A Rice Store Along the Northern Edge
Tottori Family Residence Rice Storehouse (鳥取家住宅米蔵, Tottori-ke Jūtaku Komegura) is an earthen rice store built in 1894 in Toyonaka-cho, Mitoyo City, Kagawa Prefecture, and registered as a Registered Tangible Cultural Property on 14 October 2021.
It runs east to west along the western half of the compound's northern boundary. It is a single-storey Dozo-zukuri building with a hipped roof (Yosemune-zukuri) now in Sangawara-buki tile; the original roof was heavier Hongawarabuki. It covers 72 square metres and was repaired in 1995.
The owner's website says it went up in 1894 together with the East Barn, making the pair the oldest securely dated buildings on the site and a reference point for dating the Main House.
Why It Was Registered: An Unusual Way of Building
The Tottori Family Residence Rice Storehouse was registered for its contribution to the historic landscape, and the official description singles out its construction as distinctive.
The outer walls are white Shikkui lime plaster, and the inner walls are plastered right over the posts. The eaves, however, are left unplastered so the Taruki rafters show, and at the corners they fan out like the ribs of a folding fan, a detail that lightens the corners of the hipped roof.
Up in the roof space, the Japanese-style frame (Wagoya) carries a lattice of bamboo laid over the beams, and on that lattice sits a layer of earth. Earth ceilings are found in storehouses across Japan and are generally explained as a guard against fire spreading down from the roof; the bamboo base is what caught the attention of the Agency for Cultural Affairs here.
The door is a wooden panel fitted with louvres, letting air through while shut, which matters when the contents are rice.
What to Look For
From outside, compare the smooth white walls with the exposed rafters of the Tottori Family Residence Rice Storehouse. Stand at a corner and look up to see the rafters splay out.
The louvred door is the giveaway that this was a rice store. A storehouse for heirlooms would be sealed tight; grain needed to breathe.
Visiting the Rice Storehouse
According to the owner's website, the Rice Storehouse has been converted into a fitness studio under the guidance of an architect experienced in heritage work, with its plastered wall doubling as a large projection screen.
The website says free tours and trial sessions can be arranged by phone. Arrangements may change, so check before you go. No photography rules are posted. Directions are on the Tottori Family Residence page.
Q&A
- Can I go inside the Tottori Family Residence Rice Storehouse?
- The owner's website says it now houses a fitness studio and that free tours or trial sessions can be arranged by phone. Confirm in advance.
- When was the Tottori Family Residence Rice Storehouse built?
- In 1894, according to the Agency for Cultural Affairs. It was repaired in 1995.
- What is unusual about how the Tottori Family Residence Rice Storehouse was built?
- Bamboo is laid over the roof beams to carry a layer of earth, and the unplastered rafters fan out at the corners.
- What was the original roof of the Tottori Family Residence Rice Storehouse?
- It was originally roofed in heavy hongawara tile and is now roofed in lighter sangawara tile.
- Why was the Tottori Family Residence Rice Storehouse registered?
- As a rice store of distinctive construction, under the criterion of contributing to the historic landscape.
Basic Information
| Name | Tottori Family Residence Rice Storehouse |
|---|---|
| Location | 1764 Kasada Kasaoka Goemon, Toyonaka-cho, Mitoyo City, Kagawa Prefecture |
| Designation | Registered Tangible Cultural Property (Building), No. 37-0455 |
| Year Designated | Registered 2021/10/14 (Reiwa 3) |
| Quantity | 1 building |
| Dimensions | Earthen storehouse, single storey, tiled roof, building area 72 square metres |
| Owner | Private individual |
| Public Access | Used as a fitness studio; contact the owner in advance to visit |
References
- Agency for Cultural Affairs, Database of National Cultural Properties: Tottori Family Residence Rice Storehouse
- https://kunishitei.bunka.go.jp/bsys/maindetails/101/00014100
- Kagawa Prefectural Board of Education: Registered Tangible Cultural Properties in Kagawa
- https://www.pref.kagawa.lg.jp/kenkyoui/shogaigakushu/bunkazai/culturalassets/culturalassets_16.html
- Guesthouse Kachoen, official site of the owner
- https://www.kachoen.jp/
- Guesthouse Kachoen: Rice Storehouse Fitness Studio
- https://www.kachoen.jp/about-3
Last verified: 2026.09.26
