Watanabe Residence, Sato Residence, and Tsuno Residence Special Public Tour

About this event

Organized by the Sekikawa Village Tourism Association, the 'Watanabe Residence, Sato Residence, and Tsuno Residence Special Public Tour' will be held on Sunday, October 11, 2026. On this tour, parts of the usually private Sato Residence and Tsuno Residence will be specially opened to the public, allowing visitors to tour historic residences preserved along the old Yonezawa Highway together with the Watanabe Residence, a Nationally Designated Important Cultural Property. At the Watanabe Residence, visitors enter through the gate into the garden to view the large 'ishioki-kibabuki' (stone-weighted shingle) roof passed down in snow country, the shumoku-zukuri main building, and the garden designated as a National Place of Scenic Beauty. The Sato Residence features a thatched main house built in 1765 conveying the layout of a village headman's estate, where visitors can see the entire estate with remaining structures built from the Edo period through the Meiji and Taisho eras. The Tsuno Residence is believed to have been built around 1789 and bears the history of modifications made in accordance with changing lifestyles, preserving the estate layout including not only the main house but also earthen storehouses and back living rooms. By visiting these three residences consecutively, visitors can deeply appreciate the different architectural styles along the same highway, the roles each house played, and the daily life and culture of the people who lived in Sekikawa Village. Guides will lead the approximately 1-hour tour, limited to the first 25 people per session.

Venue

Watanabe Residence (Watanabe-tei)

904 Shimoseki, Sekikawa-mura, Iwafune-gun, Niigata 959-3265