A Storehouse With Two Faces
The South Storehouse of the former Kataoka Residence stands south of the main house, facing the old Kō Highway that runs along the Yura River embankment. It is a two-story earthen-walled storehouse of about 22 square meters, its ridge set east to west under a gabled pantile roof. First built in 1915, it was moved to its present position in 1934, when the compound took much of the shape seen today.
What makes it worth a second look is how differently its sides are treated. The everyday entrance faces north, toward the earthen-floored work space of the main house. The walls are plastered, with a lower band finished in washed artificial stone. On the east, though, the storehouse changes character to match the street.
Why It Was Registered
Registered in June 2021 as one of the six Kataoka buildings, the storehouse earns its place through the way it holds the streetscape together. Its eastern face was deliberately dressed to echo the tall boundary wall on the north side of the main house: a board-clad lower wall, applied pillars, and a battened-tile drip eave. A purely functional store was given a public face so that the run of buildings along the highway would read as a single, composed frontage.
This is registration criteria at work. The Kataoka group was recognized not for isolated masterpieces but for the coherence of a merchant compound that grew over three eras and still shapes the historic approach into the old castle town. The South Storehouse is a small but telling part of that unity.
What to Look for on a Visit
Approach from the street and compare the storehouse with the boundary wall to its north. The matched detailing, the board cladding and the tiled drip eave, is easy to miss until you know to look, and then the intention behind the whole street front becomes clear. Walk around, if the layout allows, to see the plainer north side and the washed-stone base, and the difference between working wall and street wall stands out at once.
The compound is now Torinago Kyubee, a restaurant built around duck hotpot, and the buildings are experienced as part of a visit rather than on a set tour. Reservations are advised. As with the other Kataoka structures, this residence should not be confused with the former family villa across the street, now separately registered as the Ashida Residence.
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Questions and Answers
- Why do the storehouse walls look different on each side?
- The north side is a plain working wall. The east side was finished to match the boundary wall by the main house, giving the street frontage a unified look.
- Was it always in this spot?
- No. It was built in 1915 and relocated to its current position in 1934, when much of the compound reached its present arrangement.
- What is the washed-stone finish on the base?
- It is an artificial-stone surface washed to expose the aggregate, a durable early-modern finish used on the lower walls of the north side.
- Can I see it up close?
- The east face reads well from the street. The compound now operates as the restaurant Torinago Kyubee, so the wider grounds are seen while dining.
Basic Information
| Name | Former Kataoka Residence, South Storehouse |
|---|---|
| Location | 15 Shimoyanagi, Fukuchiyama, Kyoto |
| Designation | Registered Tangible Cultural Property (registered 24 June 2021) |
| Count | One building |
| Structure | Earthen-walled storehouse, two stories, tile roof; building area 22 square meters |
| Built | 1915 (Taisho 4); relocated 1934; renovated 2020 |
| Present use | Restaurant (Torinago Kyubee) |
| Access | About 15 minutes on foot from Fukuchiyama Station; street frontage visible, interior viewable while dining |
References
- National Database of Cultural Properties (Agency for Cultural Affairs) — Former Kataoka Residence South Storehouse
- https://kunishitei.bunka.go.jp/bsys/maindetails/101/00013831
- Cultural Heritage Online — Former Kataoka Residence
- https://bunka.nii.ac.jp/heritages/detail/591530
- Fukuchiyama City Official Site — Former Kataoka Residence
- https://www.city.fukuchiyama.lg.jp/soshiki/7/46298.html
Last verified: 2026.07.03