The house was constructed by Hirotsu Keisaburo, a prominent businessman who operated a large-scale textile and rice trading empire in Gunsan.
The structure avoids the use of nails in many of its key joints, relying instead on traditional Japanese interlocking carpentry techniques.
It is one of the few remaining examples of Japanese colonial period architecture that has not undergone significant modern structural renovations.
The garden layout was specifically designed to change visual perspective based on the viewer's position within the house's ground-floor living area.
The interior contains a 'tokonoma', a recessed space for displaying art or scrolls, which remains a focal point of the primary room.
The Sinheung-dong Japanese House, formerly known as Hirotsu House, is a preserved 1905 wooden residence built by a wealthy Japanese merchant during the colonial era. It is a quintessential example of Japanese 'Jukutaku' architecture, characterized by its two-story structure, tiled roof, and intricate woodwork. The house features a symmetrical layout typical of early 20th-century wealthy residential design. The interior retains original tatami rooms, sliding shoji doors, and heavy timber framing. A central feature is the meticulously maintained Japanese-style garden, which includes stone lanterns and curated shrubbery designed to be viewed from the veranda. The property gained cultural prominence as a filming location for acclaimed South Korean movies, including 'Tazza: The High Rollers'. It is officially designated as a registered cultural heritage site by the South Korean government to preserve local history. The house provides insight into the lifestyles of Japanese settlers in the Jeolla region during the early 1900s.
The elevated wooden veranda overlooking the inner courtyard and stone garden.
Focus your photography on the interplay between the interior light and the garden through the sliding glass doors.
Combine your visit with a walk through the nearby Gunsan Modern History Museum district.
Keep a quiet pace to fully appreciate the acoustics of the wooden floorboards.
Do not attempt to touch or lean on the historical wooden walls or delicate paper partitions.
Closed on Mondays.
Visitors are prohibited from entering the interior rooms; viewings must be done from the designated paths and the exterior.
