What the South Treasure House Is
The Inaba Family Residence South Treasure House (稲葉家住宅南宝蔵, Inaba-ke Jūtaku Minami Hōzō) in Kumihama, Kyotango City, Kyoto Prefecture, is the southern of two storehouses joined by a corridor to the east side of the Inaba main house, built in the mid-Meiji period and registered as a Registered Tangible Cultural Property in 2003. It is a two-storey earthen-walled storehouse (Dozo-zukuri) with a tiled roof and 23 square meters of building area.
As the name says, this was a treasure store, an inner storehouse for the family's valuables. It sits where the household could reach it from the main house along a covered corridor without stepping outdoors.
Built Alongside the Main House
The Agency for Cultural Affairs believes the Inaba Family Residence South Treasure House went up at the same time as the main house. Work on the main house ran for five years, starting in 1885 and finishing in 1890, so on that reading the storehouse took shape within the same building campaign.
It measures 3 by 2 Ken, with its ridge running east to west. The gabled roof (Kirizuma-zukuri) of pantiles (Sangawara-buki) is an Okiyane, a separate roof set over the earthen body rather than built into it. The arrangement keeps rain off the thick clay walls, and in a fire the roof can burn and fall away while the walls and their contents survive.
The building was registered for its contribution to the historic landscape. The Agency's point is that the south treasure house forms a single group with the main house and is part of what makes the estate look the way it does. It was registered less as a storehouse in its own right than as the main house's partner.
Compared with Its Neighbor
Directly north of the Inaba Family Residence South Treasure House stands the second treasure house. Both connect to the main house by the same corridor, but they come from different periods and face different ways.
The south storehouse is a Meiji building with an east-west ridge. The north one is a late Edo storehouse that was moved into place, and its ridge runs north-south. Follow the rooflines and the right angle between the two is obvious. The south treasure house is also nearly twice the size, 23 square meters against 12.
One is the larger store the family built new for the new house; the other is the small one they brought forward from the earlier estate. The Inaba south treasure house belongs to the Meiji rebuilding.
Visiting the South Treasure House
The operators say a permanent exhibition, the Inaba Honke exhibition, is held in the treasure houses connected to the main house. It introduces the family mainly through items connected with the two sons of the 13th head, both killed in the war not long after they married. The published guide does not say how the exhibition is divided between the south and north storehouses.
Whether you can step inside the Inaba Family Residence South Treasure House depends on how the display is arranged at the time, so ask at reception if it matters to you. Opening hours and directions are on the Inaba Family Residence group page.
Q&A
- When was the Inaba Family Residence South Treasure House built?
- The Agency for Cultural Affairs dates it to the mid-Meiji period and thinks it was built together with the main house, which was under construction between 1885 and 1890.
- How is the Inaba Family Residence South Treasure House built?
- It is a two-storey earthen-walled storehouse, 3 by 2 ken, with an east-west ridge and a separately framed gabled pantile roof (okiyane).
- How does the Inaba Family Residence South Treasure House differ from the north one?
- The south storehouse is a mid-Meiji building of 23 square meters with an east-west ridge. The north storehouse is a late Edo building of 12 square meters, moved into place, with a north-south ridge.
- Can I go inside the Inaba Family Residence South Treasure House?
- The treasure houses linked to the main house hold a permanent exhibition on the family, but the official guide does not say which storehouse is used for what. Ask at reception.
- Why is the Inaba Family Residence South Treasure House a Registered Tangible Cultural Property?
- It was registered for its contribution to the historic landscape, as part of a single group of buildings with the main house that shapes the look of the estate.
Basic Information
| Name | Inaba Family Residence South Treasure House (稲葉家住宅南宝蔵) |
|---|---|
| Location | 3102 Kumihamacho, Kyotango City, Kyoto Prefecture |
| Designation | Registered Tangible Cultural Property (Building), register no. 26-0144 |
| Year Designated | Registered January 31, 2003 |
| Quantity | 1 building |
| Dimensions | 2-storey earthen-walled storehouse, tiled roof, building area 23 square meters |
| Owner | Kyotango City |
| Public Access | Permanent family exhibition in the treasure houses, 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.; closed Wednesdays and New Year holidays. Ask at reception which storehouse is in use |
References
- Database of National Cultural Properties: Inaba Family Residence South Treasure House (Agency for Cultural Affairs)
- https://kunishitei.bunka.go.jp/heritage/detail/101/00003112
- Database of National Cultural Properties: Inaba Family Residence North Treasure House (Agency for Cultural Affairs)
- https://kunishitei.bunka.go.jp/heritage/detail/101/00003113
- Guide to the Buildings (Gosho Inaba Honke, in Japanese)
- https://www.inabahonke.com/kannai/
Last verified: 2026.09.27
