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Hirata Family House (Important Cultural Property)

The farmhouse of the Hirata family, village headmen in the Edo period. With its great thatched roof and wide earthen floor, it is an Important Cultural Property of Japan.

How to enjoy it
Inside, first look up at the wide earthen floor and the rows of thick pillars. Find out why the stable posts are sunk straight into the ground, and look for traces of the area where people lived on straw mats, and an Edo farm day comes to life.
For rainy days
For history lovers

A thatched headman’s houseAdults ¥210, children ¥100
The wide earthen floor and the stable
Hearth, stove and the straw-mat floor
The Hirata family and the move

What to see and do here

A thatched headman’s house

Thought to have been built in the mid-Edo period (late 17th century), the house keeps many features of life at the time and is valued by scholars. It is 20 m wide and 11 m deep, under a hip-and-gable thatched roof.

Price: Adults (high school and over)¥210（¥100 in groups of 20+）
Children (elementary and junior high)¥100（¥50 in groups of 20+）
Session times: 9:00–17:00 (last entry 16:30)
Dates: Closed Tue and Wed (Thu if a holiday), the day after a holiday (except weekends and holidays), and 28 Dec–4 Jan
Booking: Not needed

The wide earthen floor and the stable

The earthen-floored area takes up almost six tenths of the house, with two rows of thick pillars set one bay apart. A stable lies on its north side; the posts inside are sunk straight into the ground so as not to hurt the horses’ hooves.

Hearth, stove and the straw-mat floor

In the west corner of the earthen floor are a sunken hearth and a cooking stove, with traces of the doza, where the family lived on straw mats laid on the earth.

The Hirata family and the move

The Hirata family are said to descend from a retainer of Takeda Shingen, and in the Edo period they served as headmen of Matsumuki village. The house became an Important Cultural Property in 1989; because it was in danger of collapse, it was taken apart, moved and repaired on its present site.

Hours

9:00–17:00 (last entry 16:30)

Closed

Tue, Wed (Thu if a holiday), the day after a holiday, 28 Dec–4 Jan

NotesClosing days may change in winter.

Contact

0551-36-2142

A thatched headman’s house9:00〜17:00

Location and access

Address: 7761-4 Kobuchisawa-cho, Hokuto, Yamanashi
Phone: 0551-36-2142
Nearest expressway exit: Kobuchisawa IC (Chuo Expressway)
By car from the exit: about 5 min
Nearest station: Kobuchisawa Station, JR Chuo Line (about 10 min on foot)
Parking: Municipal Car Park No. 1, across the road

Tours that include this place

Self-guided tourOld houses, spring water, art and an onsen

Nearby places

Eat · Kobuchisawa

Ishiusu-an SobaSample

Handmade soba from stone-ground buckwheat.

Tip
Ishiusu-an makes only one day’s worth of noodles and closes when they run out, so go early. Taste the first mouthful without dipping sauce to find the buckwheat aroma.

Good forRainy daysQuiet time

Price guide: Lunch ¥1,100–2,400, evening ¥8,000
Languages: Japanese
Closed: Tuesdays and Wednesdays

Book online

See · Kobuchisawa

Otaki Spring

A famous spring pouring from a hollowed-log spout.

Tip
Get close to the spout and feel how strong and cold the water is. About 22,000 tonnes a day still waters the rice fields, which changes how you see the stream at your feet.

Price guide: Free
Closed: Open all year

No booking needed

See · Kobuchisawa

Kogen-no-Yu Roadside StationSample

A roadside station with a farm shop, hot spring and soba.

Tip
Kogen-no-Yu has shopping, food and a hot spring in one place. The farm shop is best stocked in the morning. If you stop on your way home, warm up in the bath first, then load the car with vegetables.

Good forRainy daysFamilies with children

Price guide: Hot spring ¥850 adults, ¥420 children; soba from ¥950
Languages: Japanese
Closed: Two days a year (maintenance in February and June)

No booking needed

Stay · Kobuchisawa

Miharashi Highland ResortSample

A resort hotel with meeting rooms, a work lounge and dog-friendly rooms.

Tip
Miharashi lets you play and work from the same base. Spend the morning at a window desk in the lounge, then take the dog along the forest path in the afternoon. On clear mornings the terrace looks out over both Yatsugatake and the Southern Alps.

Good forRainy daysFamilies with childrenWorking too

Price guide: From ¥16,000 per person per night with breakfast (2 per room)
Check-in: 15:00