside it, and a Western-style room in the southeast corner.
- Is the Murano Family Residence Annex connected to the main house?
- Yes. It stands to the west of the main house and is joined to it by a covered passage.
- Can visitors see inside the Murano Family Residence Annex?
- No. The interior is not open. The spring and autumn special tours show the building from outside only (checked September 2026).
Basic Information
| Name | Murano Family Residence Annex |
|---|---|
| Location | 4-283 Yanagikubo, Higashikurume City, Tokyo |
| Designation | Registered Tangible Cultural Property (Building) |
| Year Designated | 2011 (registered) |
| Quantity | 1 building |
| Dimensions | Building area 105 m² (single-story timber, sheet-metal roof) |
| Owner | Kaneshichi Co., Ltd. |
| Public Access | Normally closed (exterior viewing on spring and autumn special tours) |
References
- Database of National Cultural Properties (Agency for Cultural Affairs): Murano Family Residence Annex
- https://kunishitei.bunka.go.jp/bsys/maindetails/101/00008420
- Cultural Heritage Online: Murano Family Residence Annex
- https://online.bunka.go.jp/heritages/detail/210046
- Higashikurume City: Nationally Registered Tangible Cultural Properties (Buildings) (Japanese)
- https://www.city.higashikurume.lg.jp/shisei/profile/bunkazai/1002392.html
- Higashikurume City Board of Education: Furusato o Arukō No. 27, Murano Family Residence (PDF, Japanese)
- https://www.city.higashikurume.lg.jp/_res/projects/default_project/_page_/001/001/891/27.pdf
- Murano Family Residence (Kosoen) official website: Autumn 2026 special tour dates (Japanese)
- https://www.kosoen.tokyo/2026/09/2025.html
Last verified: 2026.09.30
