About the Kusumoto Family Residence Detached Room
The Kusumoto Family Residence Detached Room (楠本家住宅離座敷, Kusumoto-ke Jūtaku Hanarezashiki) is a 1-story wooden reception wing from the early Meiji period standing south of the main house of the Kusumoto Family Residence in Shimizu, Hashimoto City, Wakayama Prefecture, and it was registered as a Registered Tangible Cultural Property in 2005.
Its three tatami rooms, of 6 mats, 8 mats with a Tokonoma alcove, and 6 mats again, are set out in an L. Verandas run along the east, north and west sides. The building area is 68 square meters, and the wing sits in the middle of the plot, behind the main house that faces the old Kōya Kaidō road.
Why the Kusumoto Detached Room was registered
The Kusumoto Family Residence Detached Room was registered as a model of design. The Agency for Cultural Affairs praises the careful exterior, with the undersides of the eaves sealed in plaster, and the quality of the interior, built from well-chosen timber.
Plastered eaves also appear on the main house at the front of the estate and on the barn at the back. Taking the same trouble over a guest wing in the middle of the plot suggests that the family finished the whole estate to one standard.
What to look for at the Kusumoto Detached Room
The roof is the thing to notice on the Kusumoto Family Residence Detached Room. Because one roof covers an L-shaped plan, it ends in three places, and each end is finished differently. The north end, facing the main house, is hip-and-gable (Irimoya-zukuri); the south end is hipped (Yosemune-zukuri); and the east end is a plain gable (Kirizuma-zukuri).
Bending a plan multiplies the roof ends, and each one has to be resolved. On the Kusumoto Family Residence Detached Room the north end, toward the main house, is hip-and-gable, and the other two are hipped and gabled, so the form changes with the direction each end faces. If you ever get a view of the roof, trace the three ends in turn.
Only one of the three rooms, the 8-mat room, has an alcove. The verandas wrap every side except the south, enclosing the rooms on three faces.
Visiting the Kusumoto Family Residence Detached Room
The Kusumoto Family Residence Detached Room is part of a private home and is not open. It stands behind the main house, so expect to see little or nothing of it from the old Kōya Kaidō.
Please do not enter the grounds, and keep photographs to the exterior from the road. The layout of the estate and directions are on the Kusumoto Family Residence page.
Q&A
- When was the Kusumoto Family Residence Detached Room built?
- It dates from the early Meiji period. It was registered as a Registered Tangible Cultural Property on July 12, 2005.
- How are the rooms of the Kusumoto Family Residence Detached Room arranged?
- A 6-mat room, an 8-mat room with a tokonoma and another 6-mat room are laid out in an L, with verandas on the east, north and west sides.
- What is unusual about the roof of the Kusumoto Family Residence Detached Room?
- Each end is finished differently: hip-and-gable at the north end facing the main house, hipped at the south end and a plain gable at the east end.
- Why was the Kusumoto Family Residence Detached Room registered as a cultural property?
- It was registered as a model of design, for its carefully plastered eaves outside and the fine timber used inside.
- Can I visit the Kusumoto Family Residence Detached Room?
- No. It is part of a private home and is closed, and it stands behind the main house where it can hardly be seen from the road.
Basic Information
| Name | Kusumoto Family Residence Detached Room (楠本家住宅離座敷) |
|---|---|
| Location | 123 Shimizu, Hashimoto City, Wakayama Prefecture |
| Designation | Registered Tangible Cultural Property (Building) |
| Year Designated | Registered 2005-07-12 (Heisei 17) |
| Quantity | 1 building |
| Dimensions | Building area 68 square meters |
| Owner | Private |
| Public Access | Not open to the public (private residence) |
References
- Database of National Cultural Properties (Agency for Cultural Affairs): Kusumoto Family Residence Detached Room
- https://kunishitei.bunka.go.jp/bsys/maindetails/101/00004813
- Cultural Heritage Online: Kusumoto Family Residence Detached Room
- https://online.bunka.go.jp/heritages/detail/184723
- Wakayama Cultural Properties (Wakayama Prefectural Board of Education, Cultural Heritage Division): Kusumoto Family Residence
- https://wakayama-bunkazai.jp/bunkazai/bunkazai-spot-407/
Last verified: 2026.10.10
