Hirokane Residence

Hirokane Residence is a traditional house in Fukiya built with carefully fitted wooden beams and a tiled roof typical of Japanese homes from that period. The interior layout consists of multiple rooms arranged around central spaces, showing how domestic areas were divided and organized.

The residence was built in 1810 during the Edo period and demonstrates construction techniques and wood-joinery methods typical of that region at the time. It has survived over two centuries with minimal alterations to its original structure.

The house shows how families arranged their living spaces and moved through daily routines during the Edo period. The way rooms connect to each other and the placement of hearths reveal how people actually lived in these homes.

The house is accessible along the walking paths through Fukiya and sits on a slight slope within the village. The floors inside are uneven and doorways are low, so moving carefully through the rooms helps you appreciate the details without stumbling.

The house retains its original smoke chamber in the roof space, where fish and other foods were preserved in the past. This hidden structure reveals the clever techniques people used for food storage before modern refrigeration.