About the Former Uchiyama Family Residence Chicken Coop
The Former Uchiyama Family Residence Chicken Coop (旧内山家住宅にわとり小屋, Kyū-Uchiyama-ke Jūtaku Niwatori-goya) is a single-storey wooden chicken house built at the end of the Meiji era at 903 Miyao, Toyama City, Toyama Prefecture, and registered as a Registered Tangible Cultural Property in 1998.
The Former Uchiyama Family Residence Chicken Coop stands near the northeast corner of the estate. It is a small building with a Kirizuma-zukuri gabled roof of Sangawara-buki pantiles and its entrance on the long side, covering 32 m².
Lavish Treatment for Chickens
The Former Uchiyama Family Residence Chicken Coop was registered as a structure that would be hard to reproduce. The Agency for Cultural Affairs says that while its design is plain, it is treated with unusual generosity for a chicken house, and has few parallels.
Animal sheds are usually rebuilt when they wear out and rarely survive. That this one has lasted since the end of the Meiji era, and is registered, is what makes it so unusual.
Stone Footing and Plastered Walls
The Former Uchiyama Family Residence Chicken Coop stands on a raised footing of stones laid in a row, lifting the floor clear of damp and snowmelt.
Its walls are finished in Shikkui plaster. Giving a chicken coop the same care as a house or storehouse is what the Agency means by lavish, and it shows a family that did not cut corners anywhere on the estate.
Seeing the Former Uchiyama Family Residence Chicken Coop
At the Former Uchiyama Family Residence Chicken Coop, look closely at the raised stone footing and the plastered walls. Its position relative to the east gate and the storehouse helps you picture how the northeast corner of the estate was used.
Whether the interior is open could not be confirmed from official sources, so ask at the reception. Opening days and admission are on the Former Uchiyama Family Residence (Toyama) page. No official guidance on photography could be found as of September 2026, so ask at the reception.
- 📍 Plan Your Visit to Toyama
- Find tours, activities & transport passes near Former Uchiyama Family Residence Chicken Coop
- [ Kurobe Gorge Train & Tateyama Alpine Route ]
Q&A
- When was the Former Uchiyama Family Residence Chicken Coop built?
- The Agency for Cultural Affairs dates it to the end of the Meiji era.
- Why is the Former Uchiyama Family Residence Chicken Coop a Registered Tangible Cultural Property?
- It was registered in 1998 as hard to reproduce: with a raised stone footing and plastered walls, it is treated lavishly for a chicken house and has few parallels.
- How big is the Former Uchiyama Family Residence Chicken Coop?
- A single-storey wooden building with a tiled roof, 32 m² in area.
- How is the Former Uchiyama Family Residence Chicken Coop built?
- It has a gabled pantile roof with the entrance on the long side, stands on a stone footing and has plastered walls.
- Where is the Former Uchiyama Family Residence Chicken Coop?
- Near the northeast corner of the estate.
Basic Information
| Name | Former Uchiyama Family Residence Chicken Coop (旧内山家住宅にわとり小屋) |
|---|---|
| Location | 903 Miyao, Toyama City, Toyama Prefecture |
| Designation | Registered Tangible Cultural Property (Building) |
| Year Designated | 1998 (registered) |
| Quantity | 1 building |
| Dimensions | Building area 32 m² (wooden, single storey) |
| Owner | Toyama Prefecture |
| Public Access | Exterior viewable within the grounds (admission charged, as Gōnō no Yakata Uchiyama-tei) |
References
- Database of National Cultural Properties (Agency for Cultural Affairs): 旧内山家住宅にわとり小屋
- https://kunishitei.bunka.go.jp/bsys/maindetails/101/00000570
- Cultural Heritage Online: 旧内山家住宅にわとり小屋
- https://online.bunka.go.jp/heritages/detail/185300
Last verified: 2026.09.30
