A Headman's Farmhouse Moved from Izu to a Tokyo Campus
The Shirayuri University Megumiso (Former Kikuchi Family Residence Main House) (白百合女子大学めぐみ荘（旧菊池家住宅主屋）) is the main house of a village headman's family, moved from Shuzenji in Izu of the early Meiji period in Midorigaoka, Chofu City, Tokyo, and was registered as a Registered Tangible Cultural Property (structure) on April 25, 2014 (Agency for Cultural Affairs).
The Agency records a single-storey timber building with a tiled roof and a building area of 228 square metres, moved in 1930 and again in 1967; registration number 13-0337.
A Large Farmhouse with a Raised Ridge Vent
Megumiso at Shirayuri University is the main house of a village headman's family, moved here from Shuzenji in Izu (Agency for Cultural Affairs). It is a single-storey timber house with a pantiled roof topped by a raised ridge vent.
An earth-floored area lies to the left, with a thick central pillar at its boundary with the main room (Agency for Cultural Affairs). The raised floor follows a six-room plan, with a veranda around the two front tatami rooms, and the middle room keeps traces of a formal entrance step.
Why It Was Registered
The Agency notes it as a large farmhouse of a kind now rare even in its original area, and registered it as a model of design.
What to Look For
Look for the raised ridge vent on the roof and the thick central pillar between the earth floor and the main room (Agency for Cultural Affairs).
Visiting
It is owned by Shirayuri Gakuen and stands on the Shirayuri University campus (Agency for Cultural Affairs). No official information on public access was found.
Q&A
- When was Megumiso built?
- In the early Meiji period (Agency for Cultural Affairs).
- Where did it stand originally?
- At Shuzenji in Izu, as a headman's house.
- When was it moved?
- In 1930 and again in 1967.
- What marks the building?
- A raised ridge vent and a thick central pillar.
- When was the Shirayuri University Megumiso (Former Kikuchi Family Residence Main House) registered?
- On April 25, 2014 (Agency for Cultural Affairs).
Basic Information
| Name | Shirayuri University Megumiso (Former Kikuchi Family Residence Main House) (白百合女子大学めぐみ荘（旧菊池家住宅主屋）) |
|---|---|
| Location | 1-25-1 Midorigaoka, Chofu City, Tokyo |
| Designation | Registered Tangible Cultural Property (Structure) |
| Year Designated | Registered 2014/04/25 (Heisei 26) |
| Quantity | 1 building |
| Dimensions | Single-storey timber, tiled roof, 228 m² |
| Owner | Shirayuri Gakuen (educational corporation) |
| Public Access | On a university campus; no official information on access |
References
- Shirayuri University Megumiso (Former Kikuchi Family Residence Main House) (Database of National Cultural Properties, Agency for Cultural Affairs)
- https://kunishitei.bunka.go.jp/heritage/detail/101/00009922
Last verified: 2026.10.23