Registered Tangible Cultural Properties · Hyogo

Kawanishi City Local Museum (Former Hirayasu Family Residence South Barn)

Hirayasu South Barn: A 1919 Barn with Its Own Well House in Kawanishi

A 1919 board-floored barn with a well house, set against the Tatsumi Storehouse on the east side of the Hirayasu residence in Kawanishi City Local Museum.

Designation Registered Tangible Cultural Properties

Location Hyogo

About the Former Hirayasu Family Residence South Barn

The Kawanishi City Local Museum (Former Hirayasu Family Residence South Barn) (川西市郷土館（旧平安家住宅南納屋）) is a single-storey timber barn of 1918 to 1919 in Gezaicho, Kawanishi City, Hyogo Prefecture, registered as a Registered Tangible Cultural Property of Japan on May 7, 1997. It stands on the east side of the Hirayasu estate, built up against the north side of the Tatsumi Storehouse.

It has a gabled tiled roof and a building area of 22 m². Along the eastern edge of the estate, storehouses and barns line up from south to north, and the Former Hirayasu Family Residence South Barn is near the southern end of that row, back to back with the Tatsumi Storehouse at the southeast corner.

A Board-Floored Barn with a Well House

Inside, the Former Hirayasu Family Residence South Barn is a single room with a boarded floor, unlike the earthen-floored North Barn.

A well house is attached to its north side, a small roofed shelter over a well that makes the place for drawing water part of the barn. Why a well was placed out on the east edge, away from the kitchen and bath, is not recorded, but it suggests the outdoor work of the estate needed water close at hand.

What a Plain Building Tells Us

The Agency for Cultural Affairs describes the South Barn as plainly built overall. It has no ornament to speak of, just a gabled roof over one room.

Even so, its tiled roofline tucked against the white wall of the Tatsumi Storehouse holds its place in the eastern row. Look north along the row from the south end and you can follow the alternating heights of storehouses and barns that make up the east side of the Former Hirayasu Family Residence.

Why It Was Registered

The Former Hirayasu Family Residence South Barn was registered as a structure that serves as a model of design, under number 28-0011, on May 7, 1997, together with 13 other Hirayasu structures.

The Agency for Cultural Affairs values it as part of the layout of a large estate and as a building needed to understand Taisho-era daily life. A barn with its own well house records the everyday water work that the main house and reception rooms do not.

Visiting the Former Hirayasu Family Residence South Barn

The Former Hirayasu Family Residence South Barn is on the east side of the Kawanishi City Local Museum grounds, just north of the Tatsumi Storehouse. Official sources do not say whether the interior is open, so expect to view it mainly from outside (checked October 2026).

The well house on its north side is the detail not to miss. Ask at reception about photography. Opening days, admission and directions are on the Kawanishi City Local Museum page.

📍 Plan Your Visit to Hyogo: Find tours, activities & transport passes near Kawanishi City Local Museum (Former Hirayasu Family Residence South Barn); [ Himeji Castle & Kobe Night View Cruise ]

Q&A

QWhere is the Former Hirayasu Family Residence South Barn?: AOn the east side of the Hirayasu estate, built against the north side of the Tatsumi Storehouse.

QWhat is inside the Former Hirayasu Family Residence South Barn?: AA single room with a boarded floor.

QWhat is the well house on the Former Hirayasu Family Residence South Barn?: AA small roofed shelter over a well, attached to the north side of the barn.

QWhen was the Former Hirayasu Family Residence South Barn registered?: AOn May 7, 1997, under registration number 28-0011.

QCan I go inside the Former Hirayasu Family Residence South Barn?: AOfficial sources do not say whether the interior is open; the exterior can be seen within the Kawanishi City Local Museum grounds (checked October 2026).

Basic Information

Name	Kawanishi City Local Museum (Former Hirayasu Family Residence South Barn)
Location	4-1 Gezaicho, Kawanishi City, Hyogo Prefecture
Designation	Registered Tangible Cultural Property (Structure)
Year Designated	1997 (registered)
Quantity	1 building
Dimensions	Building area 22 m² (single-storey timber, tiled roof)
Owner	Kawanishi City
Public Access	Open (Kawanishi City Local Museum, admission 300 yen)