About the Former Hirayasu Family Residence Tatsumi Storehouse
The Kawanishi City Local Museum (Former Hirayasu Family Residence Tatsumi Storehouse) (川西市郷土館（旧平安家住宅巽蔵）) is a white-plastered earthen storehouse 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 in the southeast corner of the estate, and tatsumi is an old word for southeast.
It has a tiled roof and a building area of 27 m², and the database gives its structure as single-storey timber. The other Hirayasu storehouses measure 60 m² (North), 29 m² (Inui) and 22 m² (West), so the Former Hirayasu Family Residence Tatsumi Storehouse is the second smallest of the four.
At the South End of the Eastern Row
Along the east side of the Hirayasu estate, storehouses and barns line up north to south and form its boundary. The Tatsumi Storehouse holds the southern end of that row, on the corner plot. The South Barn backs onto its north side, and the row continues on to the Great Barn.
Tatsumi comes from the old practice of marking directions with the twelve zodiac signs: between the dragon and the snake, which is southeast. The Inui Storehouse sits at the opposite, northwest corner, so the two storehouses pin down the corners of the estate. The name tells you exactly where to find it.
Round Tiles and Cut-Stone Footings
The Former Hirayasu Family Residence Tatsumi Storehouse has a gabled roof in Hongawarabuki, heavy tiling of alternating flat and round tiles. The walls are finished in white Shikkui plaster and stand on footings of cut stone.
Below lintel height the walls are clad in boards, protecting the part most exposed to rain splash and to knocks as goods went in and out, so plaster above and timber below form two clear bands. Read the building from the ground up: cut stone, boards, plaster, then the round-tiled roof.
The Round Window in the Gable
What catches the eye first on the Tatsumi Storehouse is the round window in its gable wall, and the Agency for Cultural Affairs names it as the storehouse's characteristic feature.
The North Storehouse, on the north side of the estate, also has round ventilation windows in its gables, which the Agency describes as distinctive. Finding the same opening on storehouses at opposite ends of the estate suggests the Hirayasu storehouses were designed to a common pattern.
Why It Was Registered
The Former Hirayasu Family Residence Tatsumi Storehouse was registered as a structure that serves as a model of design, under number 28-0010, on May 7, 1997, together with 13 other Hirayasu structures.
The Agency for Cultural Affairs calls it a fine Taisho-era storehouse, well built and marked out by its round gable window. Small as it is, no step was skimped from the round-tiled roof down to the stone footings.
Visiting the Former Hirayasu Family Residence Tatsumi Storehouse
The Former Hirayasu Family Residence Tatsumi Storehouse is at the southeast corner of the Kawanishi City Local Museum grounds. Official sources do not say whether the interior is open, so expect to view it mainly from outside (checked October 2026).
Walk round to the gable end and look up to see the round window face on. Ask at reception about photography. Opening days, admission and directions are on the Kawanishi City Local Museum page.
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Q&A
- What does Tatsumi mean in the Former Hirayasu Family Residence Tatsumi Storehouse?
- Tatsumi is an old word for southeast; the storehouse is named for its place in the southeast corner of the estate.
- What should I look for at the Former Hirayasu Family Residence Tatsumi Storehouse?
- The round window in the gable, along with the round-tiled gabled roof, white plaster walls, board cladding below lintel height and cut-stone footings.
- How big is the Former Hirayasu Family Residence Tatsumi Storehouse?
- It has a building area of 27 m², the second smallest of the four Hirayasu storehouses.
- When was the Former Hirayasu Family Residence Tatsumi Storehouse registered?
- On May 7, 1997, under registration number 28-0010.
- Can I go inside the Former Hirayasu Family Residence Tatsumi Storehouse?
- Official 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 Tatsumi Storehouse) |
|---|---|
| Location | 4-1 Gezaicho, Kawanishi City, Hyogo Prefecture |
| Designation | Registered Tangible Cultural Property (Structure) |
| Year Designated | 1997 (registered) |
| Quantity | 1 building |
| Dimensions | Building area 27 m² (single-storey timber, tiled roof) |
| Owner | Kawanishi City |
| Public Access | Open (Kawanishi City Local Museum, admission 300 yen) |
References
- Agency for Cultural Affairs, Database of National Cultural Properties: 川西市郷土館（旧平安家住宅巽蔵）
- https://kunishitei.bunka.go.jp/bsys/maindetails/101/00000146
- Agency for Cultural Affairs, Database of National Cultural Properties: Former Hirayasu Family Residence North Storehouse
- https://kunishitei.bunka.go.jp/bsys/maindetails/101/00000151
- Agency for Cultural Affairs, Database of National Cultural Properties: Former Hirayasu Family Residence South Barn
- https://kunishitei.bunka.go.jp/bsys/maindetails/101/00000147
- Kawanishi City: Guide to the Kyodokan Facilities
- https://www.city.kawanishi.hyogo.jp/shiseijoho/shokai/kankouannai/1003058/kyodokan_syosai.html
- Kawanishi City: Kyodokan (Local Museum)
- https://www.city.kawanishi.hyogo.jp/shiseijoho/shokai/kankouannai/1003058/kankou_kyodo.html
Last verified: 2026.10.01
