The Tomii Family Residence Storehouse
The Tomii Family Residence Storehouse (富井家住宅土蔵) is an earthen storehouse of the late Edo period (between 1830 and 1867) in Kachu, Tadotsu-cho, Kagawa Prefecture, and was registered as a Registered Tangible Cultural Property (structure) on October 18, 2006 (Agency for Cultural Affairs).
The Agency records a two-storey earthen storehouse with a tiled roof, 16 square metres in building area, of the late Edo period; registration number 37-0311.
One of the four buildings of the Tomii Family Residence, it stands behind the Main House at the back of the plot.
How It Is Built
It is a two-storey Dozo-zukuri storehouse, 2 ken by 2 ken, with a gabled hongawara roof and the entrance on the gable end. It faces south; the doorway has a sliding door with a canopy above (Agency for Cultural Affairs).
The lower walls are clad in tile, and at the front corners the tiling continues up to the eaves. The building area is 16 square metres.
Why It Was Registered
It was registered as contributing to the historic landscape of the country. The Agency regards the Tomii Family Residence Storehouse as well designed and as a building that gives order to the grounds.
A samurai family's storehouse was a working building for household goods and papers, yet this small one received a carefully finished front. Behind the Main House, it also gives the compound its depth.
What to Look For
The front is the thing to see on the Tomii Family Residence Storehouse. The lower walls are Namako-kabe: flat tiles set in raised plaster joints that form a black-and-white lattice. At the front corners the tiling does not stop at waist height but climbs right up to the eaves, framing the edges of the facade.
The doorway has a sliding door with a small canopy above, carried on brackets cut into moulded profiles, a modest touch of ceremony for a storehouse. Because the entrance is on the gable end (Tsumairi), the tiled wall, canopy and triangular gable stack up into a single composed front.
Visiting
The Tomii Family Residence Storehouse is part of a private home and, as of October 2026, is not open. It stands behind the Main House, so it is probably hard to see from the street (a judgement from the layout).
Photographs on the Agency for Cultural Affairs database show the tiled walls and canopy in detail.
Q&A
- Where is the Tomii Family Residence Storehouse?
- Within the Tomii Family Residence at 8-6 Kachu, Tadotsu-cho, Kagawa, behind the Main House and facing south.
- Can you visit the Tomii Family Residence Storehouse?
- No. It is part of a private home, and standing behind the Main House it is probably hard to see from the street. Photographs are on the Agency for Cultural Affairs database.
- How is the Tomii Family Residence Storehouse built?
- It is a two-storey earthen storehouse of the late Edo period, 2 ken by 2 ken, with a gabled hongawara roof and its entrance on the gable end; building area 16 square metres (Agency for Cultural Affairs).
- What should you look for on the Tomii Family Residence Storehouse?
- The namako-kabe tiled lower walls, the tiling that runs up the front corners to the eaves, and the moulded brackets under the door canopy (Agency for Cultural Affairs).
- When was the Tomii Family Residence Storehouse registered?
- On October 18, 2006 (Agency for Cultural Affairs).
Basic Information
| Name | Tomii Family Residence Storehouse (富井家住宅土蔵) |
|---|---|
| Location | 8-6 Kachu, Tadotsu-cho, Nakatado-gun, Kagawa Prefecture |
| Designation | Registered Tangible Cultural Property (Structure) |
| Year Designated | Registered 2006/10/18 (Heisei 18) |
| Quantity | 1 building |
| Dimensions | 2 ken by 2 ken; building area 16 square metres |
| Owner | Private owner (per Tadotsu Town) |
| Public Access | Private home; no interior access announced |
References
- Tomii Family Residence Storehouse (Database of National Cultural Properties, Agency for Cultural Affairs)
- https://kunishitei.bunka.go.jp/heritage/detail/101/00005905
- List of cultural properties in Tadotsu (Tadotsu Town, Japanese)
- https://www.town.tadotsu.kagawa.jp/soshikikarasagasu/kyoikuiinkaijimukyokusyougaigakusyuka/shakaikyoiku/2/565.html
- Descriptions of cultural properties in Tadotsu (Tadotsu Town, Japanese)
- https://www.town.tadotsu.kagawa.jp/soshikikarasagasu/kyoikuiinkaijimukyokusyougaigakusyuka/shakaikyoiku/2/563.html
Last verified: 2026.10.20
