A Taisho Townhouse in the Gobo Temple Town
The Ito Family Residence Main House (伊藤家住宅主屋) is a townhouse of the early Taisho era (1912–1918) in Gobo, Gobo City, Wakayama Prefecture, and was registered as a Registered Tangible Cultural Property (structure) on March 26, 2015 (Agency for Cultural Affairs).
The Agency records a timber building of two storeys with a single-storey part, tiled, with a building area of 187 square metres, altered in the early Showa era (1926–1945); registration number 30-0205.
A building of the same name, the Ito Family Residence Main House in Itoga-cho, Arida City, is a late Edo farmhouse and a separate property.
The Front on Higashimachi-dori
The Ito Family Residence Main House stands in the middle of the Gobo temple town, on Higashimachi-dori northeast of Hidaka Betsuin, with its front to the west (Agency for Cultural Affairs). The Wakayama Prefectural Board of Education describes it as a tall two-storey townhouse with a gabled roof, built as the home of a forestry merchant.
At street level the raised-floor part of the front carries a projecting lattice. The upper storey is finished in grey plaster and pierced by windows whose corners are shaped like a mokko, a four-lobed quince motif (Agency for Cultural Affairs). Gobo City calls these white-framed windows and counts 2 of them.
The roof is laid in hongawara, the older system of alternating flat and round tiles. Under the front pent roof hangs a board apron known locally as an odare. The plan is a staggered arrangement of 6 rooms (Agency for Cultural Affairs). Behind the main house 2 eight-mat rooms with a broad veranda are finished to a higher standard than the front (Wakayama Prefectural Board of Education).
Why It Was Registered
The Ito Family Residence Main House was registered for its contribution to the historic landscape (Agency for Cultural Affairs). The Agency singles out the front with its odare as having regional character, and Gobo City likewise lists the lattice and the odare as surviving local design. The building earns its place by what it does for the street of the temple town.
What to Look For
Start with the odare of the Ito Family Residence Main House. The boards hang like a valance from the edge of the pent roof to keep off rain (Gobo City), and the lattice sits below them.
Then look up. White window frames stand out against the grey plaster, a contrast Gobo City remarks on. Check the corners of the frames for the lobed mokko outline.
Visiting
The Ito Family Residence Main House is a private home, and no interior opening has been announced. It fronts Higashimachi-dori, so the facade can be seen from the street. Keep photography to the exterior from the street and respect the residents' privacy.
The rear rooms and veranda cannot be seen from the street. Directions to the temple town are on the page for the Ito Family Residence (Gobo).
Q&A
- When was the Ito Family Residence Main House in Gobo built?
- In the early Taisho era (1912–1918), with alterations in the early Showa era (Agency for Cultural Affairs).
- What is the odare on the Ito Family Residence Main House?
- A board apron hung from the eaves of the front pent roof. Gobo City explains it as a rain guard, and the Agency treats it as a regional feature.
- Can I visit the Ito Family Residence Main House?
- It is a private home and no interior opening has been announced. The facade can be seen from Higashimachi-dori.
- Where is the Ito Family Residence Main House?
- In Gobo, Gobo City, Wakayama Prefecture, in the middle of the temple town, facing west onto Higashimachi-dori northeast of Hidaka Betsuin.
- When was the Ito Family Residence Main House registered?
- On March 26, 2015 (Agency for Cultural Affairs).
Basic Information
| Name | Ito Family Residence Main House (伊藤家住宅主屋) |
|---|---|
| Location | 33 Gobo, Gobo City, Wakayama Prefecture, and others |
| Designation | Registered Tangible Cultural Property (Structure) |
| Year Designated | Registered 2015/03/26 (Heisei 27) |
| Quantity | 1 building |
| Dimensions | Timber, 2 storeys with single-storey part, tiled roof, building area 187 m² |
| Owner | Private owner (per the Wakayama Prefectural Board of Education) |
| Public Access | Private home; no interior opening announced (exterior only) |
References
- Ito Family Residence Main House (Database of National Cultural Properties, Agency for Cultural Affairs, Japanese)
- https://kunishitei.bunka.go.jp/heritage/detail/101/00010492
- Ito Family Residence, Gobo (Cultural Properties of Wakayama, Wakayama Prefectural Board of Education, Japanese)
- https://wakayama-bunkazai.jp/bunkazai/bunkazai-spot-890/
- Ito Family Residence, Main House and Annex (Gobo City, Japanese)
- https://www.city.gobo.lg.jp/sosiki/kyoikuiin/kyoiku/tanto/bunnkazai/shinobunkazai/kenzoubutu/1440464751413.html
Last verified: 2026.11.11
