About the Seishikan Study Storehouse
The Seishikan (Former Tomita Family Residence) Study Storehouse (静思館（旧冨田家住宅）書斎蔵, Seishikan Shosaigura) is a single-story plastered storehouse built in 1934 in Ueno, Inagawa Town, Hyogo Prefecture, and registered as a Registered Tangible Cultural Property in 2004. Tomita Kumasaku used it as his study.
It stands toward the south of the inner garden, east of the Front Gate. It measures 3 by 2.5 ken (a ken is about 1.8 m), with a building area of 27 m², under a gabled roof of pantiles. A small roof shelters the door on the north gable end.
Why the Seishikan Study Storehouse was registered
The Agency for Cultural Affairs registered the Seishikan Study Storehouse as a model of architectural form. On the outside it is a fireproof storehouse; inside it is a tatami study with heating built into the floor. The Agency describes the tatami as laid over an iron-plate floor, with an ondol-style heating system underneath, after the Korean underfloor heating.
The town leaflet explains how it worked: a sheet of iron under the tatami, and below it a firing chamber where rice husks or charcoal were burned to warm the room. Tomita had spent years in London, and he clearly wanted a warm study in winter. Storehouses converted to living rooms are not rare in Japan, but one with a fire pit beneath the floor is.
What to look for at the Seishikan Study Storehouse
The walls are white Shikkui plaster above vertical boarding. Windows open on the east and south, each under a little hood carried on carved brackets. These brackets are more elaborate than those on the other storehouses.
The leaflet adds that sills and lintels are made of sandalwood, so the room filled with scent when the heating was lit. The door faces the inner garden, so you can picture Tomita crossing the garden from the Main House to his study.
Visiting the Seishikan Study Storehouse
The town does not say whether the Seishikan Study Storehouse can be entered; ask the caretaker on the day. The exterior is visible from the inner garden, and the carved brackets can be seen on the south and east walls.
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) Study Storehouse
- [ Himeji Castle & Kobe Night View Cruise ]
Q&A
- What was the Seishikan Study Storehouse used for?
- It was Tomita Kumasaku's study: a storehouse outside, with a tatami room inside.
- How was the Seishikan Study Storehouse heated?
- An iron plate lay under the tatami, and rice husks or charcoal were burned in a chamber below. The Agency calls it ondol-style heating.
- How big is the Seishikan Study Storehouse?
- It is a single-story storehouse 3 by 2.5 ken, with a building area of 27 m².
- Why is the Seishikan Study Storehouse a Registered Tangible Cultural Property?
- It was registered in 2004 as a model of architectural form, for combining a storehouse with a tatami study and underfloor heating.
- Can I see inside the Seishikan Study Storehouse?
- The town does not state whether the interior is open. The exterior can be seen from the inner garden; ask the caretaker on the day.
Basic Information
| Name | Seishikan (Former Tomita Family Residence) Study Storehouse (静思館（旧冨田家住宅）書斎蔵) |
|---|---|
| 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 | 3 × 2.5 ken (ketayuki × harima), building area 27 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）書斎蔵
- https://kunishitei.bunka.go.jp/bsys/maindetails/101/00004158
- 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
