祁答院家住宅, Samurai residence in Isa, Japan

The Kedoin family house is a samurai residence in Okuchi-Sato, Isa, Kagoshima Prefecture, built in the early 18th century. Its rooms are divided into the guest room called omote and the everyday spaces nakae and usuniwa. It remains in use as a private home.

The Kedoin were a powerful local family in Satsuma Province from the Middle Ages; in the Edo period they came under Shimazu rule and moved to Oguchi. The family genealogy dates the house to around 1653, but the present building is thought to have been erected in the early 18th century. It is a rare surviving example of a goshi, a rural samurai residence, and was designated an Important Cultural Property in 1975.

The house is divided into the guest room called "omote" and the everyday rooms "nakae" and "usuniwa". This division separates spaces for receiving visitors from those used by the household, a layout recorded in a surviving samurai residence.

The residence is located one minute on foot from Isa City Hall, making it easy to find. You will need to arrange permission with the property owners in advance before visiting.

The house received recognition as an Important Cultural Property of Japan in 1975 and preserves its original architectural elements from the mid-Edo period. The well-maintained original features allow visitors to step into an intact piece of Japanese history.