About the Seishikan Brushwood Room
The Seishikan (Former Tomita Family Residence) Brushwood Room (静思館（旧冨田家住宅）柴部屋, Seishikan Shibabeya) is a small single-story timber shed built in 1934 in Ueno, Inagawa Town, Hyogo Prefecture, and registered as a Registered Tangible Cultural Property in 2004.
It stands on the west side of Tomita Kumasaku's estate, facing east onto the forecourt of the Main House. It measures 2.5 by 2 ken (a ken is about 1.8 m), with a building area of 17 m², under a gabled pantile roof whose eaves rest on projecting bracket beams. Shiba means brushwood for kindling, so the name suggests it stored fuel.
Why the Seishikan Brushwood Room was registered
The Agency for Cultural Affairs registered the Seishikan Brushwood Room for its contribution to the historic landscape. Small as it is, the Agency notes, it was finished to match the Main House and gives the forecourt a point of interest.
Step through the Front Gate into the forecourt and you see the Main House ahead, the Garden Wall to the right and the Brushwood Room to the left. Giving a woodshed the same finish as the gate shows how the whole estate was designed as one picture.
What to look for at the Seishikan Brushwood Room
The timber is painted red-brown with Bengara, the walls are yellow Ōtsu plaster, and the lower walls are vertical boards. It is the same scheme as the Front Gate, so from the forecourt the gate and the shed read as a pair.
The door is a pair of plank leaves. Look also at the ends of the bracket beams poking out under the eaves. The town leaflet describes it as a small building that matches the Main House and blends into the forecourt.
Visiting the Seishikan Brushwood Room
The Seishikan Brushwood Room is on the west side of the forecourt, on your left just inside the Front Gate. The town does not say whether the interior is open.
Opening days and access are on the Seishikan page.
- 📍 Plan Your Visit to Hyogo
- Find tours, activities & transport passes near Seishikan (Former Tomita Family Residence) Brushwood Room
- [ Himeji Castle & Kobe Night View Cruise ]
Q&A
- What is the Seishikan Brushwood Room?
- A small timber shed on the west side of the estate. Shiba means brushwood for kindling, so it probably held fuel.
- Where is the Seishikan Brushwood Room?
- On the west side of the forecourt, facing east, on your left as you enter through the Front Gate.
- How big is the Seishikan Brushwood Room?
- It measures 2.5 by 2 ken, with a building area of 17 m².
- Why is the Seishikan Brushwood Room a Registered Tangible Cultural Property?
- It was registered in 2004 for its contribution to the historic landscape: a small shed finished to match the Main House that frames the forecourt.
- What colors is the Seishikan Brushwood Room?
- Red-brown bengara timber and yellow plaster walls, the same scheme as the Front Gate.
Basic Information
| Name | Seishikan (Former Tomita Family Residence) Brushwood Room (静思館（旧冨田家住宅）柴部屋) |
|---|---|
| Location | 22 Ueno Machimawari, Inagawa Town, Kawabe District, Hyogo Prefecture |
| Designation | Registered Tangible Cultural Property (building) |
| Year Designated | Registered in 2004 |
| Quantity | 1 building |
| Dimensions | 2.5 × 2 ken (ketayuki × harima), building area 17 m² |
| Owner | Inagawa Town |
| Public Access | Open to the public as Seishikan (free; closed Mondays) |
References
- Agency for Cultural Affairs, Database of National Cultural Properties: 静思館（旧冨田家住宅）柴部屋
- https://kunishitei.bunka.go.jp/bsys/maindetails/101/00004162
- Inagawa Town: Inagawa Town Seishikan
- https://www.town.inagawa.lg.jp/soshiki/1036/gyomu/1/seishikan/6710.html
- Inagawa Town: Seishikan leaflet (PDF)
- https://www.town.inagawa.lg.jp/material/files/group/37/seishikan2.pdf
Last verified: 2026.10.01
