A Late Edo Farmhouse in Northern Yamagata
The Chikaoka Family Residence Main House (近岡家住宅主屋, Chikaoka-ke Jūtaku Omoya) is the main house of a farm built in the late Edo period (1830 to 1868) in the countryside northwest of central Kanayama Town, Mogami District, Yamagata Prefecture, and was registered as a Registered Tangible Cultural Property (structure) on October 31, 2022 (Agency for Cultural Affairs).
The Agency for Cultural Affairs records a timber building, single-storey with a partial second floor, with a sheet-metal roof and a building area of 311 square metres, altered in the early Showa period and in 1970; registration number 06-0208.
A Chumon-Style Farmhouse
According to the Agency for Cultural Affairs, the main house is a large chumon-style farmhouse facing south, with seven rooms in a row on the west, a stable wing (the chumon) projecting to the east, and a formal entrance step toward the west of the south front. Yamagata Prefecture explains that a chumon house has a wing, usually a stable, projecting from the main block to give an L-shaped plan.
The roof was once thatched (Agency for Cultural Affairs). Yamagata Prefecture notes that in the mid-Showa period an upstairs room was added in the chumon, a formal entrance was built on the reception side and the front of the wide veranda was glazed, as the house developed.
Why It Was Registered
The Chikaoka Family Residence Main House was registered as a structure contributing to the historic landscape of the country. The Agency for Cultural Affairs sees it as showing how chumon-style farmhouses developed in northern Yamagata Prefecture.
What to Look For
The Agency for Cultural Affairs notes that lintels with three grooves for sliding doors survive along the south front, an old feature.
Yamagata Prefecture points to the snow-melting pond in front of the house, typical of snow country. The projecting L-shaped chumon and the snow-ready layout are the house's defining features.
Visiting
The Chikaoka Family Residence is a private home, and no public opening has been announced. If viewing from outside, please respect the residents' privacy.
The address is 493 Taniguchi, Tobimori, Kanayama Town.
Q&A
- When was the Chikaoka Family Residence Main House built?
- In the late Edo period, with alterations in the early Showa period and in 1970 (Agency for Cultural Affairs).
- What is a chumon-style house?
- A farmhouse with a wing, usually a stable, projecting from the main block to give an L-shaped plan (Yamagata Prefecture).
- What are the house's main features?
- A large south-facing chumon house with seven rooms on the west, a projecting stable wing on the east and a snow-melting pond in front (Agency for Cultural Affairs; Yamagata Prefecture).
- Can I visit the Chikaoka Family Residence?
- It is a private home, and no public opening has been announced.
- When was the Chikaoka Family Residence Main House registered?
- On October 31, 2022.
Basic Information
| Name | Chikaoka Family Residence Main House (近岡家住宅主屋) |
|---|---|
| Location | 493 Taniguchi, Tobimori, Kanayama Town, Mogami District, Yamagata Prefecture |
| Designation | Registered Tangible Cultural Property (Structure) |
| Year Designated | Registered 2022/10/31 (Reiwa 4) |
| Quantity | 1 building |
| Dimensions | Timber, single storey with partial second floor, sheet-metal roof, building area 311 square metres |
| Owner | Private |
| Public Access | Private home (no public opening announced) |
References
- Chikaoka Family Residence Main House (Database of National Cultural Properties, Agency for Cultural Affairs)
- https://kunishitei.bunka.go.jp/heritage/detail/101/00014315
- Newly registered properties including the Chikaoka Family Residence (Yamagata Prefecture, Japanese)
- https://www.pref.yamagata.jp/documents/19483/touroku.pdf
Last verified: 2026.10.14