Do you know the oldest traditional townhouse in the Bikan Historical Area?
It is the Inoue House, designated a National Important Cultural Property.
Materials and documents show that it underwent major renovations in 1721, laying the foundations of the house that remains today.
After a decade-long preservation and restoration project that involved completely dismantling and investigating the house from fiscal 2012 through fiscal 2022, the Inoue House has been open to the public since March 2023. Let’s take a closer look at its highlights.
The information presented here was current when this article was published in September 2025. Please note that it may differ from current information.
About the Inoue House
The Inoue House is a traditional townhouse standing along Honmachi Street, the main street through the heart of the Bikan Historical Area.
In 2002, the following buildings and documents were designated National Important Cultural Properties.
- Main house
- Three-story storehouse
- Well storehouse
- Earthen wall
- Geomantic diagram of the house
- Premises
However, the buildings had deteriorated and needed repairs, so a preservation and restoration project lasting about 10 years began in 2012. The house opened to the public in March 2023.
Along with the townhouse architecture, restored to its appearance in those days, the space conveys the painstaking skills of the craftsmen and the ingenuity of earlier generations.
It is also a constituent cultural property of the Japan Heritage story “A Kurashiki story beginning with a single cotton flower: A textile town woven from Japanese and Western influences.”
The Inoue family
The ancestors of the Inoue family settled in Kurashiki at the end of the 16th century, establishing their home at the foot of Mt. Tsurugata and working to reclaim the tidal flats around the area then known as Achi Lagoon.
They were one of 13 families known as “koroku,” who had long held the right to serve as village officials. During the Edo period, they took turns with other families serving as village elders and representatives of the farmers.
The foundations of the Inoue House that remain today date to a major renovation carried out in 1721 by Yasube, the sixth head of the family.
Since then, the house has undergone repeated additions and renovations. It was used as a residence until 1997, but after a new house was built on the property, it was reportedly used as a workplace and reception area. Members of the Inoue family continued using it until the renovation in 2012.
Today, it has been restored to its appearance during the Tenpo era, when Saburoemon, the tenth head of the family, was active.
Architectural features that reveal traces of its merchant-house past
The Inoue family worked in land reclamation and, during the Kyoho era (1716–1736), grew into privileged merchants who were both sake brewers and landowners. Their history can also be glimpsed in the architecture.
The Kurashiki windows facing the street feature the only earthen fire door in the Bikan Historical Area.
These windows have shitomido and suriagedo shutters, made of panels divided into upper and lower sections. The upper panel is suspended at the top and can be raised to open.
A small window for visitors is also set into the wall beside it, offering a glimpse of the family’s past prosperity as village headmen.
Highlights of the living spaces
The drum bridge separates the building facing the street, which was used to receive guests, from the family’s living quarters.
In the guest area beyond the drum bridge, the tsuboniwa courtyard garden, with its yukimi lantern, is especially striking.
It is said that Saburoemon, the tenth head of the family, loved cranes and painted a picture of one that he kept here.
A substantial Bizen ware water jar sits in the kitchen.
It is a Kurashiki City-designated cultural property, inscribed with the date 1583, the year after the Honnoji Incident.
Kurashiki City kept it for some time after it was discovered in a storehouse at the Inoue House. During the preservation and restoration project that began in 2012, its original location of use was identified, and it was returned to the Inoue family in time for the house’s opening to the public.
A guided tour with live demonstrations by staff
The author, who has been working as a Community Revitalization Cooperator for Kurashiki City since December 2023, sometimes has the opportunity to tour the Bikan Historical Area with fellow Community Revitalization Cooperators working outside Kurashiki City, as well as friends and family from the time they lived in the Kanto region.
The Inoue House is always a must-visit on these occasions. That’s because, simply by paying the admission fee, staff will show you around the house with live demonstrations.
They demonstrate how the shitomido and suriagedo shutters are raised, as well as how the storm shutters are opened and closed, for each group.
Staff also explain the history of the Bikan Historical Area, drawing on materials unearthed during the preservation and restoration project carried out over 10 years from 2012.
The history told from the perspective of the Inoue family, who have watched over Kurashiki for generations, is no exaggeration to say the history of the city itself. My friends have also greatly enjoyed strolling around after exploring the Inoue House.
When you visit the Inoue House, be sure to ask the staff for a guided tour.
How about some original souvenirs?
The Inoue House also sells a variety of original merchandise.
Why not pick something up as a memento of your visit, to thank the staff for the enjoyable guided tour with demonstrations, or to show your support for the Inoue House?
The original merchandise currently on sale includes:
- T-shirts (family crest, portrait)
- Button badges (family crest, portrait, “Miyazakiya” shop name, fire brigade cart emblem)
We interviewed Inoue Fumihiko, the 16th head of the Inoue family, about stories from the decade-long preservation and repair work and the thought he puts into his guided tours, which include demonstrations.
Inoue House, a Nationally Designated Important Cultural Property Information
| Name | National Important Cultural Property Inoue House |
|---|---|
| Location | 1-36 Honmachi, Kurashiki City, Okayama Prefecture |
| Contact | 086-422-0714 |
| Parking | None |
| Opening hours | 10:00 a.m.–5:00 p.m. (last admission at 4:30 p.m.) |
| Closed | Mondays Year-end and New Year holidays (12/28–1/3) (Open on Mondays that are public holidays; closed the following day) |
| Admission (tax included) | Adults ¥500 (¥400) Elementary and junior high school students ¥300 (¥200) Preschool children Free ※Prices in parentheses apply to groups of 20 or more. |
| Payment methods |
|
| Reservations | Available To request a tour in English, please confirm by phone. Reservations are also required for group tours (30–60 minutes). |
| Smoking | Entirely non-smoking |
| Restrooms | Western-style toilets |
| Child-rearing | Designated facility for the Ikiiki Passport |
| Accessibility | Canes may be brought inside if fitted with cane covers. Tours can be given with masks removed. Many exhibits can be enjoyed by touch. |
| Website | National Important Cultural Property Inoue House |
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