A woman and her three children were killed in a fire that gutted their two-story home and Japanese sweet shop in Omi-Hachiman, Shiga Prefecture, shortly after midnight Thursday, police said Friday.
Police identified the victims of the 12:10 a.m. blaze as Masako Ogawa, 35; her 6-year-old son, Yoshitaka; 4-year-old daughter Mai; and 3-month-old daughter Maho.
The woman's husband, Yoshikazu, 35, escaped unhurt, but his grandmother, Fushino, 88, suffered minor burns to both ankles, police said.
According to local police and firefighters, the fire broke out on the first floor of the wooden structure and spread to the second floor, where the Ogawa family were sleeping. The husband tried to rescue his wife and children but the fire was beyond his control, they said.
The Ogawa family operates the traditional Japanese sweet shop Watayo, which dates back to 1863 and is famous for its "Decchi Yokan" jellied bean paste.
The structure was located in an area with some Edo Period properties designated as important cultural assets, about 2 km from JR Omi-Hachiman Station.