About the Ashida Family Residence Toilet
The Ashida Family Residence Toilet (蘆田家住宅便所, Ashida-ke Jūtaku Benjo) is a small single-storey wooden outhouse of the early Showa period in Higashiashida, Aogakicho, Tanba City, Hyogo Prefecture, registered as a national Registered Tangible Cultural Property in 2006.
The Agency for Cultural Affairs describes it as a kami-setchin (上雪隠), a term generally used for the better toilet of a household, kept for guests and the head of the family. It stands north of the main house and measures 2.2 m by 1.1 m, with a building area of 2.3 m², under a gabled roof of interlocking pan tiles.
Why the Ashida Family Residence Toilet was registered
The Ashida Family Residence Toilet was registered, under number 28-0243, as a structure that contributes to the historic landscape of the nation.
In the Agency's assessment, its value lies in how well it preserves the form of an old detached outdoor toilet. Registering the Ashida Family Residence Toilet on the same day as the house and shed recorded the estate down to this smallest building.
What to look for at the Ashida Family Residence Toilet
Within its 2.2 m by 1.1 m footprint, the Ashida Family Residence Toilet holds two compartments side by side: a urinal to the south and a toilet stall to the north. The urinal has a hinged door, while the stall has a sliding door.
Each compartment has a window on the east side, and a narrow veranda runs along the west, from which both doors are reached. For a building of just 2.3 m², the doors, windows and veranda are laid out with real care, which fits its description as the household's better toilet.
Visiting the Ashida Family Residence Toilet
The Ashida Family Residence Toilet is not open to the public, and no viewing arrangements have been announced. The north side of the main house is the private back of the home, so do not wander there without permission.
The two different doors and the east windows can be seen in the photographs in the Agency for Cultural Affairs database. Directions to the estate are on the Ashida Family Residence page.
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Q&A
- When was the Ashida Family Residence Toilet built?
- In the early Showa period. The Ashida Family Residence Toilet was registered as a Registered Tangible Cultural Property in 2006.
- What does kami-setchin mean for the Ashida Family Residence Toilet?
- It is the term the Agency for Cultural Affairs uses for it, generally meaning the better toilet of a house, used by guests and the head of the family.
- How big is the Ashida Family Residence Toilet?
- It is a single-storey wooden building measuring 2.2 m by 1.1 m, with a building area of 2.3 m².
- How is the Ashida Family Residence Toilet laid out inside?
- A urinal with a hinged door to the south and a toilet stall with a sliding door to the north, each with an east window, reached from a veranda on the west.
- Can visitors see the Ashida Family Residence Toilet?
- The interior is not open. Photographs in the Agency for Cultural Affairs database show its doors and windows.
Basic Information
| Name | Ashida Family Residence Toilet |
|---|---|
| Location | 981 Higashiashida, Aogakicho, Tanba City, Hyogo Prefecture |
| Designation | Registered Tangible Cultural Property (Building) |
| Year Designated | 2006 (registered) |
| Quantity | 1 building |
| Dimensions | 2.2 m by 1.1 m; building area 2.3 m² |
| Owner | Private owner |
| Public Access | Not open to the public |
References
- Agency for Cultural Affairs, Database of National Cultural Properties: 蘆田家住宅便所 (Ashida Family Residence Toilet)
- https://kunishitei.bunka.go.jp/bsys/maindetails/101/00005333
- Tamba City: National Designated, Selected and Registered Cultural Properties
- https://www.city.tamba.lg.jp/soshiki/shakaikyoikubunkazaika/gyomuannai/7/1/1650.html
Last verified: 2026.10.01
