A Low House at the Centre of Satotakata
The Okazaki Family Residence (Former Kurisu Family Residence) Main House (岡﨑家住宅（旧栗須家住宅）主屋) is the main house of an old family homestead of the late Edo period in Takata, Shingu City, Wakayama Prefecture, and was registered as a Registered Tangible Cultural Property (structure) on August 15, 2024 (Agency for Cultural Affairs).
The Agency records a single-storey timber house with a tiled roof and a building area of 109 square metres, renovated around 1965; registration number 30-0369.
An Earth Floor and Six Rooms
The Okazaki Family Residence Main House stands toward the north of the plot and faces east. It is a single-storey house with a gabled roof entered on the long side, covered in pantiles (Agency for Cultural Affairs).
An earth-floored area takes up the south end, with six rooms arranged to the north. The northeast parlour has a veranda along its front, and its alcove is an Oshiita, a shallow raised board that came before the fully developed tokonoma, an old-fashioned arrangement (Agency for Cultural Affairs).
Why It Was Registered
The Agency describes the Okazaki Family Residence Main House as a village house that sits low to the ground and keeps the roof pitch of its former cedar-bark roof, and it was registered for its contribution to the historic landscape. The roof is tiled today, but its slope still follows the old cedar bark.
What to Look For
From outside, the points to notice are the low eaves and the gabled roof that keeps the pitch of its cedar-bark days (Agency for Cultural Affairs). Inside, the northeast parlour with its front veranda and oshiita alcove shows how a reception room was set out in a village house of the late Edo period.
Visiting
The Okazaki Family Residence Main House appears to be a private home, and no interior opening is announced; the parlour and alcove are known from the Agency description. The house stands toward the north of the plot behind a stone wall about 1.7 metres high, so from outside you are likely to see mainly its roof.
Q&A
- When was the Okazaki Family Residence Main House built?
- In the late Edo period; it was renovated around 1965 (Agency for Cultural Affairs).
- What is the layout of the Okazaki Family Residence Main House?
- An earth-floored area to the south and six rooms to the north; the northeast parlour has a front veranda and an oshiita alcove.
- Can I visit the Okazaki Family Residence Main House?
- It appears to be a private home and no interior opening is announced. Please view it only from the road.
- Where is the Okazaki Family Residence Main House?
- At 1702 Takata, Shingu City, Wakayama Prefecture, in the centre of the Satotakata settlement.
- When was the Okazaki Family Residence (Former Kurisu Family Residence) Main House registered?
- On August 15, 2024 (Agency for Cultural Affairs).
Basic Information
| Name | Okazaki Family Residence (Former Kurisu Family Residence) Main House (岡﨑家住宅（旧栗須家住宅）主屋) |
|---|---|
| Location | 1702 Takata, Shingu City, Wakayama Prefecture |
| Designation | Registered Tangible Cultural Property (Structure) |
| Year Designated | Registered 2024/08/15 (Reiwa 6) |
| Quantity | 1 building |
| Dimensions | Single-storey timber, tiled roof, 109 m² |
| Owner | Not listed in the Agency database (apparently a private residence) |
| Public Access | Private residence (no public opening announced) |
References
- Okazaki Family Residence (Former Kurisu Family Residence) Main House (Database of National Cultural Properties, Agency for Cultural Affairs)
- https://kunishitei.bunka.go.jp/heritage/detail/101/00015078
- Council for Cultural Affairs recommendations for registration, March 15, 2024 (Agency for Cultural Affairs, Japanese)
- https://www.bunka.go.jp/seisaku/bunkazai/shokai/yukei_kenzobutsu/pdf/94080301_03.pdf
- Registered Tangible Cultural Properties in Wakayama (Wakayama Prefecture, Japanese)
- https://www.pref.wakayama.lg.jp/prefg/500700/mokuroku/d00155458.html
Last verified: 2026.10.15
