A Missionary House by Nishimura Isaku
The Former Chapman House Main House (旧チャップマン邸主屋) is a missionary house designed by Nishimura Isaku of 1926 in Tankaku, Shingu City, Wakayama Prefecture, and was registered as a Registered Tangible Cultural Property (structure) on August 17, 2020 (Agency for Cultural Affairs).
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The Agency records a two-storey timber building with a slate roof and a building area of 128 square metres, renovated in 2018; registration number 30-0285.
A Projecting Gable and a Half-Octagonal Bay
The main house of the former Chapman residence is a two-storey timber missionary house of 1926 with a slate roof, designed by Nishimura Isaku (Agency for Cultural Affairs).
On the east half of the south front the upper floor projects slightly to show a gable, and a half-octagonal bay window juts from the ground floor, giving a lively exterior (Agency for Cultural Affairs). The living room and office face the south garden downstairs, with a study and bedrooms upstairs.
Why It Was Registered
The Agency registered it as a model of design.
What to Look For
Look for the projecting gable on the south front and the half-octagonal bay window (Agency for Cultural Affairs).
Visiting
It is owned by Shingu City (Agency for Cultural Affairs). According to a Wakayama Prefecture publication, the former Chapman house is used as a tourist exchange facility; opening details are best checked with the city's commerce and tourism section. The house and its stone steps and walls are introduced together on the former Chapman House page.
Q&A
- When was it built?
- In 1926 (Agency for Cultural Affairs).
- Who designed it?
- Nishimura Isaku.
- What was it?
- A missionary house.
- How is it used now?
- As a tourist exchange facility.
- When was the Former Chapman House Main House registered?
- On August 17, 2020 (Agency for Cultural Affairs).
Basic Information
| Name | Former Chapman House Main House (旧チャップマン邸主屋) |
|---|---|
| Location | 7677-2 Tankaku 1-chome, Shingu City, Wakayama Prefecture |
| Designation | Registered Tangible Cultural Property (Structure) |
| Year Designated | Registered 2020/08/17 (Reiwa 2) |
| Quantity | 1 building |
| Dimensions | Two-storey timber, slate roof, 128 m² |
| Owner | Shingu City |
| Public Access | No official information on access |
References
- Former Chapman House Main House (Database of National Cultural Properties, Agency for Cultural Affairs)
- https://kunishitei.bunka.go.jp/heritage/detail/101/00013447
- Kenmin no Tomo, April 2022 (Wakayama Prefecture, in Japanese)
- https://www.pref.wakayama.lg.jp/bcms/prefg/000200/kenmin/web/202204/sanpo.html
Last verified: 2026.10.25
