What the Marui Family Residence Main House Is
The Marui Family Residence Main House (丸井家住宅主屋, Marui-ke Jūtaku Shuoku) is a townhouse built in 1916 in Etchumachi, Kurayoshi City, Tottori Prefecture, and it was entered on Japan's register of Registered Tangible Cultural Properties on October 27, 2017.
The house occupies the northwest corner of a long, narrow estate and faces the street on its north side. It is a 2-storey timber building with a gabled roof, Kirizuma-zukuri, covered in red tiles, and a building area of 93 square meters. Of the six registered structures belonging to the Marui family, only this main house and the wall beside it can be seen from the street.
Why the Marui Family Residence Main House Was Registered
The Marui Family Residence Main House was registered, as no. 31-232, under the criterion of a building that sets a model for its type. The Agency for Cultural Affairs points to two things.
The first is the roofline. The ridge sits in a different position over the western half than over the eastern half, so from the street the house reads as two roofs side by side, slightly out of step. Inside, though, the plan is a single unit: an earth-floored passage, or Doma, runs along the right-hand side, and both floors have five rooms. Two houses outside, one house within.
The second is the interior, which the Agency describes as finished in a delicate, Sukiya-zukuri-like manner. Sukiya is the light, understated domestic style that grew out of tea-room design, and it suits a household the Agency names as one of the centres of Kurayoshi's tea ceremony circles from the Taisho era to the early Showa years.
What to Look For at the Main House
The feature you can check for yourself at the Marui Family Residence Main House is the stepped roof. Stand across the street and the two gable ridges, west and east, visibly fail to line up. Kurayoshi City singles out the same offset as the defining trait of the house.
Notice the color, too. Next to the main house runs a wall whose upper part is painted red, and the red tiles above and the red wall beside make what the local tourism guide calls a distinctive street front for the Marui family.
The sukiya-style rooms and the five rooms on each floor are hidden from view. For now, the Agency's photographs and short description are the only way to see inside.
Visiting the Marui Family Residence Main House
The Marui Family Residence Main House is a private home and its interior is not open to visitors; Kurayoshi City lists it as closed inside. The exterior can be seen from the street to the north.
If you take photographs, keep to the front elevation from the public street and stay clear of the entrance. The opposite side of the street is the best place to see the offset ridges.
Q&A
- Can I go inside the Marui Family Residence Main House?
- No. The Marui Family Residence Main House is a private home, and Kurayoshi City lists its interior as closed. You can see the outside from the street on the north side.
- When was the Marui Family Residence Main House built and registered?
- It was built in 1916 and registered as a Registered Tangible Cultural Property on October 27, 2017, under number 31-232.
- What is unusual about the outside of the Marui Family Residence Main House?
- It is a 2-storey gabled house with red tiles, and its ridge is set in different positions over the western and eastern halves. From the street the roof looks like two roofs out of step, although the plan inside is continuous.
- How is the inside of the Marui Family Residence Main House arranged?
- According to the Agency for Cultural Affairs, an earth-floored passage runs along the right-hand side, and each floor has five rooms. The detailing is delicate and sukiya-like, in keeping with a family known for tea.
- Were other buildings at the Marui Family Residence registered with the Main House?
- Yes. On the same day the detached wing, the storehouse, the tea house, the garden waiting arbor with its wall and sleeve fence, and the street wall were registered, six structures in all.
Basic Information
| Name | Marui Family Residence Main House (丸井家住宅主屋) |
|---|---|
| Location | 2148 Etchumachi and other lots, Kurayoshi City, Tottori Prefecture |
| Designation | Registered Tangible Cultural Property (building), registration no. 31-232 |
| Year Designated | Registered October 27, 2017 |
| Quantity | 1 building |
| Dimensions | Timber, 2 storeys, tiled roof, building area 93 square meters |
| Owner | Unknown (not listed in the Agency database) |
| Public Access | Interior closed (exterior visible from the street) |
References
- Agency for Cultural Affairs, Database of National Cultural Properties: Maruike Jutaku Shuoku
- https://kunishitei.bunka.go.jp/bsys/maindetails/101/00012013
- Cultural Heritage Online: Maruike Jutaku Shuoku
- https://bunka.nii.ac.jp/heritages/detail/222844
- Kurayoshi City: Cultural Properties of the Uwanada, Seitoku and Meirin Districts
- https://www.city.kurayoshi.lg.jp/gyousei/div/kyouiku/bunkazai/1/1/5/
- Kurayoshi Tourism MICE Association: Kurayoshi Cultural Property Walks (PDF)
- https://www.kurayoshi-kankou.jp/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/bunkazai_sanpo.pdf
Last verified: 2026.10.04
