What Is the Hirukawa Family Residence (Former Toya Family Residence) Storehouse?
The Hirukawa Family Residence (Former Toya Family Residence) Storehouse (蛭川家住宅（旧遠矢家住宅）蔵) is a storehouse built in 1867 on the estate of a gōshi, or rural samurai, family in Tsuneyoshi, Osumi-cho, Soo City, Kagoshima Prefecture, and was registered as a Registered Tangible Cultural Property on August 4, 2015.
It is a compact building, 5 meters long and 4 meters deep, with a footprint of 23 square meters. The tiled roof is a simple gable (Kirizuma-zukuri) with deep eaves, and a lean-to (Geya) one bay wide projects from the front.
A Storehouse That Records Its Own Date
The first thing that sets the Hirukawa Family Residence storehouse apart is that it can be dated precisely. Soo City reports ink inscriptions on a roof strut, among them one reading, in translation, "Keiō 3, year of the hare, fourth month, 22nd day: this storehouse built." Keiō 3 corresponds to 1867, a year that in the sixty-year calendar cycle was a year of the hare, so the zodiac sign in the inscription matches. The date is in the old lunar calendar.
The Agency for Cultural Affairs notes that structures of known date are rare among the gōshi houses of Tsuneyoshi, and that rarity is part of why the storehouse was judged to contribute to the historic landscape. It was registered as No. 46-0117. The main house and the gate on the same plot can only be placed in the "late Edo period", so this inscription is also the best fixed point for dating the estate as a whole.
Sloping Beams and Deep Eaves
The roof frame of the Hirukawa Family Residence (Former Toya Family Residence) Storehouse uses Nobori-bari, beams that rise at an angle from the eaves toward the ridge instead of spanning flat. This frees up the space under the roof, and it is probably why the official description can speak of a 2-storey storehouse.
The sources do not agree on the number of floors. The structure field of the national database says "wooden, single-storey", the description on the same page says "2-storey storehouse", and Soo City says it has two levels. Reading it as a storehouse with an upper floor set into the roof space reconciles the three, although we found no source that describes the interior.
The eaves are a defining feature too. Pushed well out from the walls, they keep rain off the walls below.
Position Relative to the Main House
The Hirukawa Family Residence storehouse stands to the east of the main house and faces west. Because its front lean-to is on that west side, the door opens toward the main house, so the family's living quarters and the storehouse entrance face each other across the yard.
Visiting the Storehouse
The Hirukawa Family Residence storehouse stands inside a private home's grounds and is not open to the public; Soo City lists the whole estate as closed. Since it sits toward the back and the east side of the plot as seen from the gate, we could not confirm how much of it is visible from outside. Photographs are available in the Agency for Cultural Affairs database and on the Soo City page. Directions are on the Hirukawa Family Residence (Former Toya Family Residence) page.
Q&A
- When was the Hirukawa Family Residence (Former Toya Family Residence) Storehouse built?
- In 1867 (Keiō 3). An ink inscription on a roof strut records that the storehouse was built on the 22nd day of the fourth month of that year.
- Why is the Hirukawa Family Residence storehouse a Registered Tangible Cultural Property?
- Dated structures are rare among the gōshi houses of Tsuneyoshi, and the storehouse was judged to contribute to the historic landscape. It was registered on August 4, 2015, as No. 46-0117.
- How big is the Hirukawa Family Residence storehouse?
- It measures 5 by 4 meters, with a building area of 23 square meters, plus a lean-to one bay wide on the front.
- Is the Hirukawa Family Residence storehouse one storey or two?
- The sources differ. The database structure field says single-storey, its description says 2-storey, and Soo City says two levels. It is most likely a storehouse with an upper floor in the roof space created by its sloping beams.
- Can visitors see the Hirukawa Family Residence (Former Toya Family Residence) Storehouse?
- Not up close. It is inside a private home's grounds that Soo City lists as closed to the public. Photographs are published by the Agency for Cultural Affairs and Soo City.
Basic Information
| Name | Hirukawa Family Residence (Former Toya Family Residence) Storehouse (蛭川家住宅（旧遠矢家住宅）蔵) |
|---|---|
| Location | 566 Baba, Tsuneyoshi, Osumi-cho, Soo City, Kagoshima Prefecture |
| Designation | Registered Tangible Cultural Property (Building), Registration No. 46-0117 |
| Year Designated | Registered August 4, 2015 |
| Quantity | 1 building |
| Dimensions | Wooden, tiled roof, 5 meters by 4 meters, building area 23 square meters (single-storey in the structure field, 2-storey in the description) |
| Owner | Private individual |
| Public Access | Not open to the public (private residence) |
References
- Database of National Cultural Properties: Hirukawa Family Residence (Former Toya Family Residence) Storehouse (Agency for Cultural Affairs)
- https://kunishitei.bunka.go.jp/heritage/detail/101/00010709
- Cultural Heritage Online: Storehouse
- https://online.bunka.go.jp/heritages/detail/280203
- Hirukawa Family Residence (Former Toya Family Residence): Main House, Storehouse and Gate (Soo City, in Japanese)
- https://www.city.soo.kagoshima.jp/kankou_event/rekisibunnka/siseki/hirukawakezyuutaku.html
- Kagoshima Cultural Properties Encyclopedia: Storehouse (Kagoshima Prefectural Board of Education, in Japanese)
- https://k-bunkazai-school.com/cultural/f-q-60112/
Last verified: 2026.10.03
