Kawamoto Residence, Traditional minka house in Kotoura, Japan
The Kawamoto Residence is a traditional wooden house in Kotoura built using hand-crafted construction techniques that have survived for centuries. The structure includes a distinctive main gate and connected architectural elements arranged as a typical rural homestead complex.
This house was built in 1688 during the Edo period and represents the Japanese residential architecture of that time. Its design followed building methods that proved lasting and adapted to agricultural life of rural communities.
The residence shows how rural families lived and organized their daily lives across many generations. The layout and arrangement of rooms reveal the habits and social patterns of people who inhabited such homes.
The house is located in Tottori Prefecture and retains its original wooden structures and construction details that you can examine closely. Visitors should allow time to slowly explore the different rooms and architectural elements throughout the complex.
The house was designated as an Important Cultural Property of Japan and displays rare craftsmanship techniques that are difficult to find today. Its preservation lets visitors see genuine 17th-century building methods and materials up close.
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