About the Koin
The Kabashima Family Residence Koin (椛島家住宅庫院, Kabashima-ke Jūtaku Koin) in Nijotanaka, Itoshima City, Fukuoka Prefecture, is a single-story timber barn of the late Meiji period (1898 to 1912), renovated in 2015 and registered as a Registered Tangible Cultural Property on May 2, 2017.
The Kabashima Family Residence Koin has a building area of 68 square meters and register number 40-0141. Itoshima City glosses it as the former barn. In Zen temples the word koin names the kitchen and service building (the equivalent of a Kuri); here it has been given to the farm storehouse of a landowner's estate.
Hipped-Gable Roof and Deep Eaves
The ridge of the Kabashima Family Residence Koin runs north to south under a hipped-and-gabled roof (Irimoya-zukuri) of pantiles (Sangawara-buki). Lean-to roofs (Geya) wrap the west and north sides, and the west side is left open, without walls.
The walls are finished in lime plaster (Shikkui) above a wainscot of vertical boards (Tateita-bari), with a single doorway toward the south end of the west side. The deep, overhanging eaves set the character of the building, and the Agency for Cultural Affairs singles them out as proof that the barn keeps the structure and look of an old family's farm building.
Barn and Fence as One Composition
After the south gate, the Kabashima Family Residence Koin is the next building a visitor sees. It frames the forecourt in front of the main house, and it was registered for its contribution to the historic landscape.
The fence of the east and north gates starts at the barn's northeast corner and runs north along the edge of the grounds. The Agency describes that fence as designed to match the barn, so the two were evidently planned as a single view.
The sources disagree on where the barn stands. The Agency's entry for the Kabashima Family Residence Koin places it in the southwest corner, while Itoshima City puts it on the right (east) as you enter the south gate, and the Agency's own entry for the east gates treats the barn as the starting point of the east edge. This article follows the latter.
Seeing the Koin
On open days the Kabashima Family Residence Koin is on your right inside the south gate. The open west side, the deep eaves and the boarded wainscot can all be seen from the forecourt.
The official site gives no word on whether the interior is shown (checked September 28, 2026). Keep to the forecourt and leave the building untouched.
Q&A
- What is the Kabashima Family Residence Koin?
- A barn built in the late Meiji period (1898 to 1912), described by Itoshima City as the former barn. It is a single-story timber building of 68 square meters.
- How do you pronounce Kabashima Family Residence Koin?
- Kabashima-ke Jūtaku Koin, following the furigana in the Agency for Cultural Affairs database.
- What kind of roof does the Kabashima Family Residence Koin have?
- A hipped-and-gabled pantile roof with lean-to roofs around the west and north sides. The walls are plastered over a vertical-board wainscot.
- When was the Kabashima Family Residence Koin renovated?
- In 2015. It was registered as a Registered Tangible Cultural Property on May 2, 2017.
- Where on the estate is the Kabashima Family Residence Koin?
- Itoshima City places it on the right (east) inside the south gate. The Agency for Cultural Affairs entry says the southwest corner, so the sources disagree.
Basic Information
| Name | Kabashima Family Residence Koin (椛島家住宅庫院) |
|---|---|
| Location | 101 Otsuka, Nijotanaka, Itoshima City, Fukuoka Prefecture |
| Designation | Registered Tangible Cultural Property (Building), register no. 40-0141 |
| Year Designated | Registered May 2, 2017 |
| Quantity | 1 building |
| Dimensions | Single-story timber building, tiled roof, building area 68 square meters |
| Owner | Kabashima family (private) |
| Public Access | Not open daily; opened during exhibitions held mainly in spring and autumn |
References
- Database of National Cultural Properties: Kabashima Family Residence Koin (Agency for Cultural Affairs)
- https://kunishitei.bunka.go.jp/bsys/maindetails/101/00011588
- Registered Tangible Cultural Property: Kabashima Family Residence (Itoshima City, in Japanese)
- https://www.city.itoshima.lg.jp/s033/010/020/010/190/20181004152257.html
- Registered Buildings (Kabashima Family Residence official site, in Japanese)
- https://kabashimake.com/buildings/
- Kabashima Family Residence official site (in Japanese)
- https://kabashimake.com/
Last verified: 2026.09.27
