What the Nakano Family Residence Barn Is
The Nakano Family Residence Barn (中野家住宅納屋, Nakano-ke Jūtaku Naya) is a mid-Edo-period farm outbuilding in Utsui-kami, Shimonoseki City, Yamaguchi Prefecture, registered as a Registered Tangible Cultural Property on November 29, 2006.
The Agency for Cultural Affairs dates it to the mid-Edo period, a window from 1661 to 1750, which makes it the oldest of the five registered items at the homestead. It is a single-storey timber building with a Kayabuki thatched roof under temporary sheet metal and a building area of 111 square metres.
It stands north of the main house: a long east-west block nine Ken bays long and three deep, under a Yosemune-zukuri hipped roof.
Why It Was Registered
Like the rest of the homestead, the Nakano Family Residence Barn was registered for its contribution to the historic landscape. Its value lies in showing the working side of a farm household alongside the house itself.
Inside it is divided in three. The central four and a half bays were once a cattle stall; to the west is an open storage bay with no doors fitted, and to the east a storeroom with a plank floor. A low earthen wall encloses the northeast part of the stall. The plan records a time when draught cattle were part of the household.
The Agency also notes the careful workmanship. The eaves are built in the segai-zukuri manner, with beams cantilevered out beyond the wall to carry a deep overhang, and they rest on Mochiokuri brackets carved with scrolls. That is a level of finish you would not expect on a barn.
What to Look For
Start with the length: nine bays of thatched roof lying east to west behind the main house, closing off the back of the yard.
Then look along the eaves for the deep segai overhang and the row of scroll-carved brackets, the one place where the carpenters allowed themselves some ornament. The low earthen wall at the northeast corner of the old stall is another detail particular to this building.
Visiting
The Nakano Family Residence Barn is part of a private homestead and is not open; as of September 2026 no openings had been announced. It stands at the back of the property, so little of it can be seen from the public road.
Do not enter the lane or yard, and photograph only from public ground. Directions are on the Nakano Family Residence (Utsui, Shimonoseki) page.
- 📍 Plan Your Visit to Yamaguchi
- Find tours, activities & transport passes near Nakano Family Residence Barn
- [ Kintaikyo Bridge & Hagi Castle Town Tours ]
Q&A
- How old is the Nakano Family Residence Barn?
- The Agency for Cultural Affairs dates it to the mid-Edo period (1661 to 1750), the oldest date among the five registered items at the homestead.
- What was the Nakano Family Residence Barn used for?
- The central section was a cattle stall, flanked by an open storage bay on the west and a plank-floored storeroom on the east.
- What is segai-zukuri on the Nakano Family Residence Barn?
- It is a way of building deep eaves by cantilevering beams out beyond the wall. Here the eaves also rest on scroll-carved brackets.
- Why was the Nakano Family Residence Barn registered?
- It was registered for its contribution to the historic landscape, as a surviving farm outbuilding built around a cattle stall and finished with unusual care.
- Can visitors see the Nakano Family Residence Barn?
- It is on private land and not open to the public. It sits at the back of the homestead, so views from the road are limited.
Basic Information
| Name | Nakano Family Residence Barn |
|---|---|
| Location | 2777 Utsui-kami, Shimonoseki City, Yamaguchi Prefecture |
| Designation | Registered Tangible Cultural Property (Building) |
| Year Designated | Registered 2006/11/29 (Heisei 18), registration no. 35-0051 |
| Quantity | 1 building |
| Dimensions | Single-storey timber building, thatched roof (temporary sheet-metal covering), building area 111 square metres, 9 by 3 bays |
| Owner | Not listed in the ACA database |
| Public Access | Not open to the public (private residence) |
References
- Agency for Cultural Affairs, Database of National Cultural Properties: Nakano Family Residence Barn
- https://kunishitei.bunka.go.jp/bsys/maindetails/101/00006062
Last verified: 2026.09.24
